Seriously

Ten days without blogging is not a good thing. I can blame it on Thanksgiving break and time away from Arizona. Perhaps being alone in Arizona in the evenings gives me more time to blog. In any case, much has transpired since my last confession….I mean blog.

Today was a committee-filled day. The Arizona Conference Education Board held its bi-monthly meeting this afternoon. It was the second meeting under the new committee format I implemented last October. The lion’s share of the meeting is used in constructive discussion and problem-solving. Under the old format (quite honestly, most boards run this way) the lion’s share of the meeting is used to deliver reports with very little time used for discussion. Now, reports are submitted for acceptance, any questions are entertained on the basis of the fact that the members have already received and read the reports prior to the day of the meeting. The meeting moves faster; and the discussion is focused on the item designated beforehand.

A number of items were voted in addition to the reports by the Principals of TAA and HIS, and the superintendent’s report. Of particular import was the preliminary strategic plan for the educational system in Arizona. The superintendent was empowered to form a working committee to begin the process of implementation and report back to committee at the next meeting in February. I can hardly wait! The wheels are moving. There seems to be genuine excitement in the committee. It feels good to be a catalyst for change, although no substantive change has really taken place as of yet.

That meeting was following in quick succession by two other financial meetings at GAA and TCE schools. The GAA situation is critical, but the response was to go on the offensive rather than go into survival mode. It was exciting to see the faculty take hold of the vision. It will be interesting to see how the plan develops. The next three weeks before the end of the calendar year will be frenetic for all parties.
The TCE Finance Committee was a lot more relaxed since the discussion did not center on a critical state of affairs, rather on formulating a responsible budget for the coming year. It was a pleasant discussion, except for the bogging down on tangents that seemed irrelevant to the general discussion, but apparently were of import to a member of the committee. It is interesting to see interpersonal dynamics at work. Most people are well intentioned, albeit misguided at times. I prefer to deal with people by giving them the benefit of the doubt, rather than questioning their every motive. It’s a risk, but life is too short to get annoyed or paranoid by people who simply want to be heard or need to feel included.

Tomorrow is The Big Committee—Executive Committee! I am not a member of this exclusive committee, but I do report to this gathering. I will keep it short. The Education Board is forwarding some significant motions to the Executive Board. I am hopeful they will see fit to approve the recommendations. They are important to the parties involved.

Not much humor today. Sorry about that. I guess there are some days that are just serious. Or perhaps I am trying to resist the temptation to be carried away into some humorous tangent, just to be heard. To be quite honest—every day is filled with humor, without it life is too mundane. Maybe tomorrow I will tell you about the “Swamp Smoothies” that are now part and parcel of my daily dietary regimen. You can’t make this stuff up!