Too much is never enough

If you had asked me at the beginning of the program year would I have now found myself in the position of actually trying to show some restraint on the growth in HOBY Maryland, I'm not sure what I would have told you.  Likely, that it would be an enviable position to be in, and I would probably love to have such problems.

What can I say except we may have become a victim of our own success?

As of today, Maryland has 207 students registered, six over our goal of 201.  There are actually a few more in the cue that I know about, all of whom could, and eventually likely will register.  I've had to even go as far as tell another site that we could not immediately accept their potential transfer.

The counter-balance to this wonderful news is that I also currently find my team literally running out of beds.  One of the consequences of getting upgraded dorms from the university was that there aren't quite as many spaces available to occupy.  Throw in the larger staff that is necessary for this increased number of participants, and the challenge becomes that much more daunting.

Our staffing is coming together, although I wish I could get some of our folks to turn in their applications faster.  For the first time, we're seeing a much larger group of junior facilitators.  I look at this with pride, knowing these are the larger groups of Team Alumni we used the last few years -- many of whom were TA when I was still Director of Operations -- that have risen through the ranks and stayed with HOBY.  In the future, they will replenish our facilitator ranks as well, even though I've already seen many of my original Team Alumni rise up to that position.

I've also seen my staff pushing to support more perhaps than ever before.  Finding us speakers, tying to raise a few dollars, calling in leads on volunteers and other assistance.  Having people who can contribute in those seemingly little ways makes all the difference.

Financially, dollars are coming in from our cooperating organizations, although, we could always do better there.  It's not that I right now am confident we would come in ahead or behind, rather, I know that every dollar we raise is a dollar that can go into making our program better.   It's hard to ever say you couldn't use another donation.

So, here we find ourselves running head first towards May.  Volunteers, program, facilities, and even donations are all coming together.  It is a whirlwind of activity and in less than 2 months, it will all be put to task.   I cannot wait.

Read more »

Reborn, Renew, React

It was quite the busy week.  My real job was hectic and frequently overwhelming this week, which seemed to be the real sign that HOBY time is almost here.  As I feel the strain of mounting pressures, I know we are but weeks away from May.

In no particular order...

We reached 188 recruitment by the end of this week.  That puts us just 13 away from reaching goal by the extended March 25th deadline.  It's a big deal because it means we're already ahead of total recruitment last  year.   And, even if we don't make the "deadline," I have a feeling we'll meet goal by the seminar.  All I can say is that I'm quite pleased.

As those 188 registered, we released our pre-seminar forms today.  Of course, only as I personally know is typical, it didn't go off quite smoothly.  A link in the email went to the wrong place.  It's a small mistake, but if nothing else, frustrating.  Unfortunately, despite the nature of the email being totally legitimate, it's difficult to find resources that will allow you to send such a message to almost 1000 recipients.  (~200 ambassadors X 5 email addresses [student, principal, counselor, mom, dad])  Every year, no matter what I've tried, it never quite goes out smoothly.  I simply do my best.

With the new forms, we also launched our new website.  My sister who only began volunteering for us a few years ago is a graphic designer, and has been taking on projects like this.  She did a beautiful job.  On so many levels it makes me excited and proud.  My sister never got to participate in HOBY -- she wasn't interested at the time, and for many years, she really didn't feel like she would have a place there.  Yet, she has been embraced by my HOBY friends, and I have watched my real family and my HOBY family joyously collide and overlap.  As I have watched the HOBY program help her grow into a stronger individual, it has only reinvigorated my own enjoyment of what it is we do.

For my work with National, we launched new Twitter and YouTube accounts.  Of course, no sooner did we post a quote to the Twitter than did we generate at least one negative reaction.  Someone didn't feel that a quote from Jesse Jackson, despite it's focus on leadership, was the most appropriate.   Personally, while I don't agree with the individual, it does show what I love about our organization:  the willingness to embrace other opinions.

Embrace to a point...

The other "highlight" of the week was a volunteer posting a questionable video to their site's Facebook fan page.  Unfortunately, I had to in good conscience react.  I knew what the content of the video was, and it was in many ways probably harmless, but it certainly didn't belong posted as being on behalf of HOBY.  Such is the case when you are trying to represent the voice of the organization, 4000 volunteers, and 9000 annual participants.

Things are definitely moving.  We have at least a dozen folks interested in the Career Lunch, we're setting up tours at the Mount for Friday morning, and the contract is about to go in.  I've taken about four conference calls in the last 2 weeks, another one coming this week, and have a presentation pitch to likely make next week.  So much to do, so little time.  So begins the "March" to May...

