The societal
changes over the last quarter of a century have been numerous. Many fall into the unwelcome category. The abrasive nature of conversation, whether
it be in person or via social media has reduced civility. The constant din of point/counterpoint presented
by the broadcast media borders on disrespect and causes many to exclaim, “I
can’t take this anymore.” It’s one of
the reasons I got out of the profession after 35 years. I just could take the
negativity any longer. But I will argue in this and in future posts to this
blog as part of this series that there is reason for hope.
You see, I am an Optimist, (capitalization
intended) and the organization I now
represent along with other century old, similar organizations can be and are
relevant in these times.
The hope can
be seen in the daily communications received from the general public through
the Optimist International www.optimist.org web portal. It’s how the public communicates with the
organization when it wants more information, or is inquiring about membership
or starting a new Optimist group in a community. I see each one whether it comes from the
U.S., Canada, the Caribbean nations or anywhere else in the world. Every day people are reaching out, searching
for something positive to counteract the incessant negativity that seems to be
prevalent in society today. They are searching for hope.
The forthcoming blog posts over the next couple of weeks are designed to debunk the notion that service organizations are
something from the 20th century that should be put on the shelf and
retired. Optimists, Lions, Kiwanians,
Rotarians and many other similar organizations are re-making themselves to not
only serve their existing base but also to branch out to new segments of
society, new cultures and new endeavors to help address just a portion of what
troubles our society today.
A gentleman
from Colorado who was leaving our organization after a couple of decades of
membership opined recently, “There is no ethical or practical commitment to be
married to any organization, profit or non-profit, for a lifetime. It belongs
in bygone era.” In the words of rock music legend Sting, “I
do not subscribe to that point of view,”
There are too many benefits to
be gained through association with a service organization whether you are in
your 20’s or in your 80’s. Future posts
will make the case for those benefits and bolster the contention there is a
hope to be found in associating with a service group and the belief that
century old organizations remain very relevant in the 21st century.
Profoundly said. Jim!
ReplyDeleteThe need to be more relevant and adjust what a "Club" looks like in my opinion. I, and many other Optimists I know, have children in their 30s & 40s that do not belong and don't want to belong to an organization that requires them to pay a fee, come to meetings and then work (volunteer) at events throughout the year. They are so busy with children of their own or are single parents and don't have the time nor money in some cases. We've lost a couple generations of potential Optimists and those generations would help us connect more easily with new generations of potential Optimist members. It becomes more difficult for members in their 60s and 70s to "connect" with younger people in their 20s and even 30s.
ReplyDeleteTo be relevant is an important key and that must be communicated and practiced if we are to survive in the 21st Century. Most Optimists I know do not desire to depart the organization, but we struggle with the answers that seem broader than most of us can navigate. We are Optimists, so we will continue to explore ways to maintain and grow our beliefs. There aren't many good people in this world that can look at what we do and stand for and say it's not worthwhile.
Thanks for the chance to express an opinion from a 30+ year Optimist.
Randy Robinson
Well said Randy.I agree wholeheartedly that we need to "reinvent" ourselves while staying true to what got us through the first 100 years. I try to do it by de-emphasizing meetings, emphasizing projects and trying to zero in on the ability of members to improve themselves. Just some of what future blog posts will cover. Thanks for the read.
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