Things are Changing!
We Need to Grow!
Here is the letter to Governors-Elect from Danny Rodgers.
Dear Governors-elect,
I have heard it said that, “if you always do what you have always done, then you will always get what you always got.”In that regard we are planning new things for the 2010-11 year. These changes, I hope, will lead to and encourage the sustained growth of our organization. First, we will have a combined Governor-elect/Governor's Conference in Orlando, Florida on January 6-8, 2010. International President Mark Shriver and I, with our respective Vice Presidents, believe this will provide a great platform for our teams to truly come together as one great Optimist team. I am excited about the possibilities that we can achieve together.The second big change involves the first quarter of 2010. Each of the Vice Presidents will plan, arrange for and host a regional meeting involving each of his/her districts in one terrific conference. All Club Presidents will be encouraged to attend as well. The conferences will be in place of the traditional first quarter district meetings and be held on different weekends in October and November. So, don't sign any hotel contracts for the first quarter of 2010.Most of us have never done it this way before and change can be scary, but I, together with your Vice President believe that this will provide a great opportunity to start the 2010-11 year and lead to the sustained growth of our organization. Jill and I will be privileged to attend each of the regional gatherings and we already look forward to meeting with you and the members of your fine Districts. The meetings will follow the same pattern as the regional meeting held in Quebec on October 2008 where nearly 1,000 Optimists from five districts came together in optimism. See below to read the article from the regional first quarter District meeting in October 2008.I believe together we can accomplish great things and spread our reach to millions of communities as we continue to “bring out the best in kids!”Yours in Optimism,
Danny Rodgers
2010-2011 President Designate
4494 Lindell Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108
www.optimist.org
A Regional First Quarter District Meeting
We must not fail to mention the St. Lawrence Regional first quarter district meeting, a gathering of the francophone districts which was held last October. We can measure its success by the number of participants. Close to 1000 persons attended. That’s a high number for a simple quarter district meeting! The Hotel des Seigneurs in St-Hyacinthe was literally teeming with Optimists. The meals, workshops, conferences, entertainment and Optimist meeting place allowed those present to acquire information, exchange ideas and have a good time. With positive energy at its height, those Optimists who were present all profited from the big event. And when will we have a Pan-Canadian convention? Think about it, no passport necessary and with more activities and information relevant to the needs of Canadian children.
Source: http://optimistcanada.org/optimist/index.php?lang=english
Sun 10/11/09 8:26 PM Cowboy:
Deb and I had a very pleasant one hour chat with Danny Rogers, at his invitation, this morning.
As he points out in his letter, we can not keep doing the same thing and expect different results.
Due in part to our needing to complete the contract with the Gaylord in Florida - room numbers that were not filled for the Convention this past July - Danny and Marc will be able to hold two training sessions together which are usually done separately. Both the Mid-Winter Governor's Conference and the Governor-Elect Training will be on the same dates, and at the same location.
Their thinking is "We have to stop looking at 'my' year and look long range". Having the opportunity to conduct both training sessions in conjunction with each other will help to build a closer "long range" growth leadership.
This is also why Danny wants to try a Regional approach to the first quarter conferences. He is correct in the reasons he wants to try something different here.
* - Districts get a very low turn out of Club Presidents at any quarterly conference, and the first is important to get them started.
* - Districts seem to get the same people attending, and the same people teaching at each conference
By having a number of Districts get together at the beginning of the year would allow a wider selection of trainers - from -"gasp" other Districts so folks see a new face.
There are a bunch of things that need to be worked out with his idea and nothing can move Districts closer geographically --- really big Regions will remain really big.
This is a work in progress and I still have the same concerns as before, but will watch as the concept bubbles along and grows.
Danny offers that he would be happy to talk with anyone. his numbers are:
817-714-7261 = cell
817-392-4061 = office from 8AM - 2PM
817-392-6717 = office from 2PM - 5PM
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Mon 10/12/09 1:06 AM Carrollyn Cox
I'm glad you talked with Danny and that you have passed on your understanding of his thinking. I always believe in going to the source and you're wise to have done so.