Read more »

Anonymous

Lately I find I've been doing a lot of work behind the scenes for both HOBY National and HOBY Maryland.  The kinds of things that most people wil never know happened, just one day they show up and everything is ready for them.  Projects that will never have an official attachment to my name, even if I will know that were the product of my, hopefully good, work.

For the national audience, that has meant a lot of social media projects, working to make sure some internal priority lists stay relevant to the field, and often, simply making my voice heard.  Sometimes it's more a philosophy of, if you make enough noise, people start to listen and others it has been simply going with my gut, but either way I feel like I'm seeing positive impact.  I'm not saying people aren't willing to listen or that I'm trying to push my weight around, simply that sometimes you find you have to convince people of the importance of things, even if they will never understand it; and then you make things happen on your own, because otherwise they just sometimes wouldn't.

At the state level, you could argue some of the things have fallen more so under my job description as LSC -- a catch all for anything that needs to happen -- but I don't tend to think so.  No one pushed forward to get the meeting with MSM and everything that has come from it -- we could have gone on just the same without it.   I didn't have to pick up recruitment, or push for a certain set of schools to participate this year, or include the AIP, or continue with career lunch.  But, if I'm not fighting for these things, who will?

Come seminar weekend, there will be plenty of thank yous, but when it comes to something like use of the new dormitories or dance hall, those are things people won't immediately grasp what it means for the organization, or the work it took to make that happen.   Those are the cornerstones for future growth and impact that have been set now, this year, despite the fact that the ambassadors will never know the difference from what was or could have been.   Those are the things that will keep my staff growing in the years to come, and why I see the ranks of our TA and Junior Facilitators beginning to swell.  It's not the things where people know you did the work that make the event successful -- it's the things that they don't perceive, that simply make their time enjoyable and drama free, that simply leaves them saying at the end, "Wow, I had a lot of fun."  And when they then go home and connect to us on Facebook and stay with us in the long run, they'll never know how much we did this year just to make that happen.

Read more »

Make a Splash

All day I've been watching as my Facebook has slowly been covered in HOBY.  Status messages have been changed to snippets of why HOBY has changed lives while profile pictures have become a colorful sea of HOBY T-shirts.  Fan pages have spread the message, and the pervasiveness of HOBY in even my "virtual" life has become all too apparent.

In a move initially led by HOBY Ohio West, today through Wednesday have become HOBY Social Media Splash Days.   It's not by chance all my HOBY friends are doing this, it is a coordinated effort to get a little publicity for what may be America's best kept, positive secret.  I think about my own life, and the friends I know who I don't necessarily give the full HOBY "elevator" pitch speech to, and it makes me realize I can still do more to spread the good word.

To steal from HOBY Washington, and offer some of my own favorites:

Raadha
Through HOBY I have come across some of the most amazing people who have inspired me to do more. My HOBY friends have become my HOBY family, they've laughed with me, they've cried with me, and they've all shared the amazing HOBY journey with me and for this, I am incredibly thankful. To my HOBY family, I love you guys!

Nick
was a HOBY ambassador back in 2005 and I met incredible people who quickly became family to me. If it wasn't for my HOBY family, I wouldn't be in New Orleans helping to bring families home. HOBY changed my life, ask me about it!!

Jacquie
Even though I didn't have the opportunity to be an Ambassador at HOBY when I was a sophomore, HOBY - Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership has changed my life by allowing me the opportunity to interact with hundreds of outstanding youth and volunteers who care about making a difference in the world and becoming true agents of change. Wanna know more? Ask me!

Rich
I attended HOBY - Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership in 1984 and it continues to change my life in profound ways. I simply would not be who I am today without it. Stop me and ask me more about HOBY and also check out the website at www.hoby.org!

Dionne
If you don't know about HOBY, I don't know why we are even Facebook friends!

Justin
When I was in HS, I went to HOBY, something I knew little about. Little did I know that it would lead me to some grand adventures and to some of the best friends I've ever had! Without HOBY, I would be less enthusiastic, have less of a positive mental attitude, and know less about the world and the people in it. Also, I'd be a horrible dancer! :) Ask me about it. :)

Learn more at:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=135745076490488

In the meantime, I realize my blog has been fairly quiet.  That is not to say HOBY has been quiet -- quite the contrary -- but as I find the motivation to keep a blog difficult to maintain, and the list of tasks keeps growing, finding the appropriate time can be challenging.

