In the beginning, and in the end

As a minor preview for the handful of you who actually read this, we're about to release our Team Alumni applications for the year. We also happen to be exactly 200 days from the Maryland Leadership Seminar.  When you put it like that, it's kind of scary actually.

Helping Tracy get the TA application ready though makes me reflect on my own journey to Seminar Chair, something I haven't yet talked much about here, and at this point, has been somewhat even lost in the time that has past.  I thought I might share with you all now.

If you ask me about my own seminar year, 1996, I don't remember as much as you think I would.  Talking with fellow alumni, I actually think I remember my own less than most people do.  I used to say that my ambassador year was the best ever, but it's funny how after you've done15 seminars, they all start to blend together.

I remember my facilitator (whose name and face I don't remember) was a volunteer who happened to be in the Army, and had to leave less than 24 hours into the seminar.  My group wound up being covered by two Junior Facilitators, Annie and Protik, alumni who worked with us, but have since moved on to other things.  My seminar was in Columbia, MD, at a hotel, and I remember as soon as I arrived there saying hello and thank you to one Ms. Carol Applegate, who unbeknownst to me was the chair of the whole event.  I remember going to the Bell Atlantic facility as a field trip and seeing video conferencing for the first time ever.  I remember Dolf Droge, a former presidential advisor, all practically 7 feet of him dressed in all black with pearl white hair shouting at me that I should read both sides, the Washington Post and the Washington Times. But, ask me about the friends I made, or exactly what I got that weekend, and I'd struggle to tell you.  A lot of it didn't hit me till afterwards.

A few weeks later, I wrote a thank you letter to Carol -- she still has it.  I told her about what I was doing in my school and that I was trying to spread the HOBY "ripple effect" like I was taught.  Months later, the applications for what was then called "Ambassador Staff" were released, or that is, you were told you needed to write Carol a letter at that time, if you wanted to join the staff.  I never did.

Low and behold though, sometime in April I got a phone call from Carol inviting me to staff.  She had saved my original letter and liked it.  She wanted me to join them.  I was kind of speechless -- I thought my opportunity had passed.

I never made it to the meetings -- I just showed up at the next year's seminar ready to contribute how ever I could.  One of the other TAs actually thought I was just another ambassador.  We didn't all have the red jackets TA is now known for, and there were only 8 of us for a seminar of about 250.  Only the WLC kids had them, and I wasn't one of those (much to many people's surprise still to this day).  We got blue jackets instead.  We worked all night long for what was then a four day seminar, out of a hotel room, getting little sleep, and loving every minute of it.

But I never exactly thought I would get here.

Such was my inauspicious start to being a part of the HOBY Maryland staff.  I stayed somewhat active the next few years when in 1999, that year's chair Jon Weinstein (who still volunteers with us a bit) wanted to help us get better at communication, so I built the site a new webpage.   And from there, well, it just became a progression -- junior facilitator -- facilitator -- Alumni Advisor -- Director of Team Alumni -- Vice Chair -- and now chair.

Last year, at the end of seminar, one young man, Hunter, a second year TA, said to the group he wanted my job one day.  I'll be honest, I hope he makes the opportunity for himself to take it.  Because if he does, then we've done our job:  "To inspire and develop our local Maryland community of youth and volunteers to a life dedicated to leadership, service and innovation."

I think back over a lot of these 15 years, and much of it passes in a blur.  Honestly, when I recall my seminar experiences now, I think more of memories with special people than I do of specific events.  And I admit, that seems a bit odd to me when you think about the fact that we work all year to plan for an event.  But the event is about the shared experience -- the hugs, the tears, the smiles, and the laughs.   The ambassadors will have their own experience this year, and who knows, one of them may go on to have a journey similar to mine.  And in the end, I hope they do -- because in the end, we'd be a better organization for another new set of hands and another warm heart.