Someone Needs A Time Out!

In the midst of the Ebola news that was swirling around last week and dominating all the nightly news programs there were countless statements made, ‘experts’ interviewed, and reports made of possible cases. There was also a variety of social media posts both attempting to find any possible, badly timed, humor and also the never fail conspiracies.

It should come as no surprise that one of the most controversial pieces that has been circulating throughout the main stream media comes from, no surprise, Ann Coulter. While I do give her credit for unflinchingly sharing her opinion with the world it really isn’t helping anyone and it is probably doing more harm than good… especially for my party. Frankly, this woman needs to come to terms with the fact that she is the flashpoint for anti-conservatism amongst the liberal media and learn how to shut the heck up.

Contrary to the earlier paragraphs in Coulter’s article, I don’t believe in criticizing those who are using their talents to help people throughout the world. Those people are dedicating their lives to better the world and that is an admirable calling and they should be respected for that. To attempt to lay waste to their life’s work is indeed in poor taste and it makes one wonder, what has Ann Coulter done to better this world? I would argue that she has done nothing but prance like a peacock in the field trying to call attention to herself while providing the Democratic Party with all the ammunition they need to misguide the public. In Fact, she may be the Ebola of the Republican Party.

However, just like the study of such horrendous outbreaks there is always something fascinating that can be found in the chaos. While poorly phrased, there were a few lines that did stand out to me as having some semblance of sanity: “America is the most consequential nation on Earth, and in desperate need of God at the moment. If America falls, it will be a thousand years of darkness for the entire planet. / Not only that, but it's our country. Your country is like your family. We're supposed to take care of our own first.”

While grandiose in language, the underlying idea behind those words make tremendous sense. While world causes need our attention, we can’t lose sight of what is happening here at home and the problems that permeate society. Both may be equally important but if the choice has to be made dedicate your life to making your home just a little better, improve your community in some small way, make the effort to help your neighbor. Set the example at home first. If we work on solving the problems around us now we will be able to better serve each other and the world in the future.

A Late Night Out At Suburban Square (and Compass)

Weaving between the rows of cars at Suburban Square in Ardmore I wondered how long it would take before finding a parking space. The National Night Out festivities were already in full swing and every extra minute that passed was lost time that I could be helping my brothers and those in the community. As has become an annual tradition for our lodge, we were manning the Child Identification booth last night trying to help families keep their children safe all while not asking for a dime or keeping any information (unlike some similar programs being run in the area by a for profit company that I shall not name).

After parking on the other side of the train tracks I managed to get to the trailer about an hour after the party began. ID’s had already been processed and the line was beginning its steady growth. While not the onslaught that we experienced last year at the event, we had a regular flow of parents and children both getting identifications done and just asking questions. Once the program is explained in detail, there is almost a sense of gratitude that we would get from parents. On a certain level I understand their thoughts but at the same time it is our pleasure to give back to our community. After all, we are Masons to better ourselves, those around us, and the community in general.

Throughout the night (in addition to the plethora of people asking where to buy ride and meal tickets) we met friends, fellow masons, and police officers all guiding people to our booth. We even had a woman bring her daughter and grandchild to us after having taken her daughter through the process a decade ago. I anticipate seeing more and more of those instances as the years pass and we are able to process hundreds, if not thousands, of Child ID’s.

Another woman, guided over to us by the Lower Merion Police Department, asked if we would do the same thing at an upcoming event in September. She had previously talked to the aforementioned for-profit company, but was told by the local authorities that we were the best option. So, hopefully, we will be holding another CHIP event in early September at Ludington Library in Bryn Mawr. Just waiting for her to send me an email with the exact details.

The parking lot began to clear as soon as the music stopped.

By nine o’clock we were just finishing up the last ID of the night and we were all quite tired from the, at times, hectic pace. However, we all had energy to spare as tallied the count at 50 for the event bringing the total for the last two years over 110 children. While I hope that none of those packets ever have to be used, I am glad to play a small role in the peace of mind that those parents have thanks to our efforts and those of every other Mason in Pennsylvania and across the country. While every day I am proud to be a Mason, last night accentuated that pride I have in being a part of the greatest fraternity in the world.