We completed our January seminar committee meeting to mixed results.  Good in that I believe enthusiasm to be high, and my team to be on the right track.  However, slightly disappointing in that I feel I always have an energized core of volunteers, but getting the organization to grow is a challenge.  As but one example, Team Alumni applications were not as ample as we expected them to be.  It has not created problems for us, but gives but one more challenge where we will have to reevaluate for next year.

Meeting minutes are available at:  http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150128609755250

In the next two weeks, I have two important meetings.  The first will be with the board this week.   We will have important discussions about where we stand with finances, the AIP project, and overall seminar progress.  I believe things are in good shape, but their input for sure keeps me focused.  The second will be the more novel of the two for sure:  it will be my first meeting with Mount St. Mary's since we reached agreement on our new partnership.  We will be discussing programming details, and hopefully taking a look at some of the new facilities we have access to.

Recruitment is going reasonably well.  We're at 171 which places us 10 away from last year's attendance, and 30 away from goal.  I see these goals as achievable, but these last months are always the hardest.

I have also taken the project of the Career Lunch upon myself as I was not able to ever find someone to lead it; it is much too important a part of our local seminar program -- programmatically if not fiscally -- to simply abandon.  I have sent out initial emails to almost 100 people soliciting interest, including some personal friends who have never participated in HOBY before.  If even one of them were to come join me for the first time, I would consider that a win.

And lastly, in the project that perhaps I find the easiest to come back to time and again if only because of its relative novelty, progress on the Strategic Plan seems to be moving forward slowly but surely.  Our plan is composed, only the nuanced details to be worked out.  It makes for an exciting time that I find myself very pleased of which to be a contributing member.

Yes, HOBY days are certainly upon us.  My hope is like that of which we say of the HOBY message -- that I don't find myself simply making a splash, but creating a ripple that will resonate through others.

Read more »

Hurry Up, and Wait

Any alumnus of HOBY Team Alumni could tell you our operations motto:  "Hurry up, and wait."  It's funny how true that is as the calendar year renews that feeling.  From the quiet and lack of activity of December, January is now back at us in full swing.  The expression speaks to how as a Team Alumni you often are faced with about a dozen things that all need to be done at once intermixed with periods of relative quiet and relaxation.

This past weekend we had our Winter Alumni reunion.  A group of alumni gathered in Phoenix, MD to meet for some social time and to spend some time with a major disabilities advocate, Dave Ward.  Mr. Ward has a high spinal cord injury, that he's lived with for 35 years, and yet still works tirelessly on behalf of those with disabilities.  His talk with us was inspirational and motivating.

By today, Team Alumni applications are to be in the mail.  I'm always amused at the bit of procrastination that I know goes into these.  So many ambassadors from last year tell me they want to be on TA, and then the actual application time comes and they wait to the last minute.  If nothing else, I find it's a good exercise in prioritization as these same young people will be applying to colleges soon enough and they'll need this experience of managing their deadlines.

On a more personal note, Thursday I'll be travelling to Dallas, TX to meet in person with the Strategic Planning Committee.  The SPC will be reporting in the work of our various sub-committees and hopefully hashing out the details of the actual strategic plan.  There are tons of good ideas coming in from the field and from our volunteers and alumni, and I see good things in our future.  At very least, I have been pleased with the receptiveness by International to the improvements my subcommittee and I have been suggesting, and as my subcommittee is technology, we have been able to already start putting many of these ideas into action.  Progress is not always immediate, but it does happen.

Then, in but a short two weeks, the Maryland Seminar Committee will be meeting once again to discuss where we are in planning for the May seminar.  Details will come to light with program, arranged speakers, and areas where we still need help.

And then, in perhaps what has been the most exciting big piece of news this year, we have recently come to agreement with Mount St. Mary's University for our increased partnership.  While I'll continue to play coy and not speak to specifics until I reveal them to the committee, let me just say the Mount is definitely doing plenty within its power to show it's full support of the HOBY program.  Between campus resources, facilities, and general institutional support, The Mount is certainly trying to make us feel more welcome and part of campus. I'm excited for what the year will bring.

Like I said, "Hurry up and wait."   May will be here before we know it.

Read more »

Silent Nights

I don't know exactly how many people follow this blog regularly, but for anyone who does, it may have occured to you that I haven't posted exactly recently.  As we are in the midst of that time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it might be simple to assume that I was busy with the typical holiday rush.  However, without trying to sound Scrooge-ish or defensive, for those who don't know, I'm actually Jewish.  For me, this has always meant that while I don't oppose gift giving at this or any time of the year, it's just never been a big part of my life.  I don't find myself ever going out of my way to find gifts for everyone I know.  I simply try and show I appreciate them all throughout the year, and not necessarily with a gift on the holidays.