I'm a fan of training conferences close to home, with the biggest guns you can "afford" to invite. That's why I believe in using Certified Trainers, especially if they have some audience appeal beyond their Optimist knowledge.
I've been to good training at the international convention, but frankly we have a mixed agenda when we spend that much money, go that far from home and have to focus on the myriad activities, schedules and issues that convention presents.
That's why I was so delighted with the growth conference we attended at Appalachian State. There was a good mix of attendees. Club presidents, lt- govs, the 5 govs, lots of district committee chairs, some intnl officers, the head trainers (Sue Jack Cresswell), some district officers elect, a few interested up comers, the intnl Pres and the VP. We came to learn and share - nothing more, nothing less. The training was well planned and we were assigned to tables so that no more than 2 from any district sat together. We had a good mix of training and part of an afternoon free to enjoy where we were. It was focused, yet not overwhelming. I saw govs-elect get excited about the potential of their district (and saw who cared enough to be there) and govs decide it was time to get moving. Yes, it cost a long weekend away, some travel and a modest fee for room and board. It was worth every penny.
No, not every event will be as productive, but I bet Stephanie Monschein, her staff and the Leadership Development Committee (I'd call them the L.D. Team) have a few tricks up their sleeves to make these conferences dynamic.
I'm optimistic! Carrollyn
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Mon 10/12/09 3:48 AM Jim Dupre:
After following the discussion on this issue, I'll finally put in my two pennies worth. I agree with Danny that as long as we continue on the same track, we'll continue with the same results. It sounds like he's thinking outside the box and that's very very good.
The district meetings are important to those who attend. That's the problem. Those who attend are mostly the ones who have attended in the past (lots of past governors). The average new club presidents aren't there and could usually care less about district politics and policies. Many who are there show up to party with old friends four times a year (my observation). The same might be said about OI conventions.
Having another meeting of the leadership will do little to or for the Optimist in the trenches. The trenches are where change need to be made, if it is to be made. This region ranges (pun intended) from the cattle range of Nebraska & Colorado to the corn fields of Minnesota to the mines and tundra of Saskatchewan and Alberta and Manitoba. Let's see how many first timers from those districts attend the convention in Denver. I'll be there because it's only a seven hour drive from my home. I wonder how many from the far reaches of even this region will travel there? I'll also be at any regional meeting because it's just what I do.
On the other hand, if an OI convention and a district convention were both taken off of the agenda, then those who want to see their old friends might use their travel time for whatever meeting they could get to. Regardless of which quarter meeting is taken off of the agenda, it's the leadership who will attend beyond the borders of their districts.
Let's keep thinking outside of the box and come up with some ways that will impact the "Optimist in the Trenches".
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Mon 10/12/09 3:49 PM WA (Pelican Bill) Siegler, Jr.
REGIONALS-ain't never.......
IT IS AGAIN a case of Administration-controlled by the ancients- doing what it wants instead of the clubs and the club members deciding on what THEY want and how they want it.
IT is TELLING the Presidents that you should attend when they don't even attend the District Conferences. They aren't going to do it!
JUST WHEN is someone going to figure out that this is not 40 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago....and this ain't yours, your father's or your grandfather's Optimist Organization...
When will someone(s) wake up and start talking to the young mobil "youth" of today's Optimism, those that haven't quit, or won't join, because they have found more DIRECT ways to be volunteers, do community support service, and be part of individual cause related activities without the minutia of the Big 4 service Clubs.
Until you give them the vote and give them the direct decisions- NOTHING is going to change. No one is going to attend a REGIONAL any more than a DISTRICT, so don't waste your time and the organization's money.
Let the "kids" do it their way! LET them make their own decisions....you may not like, no you probably won't like it, but it will be the only thing that can save this organization.
Rebuilding can only happen from the the bottom up, it will not happen from the top down!
