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.

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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.

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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.

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The First Committee Meeting

Today was the first seminar committee meeting of the year.  I have to say, I was a bit nervous before it ever began.

On the upside, I made sure we got word out early.  The invitation was sent essentially a month in advance. Reminders went out frequently.  And, I knew the alumni base was pumped for the coming year; we had engaged them frequently in the seminar off-season.

However, on the flipside, I got a couple emails and texts this morning of last minute cancellations.  There were one or two on the Facebook page as well.  Not to mention, Facebook, for all its wonders is not the most reliable event tool -- it doesn't send out direct reminders like Evite does.  You can practically guarantee the "maybes" won't show.  And even some of the yes's.   But what can you do?  Not much I suppose.

I prepared my meeting agenda knowing some of the key people I'd like to have there to speak wouldn't be able to make it.  I made my photocopies.  I made sure I had access to the building.  I bought snacks because, well, what's a meeting without snacks?  I don't know if I could have done much more.

All that said, when today had come and gone, we did a lot, got a lot accomplished, and had a pretty good showing.  I briefed the volunteers about the meeting with the Mount.  We rallied the alumni to participate in this year's recruitment challenge (which I'm actually really excited about). We talked about recent alumni events, volunteer opportunities, and the big things we have planned for the year.

We set the stage for an outstanding 2011.

Volunteer events, no matter how you slice them are tough.  Because everyone there is a volunteer, you'll never get the participation you hope for.  You appreciate every person that shows:  you just always wish there were a few more.  All we can do is push forward, show our best face, and keep working.  We take the support we get, and we fill in the gaps for the parts we don't.  It takes a big team to put together a 200 person event.  By the time May comes, and it'll be here before I know it, that team will be together.  I have full confidence it will.  It always does.  We just have to keep up the hard work.

Thanks again to everyone who came.  I was really glad to see your smiling faces and to know that you'll be joining me on this journey to HOBY MLS 2011.

For the minutes of today's meeting, visit:  http://www.facebook.com/notes/hugh-obrian-youth-maryland/2011-maryland-leadership-seminar-committee-meeting-minutes-24-october-2010/487510225249

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