Induction to Induction: My First Year As A Rotarian

(L-R) President Elect Sean Teaford, Treasurer Patricia Mosteller, Incoming President Dr. Sherman Leis, Past District Governor Joel Chesney, Outgoing President Richard Trivane, Secretary Thomas Wiener, and Program Chair Patrick Walsh.  

My Rotary experience during this past year has been quite different than most first year Rotarians.  By joining a smaller club, I knew that I would be able to have an immediate impact and I would have the opportunity to quickly establish my presence in the club. This isn’t always the case as this is reliant upon an open minded membership of trusting and supportive men and women. Fortunately, I am a member of such a club.

Since I joined Rotary last August, I have had a wide range of experiences and I have held numerous offices. I quickly established myself as a board member and almost immediately took upon the role of Sergeant-At-Arms. Earlier this year I accepted the honor of becoming the Vice President of the club and yesterday I was, along with all the other incoming officers, officially inducted as the President Elect of the Rotary Club of Bala Cynwyd – Narberth by Past District Governor Joel Chesney. It was also a great day to have my wife attend her first Rotary meeting with me!

I have done my best to represent the club and Rotary as a whole in a positive light in the community and I look forward to doing so in this new role. I look forward to both supporting our incoming President, Dr. Sherman Leis, as well as bringing ideas and strategies to the table that will both enhance and expand upon the goals established under his leadership. However, these initiatives are dependent upon a strong and engaged membership that is motivated by the ability of Rotary to change lives. Thankfully, we have such a membership.

I have made it known both in person and on this blog what my goals are going into this new Rotary year and I am looking forward to seeing all of them to fruition. These and similar goals should be adopted by all service centric clubs as we are all essential to the community especially in this time where technology has widened our world it is important for us to bring people back to center. We must take pride in the community and do all that we can to ensure the success of our neighborhoods, cities, towns, etc.

Our club has a long history in the community having received our charter in 1926 by sponsorship from the Rotary Club of Philadelphia. While the community around us has changed, our presence and commitment has never wavered and we will continue in our duty to remain a grounding constant among our neighbors. As part of the worlds' oldest and largest community service club of its kind, we will continue to serve as a doorway to greater world where service is placed above self and the morals set forth by Rotary permeate our daily lives.  

I take great pride in many things not the least of which is my Rotary club and I am humbled by the responsibility entrusted in me by my fellow Rotarians. While our club is small, preventing us from changing the ebb and flow of the tide, we can still create waves by making ripples in the water. This is how we make our presence known in the community and impact the world around us. One on one, person to person, we can change lives for the better. What greater meaning can there be in life?

Don’t Forget The Mint On The Pillow!

Taking time to step back, breathe, and evaluate is sometimes the hardest thing for each of us to do. To a certain extent, this is something that we strive to do every week at Rotary by discussing many of the larger campaigns that continue to impact the world. We are constantly exploring the ways that we can contribute to those endeavors as well as local projects that have an immediate effect on our own community. When we find an idea in sync with our objectives and our vocational abilities we work on the details of implementation and construct a broad stroke plan to get things moving. Essentially, by stepping back and looking at the big picture we are able to delve into the details and find our way to best serve the community and contribute to Rotary in general.

Where many of us get tripped up is in the effectiveness of our club and the frequently overlooked foundational aspects of our club as well as its attributes, objectives, and goals. The reason this is commonly overlooked is simple… with so many worthwhile campaigns we don’t want to stop and take care of the basic housekeeping.

This doesn’t mean that anything has been neglected or needs to be discontinued. It is simply a status update, an evaluation of where we stand, and a means of cleaning out inefficiency and ensuring that the clubs activities are in harmony with members and best serve Rotary and the community. Once the existing structure of the club has been surveyed, deficiencies can be addressed and new goals can be established.

When was the last time you asked members to complete a club assessment survey or evaluated the needs of your own community (you would be surprised at how quickly this can change)?