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Mon 10/12/09 5:04 PM
Although I sometimes RANT, I rarely respond to rants, but since I love Bill, I’m gonna!
Come on, Bill. How old is Danny Rogers? I’m ancient. He isn’t.
The Vice President’s training conferences, however you title them, are designed to be just that, TRAINING CONFERENCES. It’s the loads of procedure and ceremony and “we’ve always done it this way” that keeps the young turks away from district meetings. Young turks like to be trained. They want it simple, if not at their desks then in a straightforward environment where it is clear that training is what we are here for.
Training conferences in areas of the country, conveniently in regions, were proposed in place of the expensive, non-productive and undeserved (for the large part) Governor’s Conference in places like St. Petersburg, FL and Jamaica, etc. Those were brought back for various reasons, but the board voted 3 years ago to remove them from the budget.
And, why do we keep railing against new things and ascribing motives to those who propose them, especially calling the ideas a “rehash” of an old, dead, not mourned plan that was rejected? What we are doing certainly isn’t working.
If we wanted to completely rehaul to attract young American and Canadian singles and couples, we would scrap the whole structure and reconvene like Habitat or Operation Smile. But, although it might attract a lot of attention, it wouldn’t fulfill our mission of being there, in the community, on the ground where life is happening for families, children, the poor, the disadvantaged, the elderly.
Because we are an enduring kind of organization, we’ve got to work hard right now to actually endure – to last beyond today and tomorrow. It takes change, new ideas, new structures. It also takes hope, and vision and patience. We’ve got a lot of clubs that work darn hard to create good things for their communities. We need to publicize them, teach new leaders and offer new opportunities.
Sorry, Bill, but this time you are just premature in your condemnation. The President doesn’t call all the shots anymore, and the Board is young, aggressive and smart. Let’s give these guys a chance to make a real difference. Maybe not today, but we’ve got to keep at it. If not, we’d better just fold our tents and slip away in the night. It’s like Buzz says, unless international leadership is relevant, we won’t last internationally. But don’t let’s give up before we try.
I’m an Optimist. My service is relevant. I’ll keep working to make sure my organization is relevant too.
Carrollyn
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Mon 10/12/09 6:04 PM
Fellow Optimists - I have to agree with Carrollyn - I think with Mark this year, and Danny next year - we are far from the "ancients," in fact I think we have taken a major "leap" forward in terms of whom is being nominated for the head spot of our Great Organization. We are at a watershed point in our history - a new generation at the helm!
We have some tough issues before us, and we do need to think way outside the box. I believe there is an old quote that says somethin like: To do the same thing over and over, and expect a new outcome, is a definition of insanity. The "old ways" have not done much for us recently, so there is no logical reason to think that doing the "same old" will do anything more or new for us than has been accomplished in the immediate past few years.
I think we have to look at everything we do - ask why! And we must try new things to re-energize, re-excite our base - our clubs. And if we offer a good, relevant, timely, and intersting Regional Optimist meeting (or any other Optimist meeting for that matter) - they will come - content, content, content - if you want younger people to give up theitr weekends (time away from family, career, friends, etc), you MUST make it wiorthwhile.
Much of the problems with our district conferences, is that they are run like they were thirty years ago, and as Jim Dupre stated in his post, the District Conferencves are a way to see old friends four times a year. If that's the case, why would a younger, new Optimist want to go ....... many Districts use the same format, the agenda, and maybe even the same presentors as was used years ago ..... a step back in time. And to sum up many District Conferences from the eyes or a new/younger - "boring.......I'll never go back."
The net is that we have to try something new - Mark & Danny are cooperating in so many ways - they are both so very willing to look beyond "my year" and think about the long term overall good of Optimist International.
And very timely indeed, I just ran across this quote:
“After you've done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. After ten years, throw it away and start all over.” -- Alfred Edward Perlman
Jim Kondrasuk,
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Mon 10/12/09 7:23 PM
Hi Y’all,Guess it’s time for my $0.02 worth.