But I say all this as to point out that in fact, I'm not as busy as one might imagine, and that should mean I could be busy with HOBY stuff.  However, that's just it -- right now, there isn't much "new."  Recruitment is continuing now that we are past the recruitment deadline, although it definitely slows down.  Team Alumni applications are coming in, and alumni are still assisting with recruitment.  Facilitation and program teams are getting their respective efforts moving.  But all in all, right now in Maryland seems to be more about staying on the path than pushing forward.

In one sense, while everyone needs a break, for HOBY Maryland, this actually disappoints me.  It is a reflection in my mind of where we still need to grow as an organization.  Why do we not have more alumni service activities at this time of year?  Why are we still working on recruitment when other sites may already be at 90 if not 100%?  Why must I find myself still bogged down in existing tasks instead of moving forward onto new ones?

All of these are reflections on the relative weaknesses of our volunteer network.  While I call these people my friends, and I know their good intentions, they like all individuals can get easily spread to thin by life's various commitments.   None of us can do it all, and often HOBY is something that gets put on the back burner for most individuals.

In our organization, finding adult volunteers can be one of our greatest struggles.  Finding those who can give the time for a 3 1/2 day event is only the first challenge.  Trying to get them to make the larger commitments that are slow, year-long journeys is much greater.  We appreciate, and try to take advantage of every offer we get, but ultimately, we still rely on the generosity of others with their time.  Maryland is not alone in this; I even see it frequently amongst committed volunteers I know from other states.  However, ultimately, it is times like now that it impacts us.  It impacts us in the additional programming we don't necessarily get to, and the opportunities that get passed.

It is not to be pessimistic, but it is to be realistic.  Such are the challenges we face if we are to grow, strengthen, and improve as an organization, for there is always room for improvement.

Read more »

Halfway Home

As we enter December, we're now about halfway through the HOBY calendar year:  6 months from the last seminar, 6 months to MLS 2011.   We also have just hit another halfway point:  We reached 50% of our recruitment goal of 201 students.  Team Alumni applications are out; facilitator applications will be coming soon. Program has started moving and kicking into full gear.

To think about it though, this is also in it's own way dangerous to our goals.  December is filled with a month of thoughts of holidays, giving, family, and community.  While these are things we hold dear in HOBY, it becomes easy to become "distracted" by our "real lives" and all the responsibilities we have this time of year, places to be, and things to do.  

My philosophy?  Try to make the HOBY message the holiday message and vice versa; bring the two together.  They are certainly not so mutually exclusive.  And in that sense, by doing one, we can accomplish hopefully both, for the improved fulfillment of both.  Because in my mind, it would not be wrong to say that most HOBY days are just as good as most holidays.

Read more »

The HOBY Spirit

Professionally, I had a fairly tough day at work today.  The reasons don't really matter.  What is relevant however in this case is about attitude.

I'm the type of person who tries to give 100% and then some to everything I do.  I've never really figured out how to do less.  Why would you bother with something if you're going to give it anything less than your best?

In my real job, this is sometimes difficult for me.  I am very committed to it, but I work with other professionals who I won't always feel are giving the same.  I don't question their commitment.  I don't question their heart.  I certainly don't question their character.  But I'd be lying if I told you I never questioned if they had the right attitude.

Attitude is so crucial in what it is any person does.  No matter how bad things are, you often have to muster up the inner strength, the fortitude to push through.  You can't simply give up.  You put on your best face, you take your knocks, get up, and "get back on the horse."  When you don't, you potentially let others down.  When you don't, you perhaps even serve as a bad example.

I think the thing I love about HOBY most is how rarely I see bad attitudes.  When my fellow volunteers are working, I could ask them for anything, and I know it's as good as done.  It doesn't matter what needs to be done -- how potentially monotonous, boring, gross, bizarre, or unusual the task is -- people know they are serving a larger purpose and they go out of their way with a smile on their face to help you make it happen.  People are invested in your success.

But, this in turn goes so much further.  Their good attitude makes things better for everyone.  Their enthusiasm and energy carries.  Their smiles and their heart shine for all to see.   It makes everyone around them want to give that much more.

And then, when all is said and done, there are the thank yous.  You'll never struggle to hear people who just want to thank you for the good work you've done.  People genuinely appreciate what you've given, and they make sure you know it.  People respect that you've given your best effort, and they want to make sure it doesn't go unnoticed.

