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...

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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.

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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.

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United We Share

Yesterday,  I was up in Pittsburgh for Regional Training.  I drove up the 4 1/2 hour drive Friday night with fellow volunteers and friends Brandon and Elaine in tow, only to know we'd be making the twisting drive back through the Appalachians the next evening.  Such is the sacrifice of the committed volunteer.

As a bit of background, our region of the country is considered "Region B."  B is one of four making up appropriately H, O, B, and Y.  B covers MD, DC, DE, PA, OH, IL, IN, and WV.  So, yes, while Pittsburgh is a bit of a schlep, it was somewhat central for the entire region.  It also happens to be in my supervisor, Vicki's backyard.  Hey -- she made the drive for my meeting with the Mount for me, and that worked out pretty well.

Regional training also serves as a scaled down version of the national Training Institute.   Topics are relevant to volunteer needs and customized to be the most applicable.  It's volunteers teaching other volunteers, and ultimately, often a lot of what becomes "best practices" sharing.  Vicki actually asked me to teach a few sessions as part of my attendance:  technology and budgeting.  No sweat.  I was happy to do it.  We covered those along with topics of operations, recruitment, the always obligatory risk management, and new programmatic changes for the year.

If you had asked me last week about the training and preparing for it, I'm not exactly sure what I would have told you:  that I wasn't exactly excited for driving all the way to Pittsburgh; that I had been to too many past trainings and I'm not sure I'd be learning anything at this one; that I was frustrated that more of my own volunteers couldn't attend or make the commitment.   Any and all of these would have been possibilities.

However, when all was said and done, I'm glad I went -- and not just because of my love of HOBY.  For one, the training, while I won't claim it taught me tons of new things, reminded me of some things that I should be doing, or could easily neglect.  Second, the enthusiasm of the volunteers of my region helped inspire me that there are a lot of people who are still putting in lots of good work.  And third, I even got a few solid leads for my work on the Strategic Planning Committee, and that was a very good thing.

But, you want to know what my favorite part was?

After the meeting, many of us went to dinner at a place one of the locals suggested:  a brewery that had been set up in an old catholic church building.  As we sat at dinner, we discussed the restaurant and the structure:  was it offensive?  sacrilegious?  simply humorous?  As someone Jewish, I was particularly interested in the thoughts of my colleagues who came from various Christian denominations.  We discussed for some time our thoughts.   We exchanged HOBY stories, both good and the kind you can only laugh at afterwards.  And, in the kinds of discussions you can only have with people you trust, talked about the good and bad, our thoughts of growth and yet cautiousness, between people and fellow volunteers who simply want what is best for our organization and its continued success.

My favorite part was the camaraderie.

Beyond leadership, beyond volunteerism, beyond service, HOBY is about friendship.  The kind of friendships where you meet someone for perhaps only a few days and yet you feel you've known these people your whole life.  That it does not matter how different your backgrounds are, you are likeminded individuals and you share a bond that anyone would consider themselves lucky to find.

In that vein, I'd like to throw one more shout out to my good HOBY friend and fellow volunteer Nick who now finds himself working hard to help rebuild New Orleans with the St. Bernard Project.  He's begun blogging his adventure and I look forward to following along with him from afar.  You too can follow him at http://nickinneworleans.blogspot.com/.   All of us in MD wish you only the best Nick.  And, by all means, be sure to wear a HOBY t-shirt along the way.  :)

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