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.