Finding such energy and positivity in the people in your life can be a rare thing.  It is a beacon in what can often be the more difficult and trying days of life.  And it's not just the conference:  these people are there long beyond as friends.  Friends who share this common bond with you, that is known in the vaguest sense only as HOBY, but that is embodied in thoughts, words, and actions that form a bond that anyone would be lucky to find if even only once in their life.  Once that HOBY spirit has filled your soul, it's all you can do but to want a little more.

Read more »

The Strength in Discord

Last Thursday, Maryland's Corporate Board met for one of our quarterly meetings to discuss where we were at and where we were going.  While the major event in Maryland is the seminar, the Board functions to oversee all events, that they are meeting their responsibilities fiscally, and that they represent HOBY well.

While I don't want anyone to think that our meeting was filled with discord (it wasn't), what was perhaps most interesting to me is there were two disagreements during the evening that struck me in the same way that liberals and conservatives might argue in politics:  that there was discussion about what was in HOBY's best interest, a new approach, or a tried and true strategy.   In the simplest sense, what you know works is a good thing, but if you stick to it too long you become stagnant.  New strategies offer opportunities for even greater things, but they also come at potentially great risk or sacrifice.

In this particular case, the first issue was about our recruitment.  HOBY International has a program in place to allow potential alternate students to attend the seminar along with their primary selections.  Maryland has not typically participated in this program, but it was brought before the Board about the possibility because our participation would help increase our recruitment, outreach, and inherent financial incentives.  At the same time, it could decrease diversity in the seminar because of who could afford to participate, and it could change the seminar experience for all.  It also potentially puts greater strain to make sure there are adequate volunteers.

The second issue was about the money Team Alumni are asked to donate to participate at $180 to pay for their room and board.  There was a time where they were not asked for this money -- their place was paid for.  However, it was at great cost to the seminar.   The cost was brought on when HOBY Maryland was financially struggling.   However, now that we are not, are we potentially losing students who would be TA otherwise because they cannot afford the $180?

It wouldn't be appropriate for me in this forum to comment about the Board's decisions, and besides, that wasn't the point.  The point is that the discussion was good for all of us.  It reminded us -- reminded me -- of why things don't just happen.   Why I can't just make arbitrary decisions as LSC.  Why we have "checks and balances."  And it also reminded me that in the path we have chosen for each issue, what the other side is looking for in their concerns -- it gives us the opportunity to address those concerns as they are happening.

Leadership isn't always making everybody happy.  It's about doing something and trying to get a critical mass to follow you.  To work towards the goals you have set out.  They don't have to agree with what you're doing, or how you got there.  In fact, you may even have to push them outside of their comfort zone.  In this sense, together, only then might we achieve the true potential.

Read more »

Poise and Patience

In my professional life, I'm a special education teacher in a level 5 setting.  Without the lingo, it means I work in a  school exclusively for students with special needs.  My population happens to be emotionally disturbed students.

When you tell people that, they have this immediate reaction of, "Wow.  That must be really tough.  You must have enormous patience."  I'm not going to disagree with them that it takes lots of patience, but in reality, I see my job as fairly easy in most regards.  I teach small classes and a subject I love.  I know my kids well, and they know and respect me because I give it to them straight.  There is a very special and important student-teacher relationship that is formed over time with every one of them.

By contrast, for yesterday's alumni reunion, our alumni organized an event working with KEEN - Kids Enjoying Exercise Now.  These students were much more developmentally disabled -- youth across the age spectrum who in many cases had a mental age less than half their physical one.  Ask me about a challenging job, and this was it.  I worked with two young men over two different sessions.  One was age 20 and spent the better part of an hour easily overwhelmed by his surroundings, and at best, content to watch passing cars outside.  He barely spoke, and would repeat the same series of sounds over and over again.   The other was an 18 year old who behaved much like a 3 year old.  He enjoyed tossing a ball and being pulled on a scooter.  I never heard more than a dozen words in his vocabulary.   These were just two of the many disabled young people who came to KEEN yesterday to get some exercise and enjoy some physical and social interaction.

But to help them there were our HOBY alumni.   And while I won't claim it was our largest reunion ever, it was a wonderful insight into how special it can be to watch one person help another.  Not only did our alumni genuinely go out of their way to be helpful and good "coaches" to their "athletes," they did it with heart, poise, and patience.  As I watched our alumni perform in some cases under some very difficult circumstances, they did it with grace, and they showed why they were the leaders selected from their high schools.  They did it with a kind of patience that I can only sometimes wish to have in my day job.  And they did it wearing their HOBY t-shirts with pride, representing all the good that can come from just a little volunteerism.

Read more »