I’m reminded of “If you ain’t tried it, don’t knock it.”.I don’t know if Danny’s plan will work (help) but, I do know what we’re doing isn’t working. We elected those gentlemen (Mark and Danny) to lead us. Now let’s give them a chance. Let’s all put our shoulder to the wheel cause nothing will work if we don’t all participate. One final piece of advice for Mark and Danny. You gotta’ get the word to the folks in the clubs that there’s a change in how things will be done. And, it has to come from YOU. The young folks have been “fooled” enough by the old guard.
>don< Donald R Keating
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Mon 10/12/09 7:35 PM
I suppose I ought to just admit that I do get...get....oh who knows...
I get so frustrated at probably my own inability to effect changes and draw others into the organization.
I truly believe that there is a modern formula out there to attract a new set of Turks, both adults and kids (JOOI and those we serve) a new methodology that will give em the gratification that we all have had over the years. I also recognize that change has become exponential, the world is shrinking rapidly (although not warming!) and is totally technological. We are living in an insane world of media. The seamless way others have used the "non face to face" world to effect charitable and volunteerism changes, leaves me feeling that it has to a great extent passed Optimists by.
We -the US- will spend this year more money on "Drone unmanned airplanes" and in training computer based pilots and navigators than on "real ones." All this at a fantastic cost savings-and drones can stay over target for 24 hours while real planes only 1 hour
I have also witnessed supreme changes in the Gideons International organization- changes I never thought would happen, not in my lifetime nor in the next generation, but change it is and it is wonderful and productive. From the ground up and the top down. Not without corrections along the way and constant adjustments and tinkering...but technological and revolutionary to a 110 year old Christian Business and Professional organization.- about the same age as Optimist International. So I know it can be done.
Anyway, I guess I will just have to build clubs and work from the ground up....."doing it my way" and proving again that it can be done! and that "I can leave it better than I found it."
I have come to dislike meetings and conferences-finding a better use of my time in Webinars, and Video seminars. I have even taken courses on line and am doing two financial certifications entirely online. I communicate with my clients all over the US-providing up to date financial management and news and tax work and service instantaneously.
This Optilink was viewed suspiciously in its early years and now is accepted as is.
Maybe it is time to add the webcam to it? real-time or delayed video? the Optimist Volunteer's Facebook? Video recorded training, video conferencing all instead of traveling and attending anything?
There are now more mobile telephone numbers than land based lines. Lisa and I have no land line other than my office lines.....AND the 1st of the year we will convert to a system called Packet 8 and cut those lines!~ while saving over 60% of our business phone costs, and be able to record and store calls when needed for client communications and have complete compliance logs of calls, and have 2 additional lines and a super dedicated fax and messaging line!
SOOOOOOO if an apology is necessary , then consider this an apology for being passionate, and a bit spaced (out of this world? body?) with no constraining box.
I never mean to offend- although I guess I do
I never really mean to criticize, just my facetious way of trying to jiggle the brain cells,
and I never am pointedly personal even in my haste to use a shotgun instead of a water pistol to effect changes.
And I can always depend on someone to accept the shock value of my posts and shoot back-thank you.
Peace and goodwill to those that have already responded. For those that haven't "I feel your pain" bg
Go and build a club and hold a kid's hand or walk a mile in someone's shoes.
But be Optimistic about your ability to effect change in that kids life.
Pelican Bill
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Mon 10/12/09 8:32 PM Carrollyn Cox
And that’s why we love you and why people still put up with me (well, most people!). They know we really love this organization and we have a real sense of what a positive force it can be to the community, the future of our children and the lives of its members.
Now, if we could just make those changes ourselves, instead of waiting for someone else to help us. I’ve been begging OI to help me with the video PSA’s. Not just pay money to place them on tv stations, but help me get them out through the internet. Linda jackson’s done that on her blog. Now we need to point to her blog and let people see what we’re talking about.
It’s probably going to be up to us to file CPA books online on Facebook until somebody has to acknowledge that’s a good idea.
And why not have another OI Facebook page just for ideas and forward looking suggestions?