These are the first tasks that need to be completed and this should be done on a regular basis. By taking the time to cover these basics, you can properly guide your club in a direction that not only increases the potential success of you club but also of the community. It also brings to light that some of the things your club may be good at are covering up many shortcomings… you may be able to raise a lot of money but membership is down, you may have a great reputation but your communications and public relations are almost nonexistent, you may have a wide range of speakers but lack vocational diversity.      

What are the demographics of you community (economy, education, age, etc.)? When was the last time you did a membership survey? Are you actively inviting local business owners to attend a meeting? Do you invite all of your guest speakers to become members? How frequently do your members attend meetings at other clubs?

It is time to delve into the details… simple surveys based on these questions are what help to truly refocus the membership. Having a greater understanding of community demographics and, therefore, the needs of the community in conjunction with the club’s membership demographics can, many times, be quite eye opening. These two surveys alone can be great tools in assisting the club in filling gaps in vocation, age, education, etc. In the end, we want our club to represent the community and in order to do that we need to have a membership that reflects the neighborhood(s), has speakers that are appealing to the community, make sure that people feel welcomed and comfortable, and have projects and goals that the community can not only appreciate but want to contribute. Understanding demographics can go a long way in achieving these goals and ensuring the ongoing success of both campaign and membership objectives.

The last bit of strategy that needs to be in place is an effective public relations and communication plan. Changes to you club mean nothing if no one knows about it. Make sure your club has a presence on social media, make sure you notify the community about speakers, make sure other clubs within your Rotary district and the officers know of your club (this is especially important for small clubs), and don’t be afraid to send press releases to the media about both upcoming events and write ups of past events (including your weekly speakers).

Don’t underestimate the importance of making your presence known to the community. Remember, people tend not to notice that a hotel room has been cleaned and the bed turned down until they see the mint on the pillow.

Overcoming Able Bodied Bias

As some of you may know I am currently serving as the Sergeant-at-Arms for The Rotary Club of Bala Cynwyd – Narberth. This post is the first in a series regarding the diverse presentations made at my local Rotary club. Occasionally, I will also write posts about the club that I happen to be visiting as well as any events or training that I attend.

This week we welcomed Michael Kelly who serves as volunteer coordinator at the Inglis House in Philadelphia. Our club has a long standing relationship with Inglis and we are proud of the partnership which has continuously strengthened over the years. With that said, we greatly appreciated Michael taking the time to reintroduce us to the services that Inglis provides to those in need and the inspiration that their programs provide to both participants and the community in general.

 

Founded in 1877, Inglis House is a specialty nursing care facility providing long-term, residential care for 297 adults with physical disabilities, including multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury and stroke, among others.  Residents receive rehabilitative medical and nursing care; physical, occupational and speech therapies; and a selection of more than 20 social enrichment and therapeutic recreation programs every day.

Inglis Community Based Services supports more than 800 people living independently in the community through resources including: accessible housing, care management (helping people navigate the health care system), a day program, an MS Evening program and community employment. Inglis is also the largest provider of affordable accessible housing in the Greater Philadelphia region with 208 housing units, and plans for 50 more units by 2015.

All Inglis services and programs are designed to enable people with physical disabilities to enjoy life with the greatest amount of independence and mobility.

It is important to note that Inglis provides services for people from all walks of life and with a wide variety and degree of disabilities all the while emphasizing and encouraging the amazing talents and abilities locked inside uncooperative bodies that are sometimes overlooked by the community.

I encourage you to consider donating your time, either on your own or through an organization such as Rotary, by assisting these amazing individuals in expressing the intelligence and passion that lies just beneath the surface. It will certainly change your perspective and make you appreciate the simple tasks that many of us take for granted. It might also lead you to question your own misconceptions and sever the connection between intelligence and physical ability. To set up an interview with Mike please feel free to call him directly at 215-581-0718. 

For those of you in the local Philadelphia area I welcome you to join us for lunch every Wednesday at 12:15 PM at Aldar Bistro located at 281 Montgomery Avenue in Bala Cynwyd. If you live outside the area or if the meeting time doesn’t work in your schedule I encourage you to find a local Rotary club and learn a little more about who we are and what we do.