Weekend Roundup

Daylight Savings Time kicked in here in California, where I arrived to attend the Fall Education Council for the Pacific Union.  Principals, educators, business managers, and superintendents from the entire conference congregate for a couple of days two times a year to work on policy, to review curriculum, to take in some in-services, and to network with other educators from across the five states that make up the Pacific Union Conference.  I look forward to these meetings for the fellowship as much as I do for anything that actually takes place, as important as some of those activities are for the direction and philosophy of education in the entire field.

There will be an official changing of the guard this fall.  Berit Von Pohle will be in charge of the Educational Council for the first time since the transition between Kelly Bock and Berit as Superintendent of Education for the Pacific Union took place in early July.  She has already demonstrated some extraordinary leadership abilities in her short tenure.  I am looking forward to see what transpires for the next couple of days.

In the meantime I spent a wonderful Sabbath morning at the Mesa Palms SDA Church in Mesa.  After preaching the sermon (Penny said it was great!) we got to eat some great food at the church potluck.  We even got to sit with the pastor and his wife—which also meant Penny and I got to take cuts to the front of the line.  That always makes me feel more than a bit guilty.  That didn’t keep me from benefitting from the courtesy afforded me. 

After that Penny and I traveled back to Riverside and closed Sabbath with the family.  Sunday was spent at a rainy flea market in Orange County and babysitting my grandson in the afternoon.  We all went to visit grandma in her new surroundings.  We managed to squeeze in a couple of meals—Bolivian and Vietnamese!  It was a good day.

I am spending the night in Ontario.  I have an early morning meeting with the PUC Educational Leadership Committee.  I am still getting used to all the committee work I participate in as part of my job description.  I am learning the ropes, but I am determined to master the information that will make me a better asset to the committees I serve.  It’s not about me—it’s about the people I serve.  They deserve the best I can be for them.  Good night.