We’re probably going to have to design a web-based tutorial on how to run an Oratorical Contest and then sweet talk someone into hosting it for us. OI didn’t have a web page until a volunteer did it. OI didn’t have radio and tv PSA’s until a volunteer did it. OI doesn’t have a lot of things that we are just going to have to do. Not just for our clubs, but for the organization. They can’t fire us for doing it – now can they?
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Mon 10/12/09 9:12 PM Jim Dupre
Super ideas. Who is OI? Mark or Danny? No!
The guy or gal who goes to a project/meeting or two a month is "OI".
It's been said, "If it's to be, it's up to me". That's the positive force.
Facebook and twittering and texting are where the young folks live.
They could care less about meetings and hierarchies, and protocol.
Look at the statistics of attendance, not only at OI meetings, but at church, political conferences, and even in community orchestras.
Times have changed and we're (old folks .. not including you, Carrollyn) still on the same road that our parents
traveled two generations ago.
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Mon 10/12/09 11:46 PM
I have given this quite a bit of thought over the past few days and several issues came to surface. I am a past Governor and now 2 term District Secretary Treasurer. and a few issues have not been addressed.
There is crucial District business that must be conducted in the first quarter. The new year's budget must be approved by Executive Committee and then the Board. The Financial Report from the previous year must be approved
so the books can be formally closed and audited and the Form 990 completed. Also, 4th Quarter Executive and Committee Meetings minutes must be approved so they can be submitted to Optimist International. This could not be postponed to the 2nd Quarter so in this plan you would need to allocate BOTH time and space for each District to have an Executive and Board Meeting. I don't consider that "old timer" thinking but just business that must be conducted.
I am not opposed to making these changes but the 1st Quarter really is not the best time.
Both Mark and Danny are very committed to working together. They are having their Mid Year and Governor Elect training together. I know part of that was the room block issue from the Convention in Orlando but they are willing to work together. This will be important as we move forward.
Bill made some really valid points. Young people are not interested in joining organizations but will get involved in Community projects they believe in. They will attend meetings if they see value in it. So we need to take time to see what these young people see as value adding.
My club is blessed this year with a very young president whose wife is also a member and our 2nd Vice President. They are already working to bring in their group of friends into the club and I see this as a godsend. This is what will recruit the younger members. Our club now has a facebook page.
If the organization is going to grow we need to look outside the box. The current model doesn't need to be broken apart but tweaked. I think we need to give Mark and Danny a chance and not look at each individual change but the overall direction they are taking us. Carrollyn was right when she said the make-up of the board is really changing. We have some young forward thinking members and lets give them an opportunity to shine.
Clubs are the key to the overall success of our organization. As leaders our job is to help our clubs succeed. I saw that as my role of Governor and I know the OI leadership does as well.
Chris Black
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Tue 10/13/09 12:11 AM
Regarding change, "If you always do what you have always done, then you will always get what you always got."
I 100% agree with this statement, however the change must be for the "better" not for the worse; or at minimum break-even being the worse case scenario to try something different to see if it will work. To change things just to change is not the best answer. It must be rational and forward thinking of the pros and cons. We may not want the result.
We have all seen changes that are successful in some peoples minds, but actually did very little to forward the goals but it wasted resources, money and time. Let's think it through first before proceeding with change and do the right thing.
Good leaders listen and analyze the pros and cons and does the "right" thing, not just to change.
Have a great day!!!
Thanks, Dale
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Tue 10/13/09 12:51 AM
Don has hit the "nail on the head" - we have to find more efficient & effective ways to get the mundane tasks of our District Conferences out of the way without taking up vast amounts valuable meeting time. To attract young/new Optimists to these meetings, we have to make it worthwhile! Its content, content, content - relevant & useful.
And to ask folks to give up a day or two, and then discuss minutes and finances, etc., in my opinion , just does not cut it. Do this, and they will be one time attendees. Again, in my opinion, the rank and file Club member could care less about the District minutes, policies or the budget (UNLESS you are asking for a dues increase) - Build It And They Will Come - we've just built the wrong thing. Talk about the clubs & their issues - youth projects, community service, fellowship and fun - and you will get attendees, and they'll probably come back again, and if we do it right, they may even bring a fellow club member!
Jim Kondrasuk
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Tue 10/13/09 1:37 AM Buzz Buswell
There is a huge chasm between what we can do and what we want to do. Looking at the chasm most of our comments have addressed risk. We want to talk about building but we do not want to be the builder. We want to talk about membership but we do not want to Just Ask. We want to turn the ship of state around but we don’t want to change course.
Start with 90,000. Tell Mark he is a nice guy but we can’t change. Drop 6,000. Start with 84,000. Straighten Danny out – can you believe he was trying to go that way? What was he thinking. Drop 6,000. Start with 78,000. Thank God we are not the person the CQ Committee stuck.
I have a bowling ball – not a crystal ball. I don’t know if Danny’s idea will work but I do know that my membership is voluntary. Through the process I said in effect, “Danny, you lead, I’ll follow.”
This is where Birdman says, “We did not elect Mark or Danny. A tiny fraction went to Florida. Everyone should have access to the ballot box.” There that’s out of the way.
Are we at the point where we follow if we agree and we drill holes in the ship of state to let the water out if we don’t buy the vision of the guy in charge? I am putting my time in to figuring out how to make Danny’s idea work for us here on the ground where we are bleeding clubs and members.
For months the talk in Knoxville has centered around the new football coach at the University of Tennessee. Going into his sixth game of the season he was 2-3 with two losses in the SEC. It seemed that every person I met knew more about football than Lane Kiffin, the coach the University was actually paying money to do the job. Well, UT beat Georgia this past Saturday making the record 3-3 1-2 in the SEC and all of a sudden the Athletic Director is being credited with a good hire and a bunch of those amateur snipers have gone on to easier targets.
We think pretty highly of ourselves on the ‘Link. Truth be told, lots of members never heard of us and can’t tell you anything about their District or OI volunteer leadership. We know lots about growth and can’t understand why the guy with the job doesn’t do it our way. I read the “Link. I see the Scoreboard. We write better than we work.
When the CQ Committee sits down with a prospect, I wonder if they promise a leader that there will be followers?
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Tue 10/13/09 1:44 AM Chris Black
I do agree with Don on trying some type of e-mail or on line voting. I did some of that as Governor and it works well for simple votes that could not wait for the next meeting. But something like a budget or financial reports might get complicated as normally questions and clarifications are needed. But it DEFINITELY deserves a look.
I don't necessiarily agree with my good friend Jim. Most times minutes are approved with no discussion unless there is a problem. Actually, no vote is required. Just a question on changes. So there we agree.
But finances are no trivial matter and should not be treated as such. We are the keepers of our members monies and they deserve to see it is spent appropriately. But yes Jim, it should not dominate a meeting. The bulk of your meeting should be exciting, fun, upbeat and be given an opportunity to learn. And not just membership or new club building....but people skills you can use in all facets of your life.
I am still not opposed to any of this. I think the more ideas and training we can share the better our organization will become.
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Tue 10/13/09 2:09 AM
As Deb and I chatted with Danny last Sunday morning (while he was trying to do weekend arraignments at the court), one of the items we touched upon was communications.
We - the Board of Directors - need to communicate better with the members.
We - the District leaders need to communicate better with the members.
We - the Lt. Governors - need to communicate better with the members.
We - the Club Presidents - need to communicate better with the members.
Folks, we have a bunch of ways to communicate already. The one that reaches everyone is .. optimistmail.org
Now, just for fun, I reviewed the "mail boxes" of the ten Vice-Presidents from last year along about late July. There were three Vice-Presidents who had never even looked at their optimistmail mail boxes. It is true!
I did not have the time, nor the spirit, to check the District Governors, nor the Governor-Elects. However, from past looks into this, it would have been pitiful!
How can we, as leaders, get Club Presidents and Lt. Governors to stay connected with the communications that are available if we - ourselves don't do it???????????????
Think about this!
Then, change what YOU do, and try to lead others to use the communications tools we already have available.
It will only work if someone listens to - or reads what we provide!
I have available a guide for Club, Zone & District officers on how to use the web sites. I have used it in Arizona and in Illinois. Shared with a few too. If you want a copy, ----you'll have to customize it for your District -- drop me a line. I'll squirt it to you.
If we can not communicate, we can not grow. If we can not grow, we face certain a future. And it does nothing for the kids we are serving!
"Cowboy"
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Tue 10/13/09 12:27 PM Stein, Linda F
Interestingly enough, one year ago I did not really consider Facebook as a tool to reach the “adult” population who are chronologically gifted past the age of 35 – now I have observed that many today who are on Facebook are beyond that 35 mark (I certainly am) and it is a very useable tool to spread information; however, I have also recently been told – thrice I might add – that Facebook is for older people and teens are not necessarily using it as much. Twitter is the current rage and I equate Twitter to texting a message to many people at one time. Methods of communication keep changing; the need for communication is always with us but just like building a club and the NCB kit, we have the tools but until we use those tools it does not get done.
Mark and Danny are my Optimist Presidents for this year and next. The X number of Presidents before them were my Optimist Presidents. The X number of Presidents to come will be my Optimist Presidents. Let’s move forward and use the tools we are provided; support the President’s initiatives that we know are being taken to try to steer our Optimist ship in the right direction. I want to man the oars that are moving that ship which holds the future of our children, not be an anchor that refuses to let the ship move.
Row, row, row our boat…to move our organization in the right directionforward…the kids are worth it. Linda
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Tue 10/13/09 6:54 PM Carrollyn Cox
Unfortunately, within the next year Facebook may be “passé” and no longer a relevant channel for talking to those we want to reach. We have to stay adaptable, current, ready to try and fail, in the hopes of accomplishing our goals. And I think we have to be clear in those goals. The Board has spent a lot of time on the Strategic Plan over the past 3 years. When David Bruns asked me what we needed to do to tweak the plan this year, I suggested that we let it rest a year, and then take a fresh look next year. I also told him that I think the OI Marketing Plan was probably more in need of implementation and attention than the Strategic Plan.
Why? Because right now we know where we want to go. We have a lot of tools to help us get there. We need to work now, not just plan. Yes, annual planning is important, but somehow I think we need to spend the time the BD would spend on evaluating the Strategic Plan on evaluating the results we get from the various approaches that are being used to get us to our goals. Instead of looking at a document, we need to see fresh data and personal comments on what’s working and what’s not working. Once you’ve planned the dinner menu and shopped for the food and the guests will arrive in 8 hours, it’s time to be cooking, tasting, wrapping, setting the table, arranging the flowers, taking a shower and putting on your chosen outfit. Tomorrow you plan the next party or even how you will use the leftovers from dinner.
And, to continue the analogy, If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! If we are afraid to try new things, we shouldn’t refuse to go to the dinner just because it doesn’t have the menu items we wanted. Let’s don’t poo-pooh the ideas we hear, but keep doing what is currently working for us individually. Not everyone has to be excited about the new ideas. If you simply can’t afford to go to one of the Training Conferences (even though the one I attended was cheaper than a district meeting), then spend the time making a list of potential new members for your club and write each of them a note, an email, call them on the phone, whatever. But don’t get in the way. If Danny screws up with holding these conferences, after having the collected wisdom of the last three years of board wisdom saying they are appropriate, then we can think of ways to do something else. But I don’t think it will be a screw up. I’m sure it will be a “mixed success” with some regions doing it better than others. And once they are all held, let’s look at how the attendees feel about it, and then take a long range view at how the attendees function over the next few years.
Trends are not abrupt. They begin slowly, yet often gather steam. A positive attitude about the future often affects a trend. Hmmm!
Some emails discussing the change:
