The Water Cooler

Whether you celebrated Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa in December we all celebrated the same thing just a short time ago - the New Year.  There are many things that we commonly associate with the New Year.  Many of us choose various ways to celebrate the passing year and/or spend time with loved ones.  Also, many of us choose to make resolutions.  I will not venture to guess what it is exactly, but I am sure it is an incredibly poor percentage of those resolutions that actually pan out.  I do not mean to sound pessimistic and I do not want to discourage anyone from making New Year Resolutions.  Personally it is not my thing, but I know it is many of yours, and if it works for you, stick to it.

Some common resolutions range from ‘dieting’ to ‘exercising more’ to ‘quitting a bad habit.’  Some are more general like ‘make more money’ or volunteer more.’  Whatever your New Year Resolution may be I am sure there is a reason for it. Some of you may do it at the request of a loved one or simply for personal gratification.  Both of these reasons are fitting I guess.

As I had previously mentioned, New Year’s Resolutions are not my thing.  I have my reasons, but they are irrelevant here.  Just about any way you cut it though, a New Year Resolution is a long term commitment to better yourself physically and/or mentally.  Becoming more healthy, feeling better about yourself, etc.  In addition, most require a consistent level of attention.  If you slip up at all it usually ends in a downward spiral. 

Whats the point you may be asking.  Like I had said previously, I would hate to guess what the percentage is of those resolutions that do not pan out over time.  This is because most of these resolutions require a certain level of strength and commitment.  Two things that can easily fall to the wayside throughout the course of the year.  And what the heck, there’s always next year. 

I have an easy New Year Resolution for all of you and this one is quite different from the others.  It does not require constant attention, as a matter of fact it only requires immediate attention about two days a year.  This can be a long term commitment but will only better yourself mentally, not so much physically.  I can guarantee you that this resolution will have you feeling better about yourself. 

What could this resolution possibly be…VOTE!  Yup that’s right, VOTE.  It is so easy to do.  I am not suggesting that you vote for the sake of voting.  If voting is your resolution do it because you want to be heard, because as a United States citizen you have the right to vote and more importantly a voice to be heard.  Educate yourself on the issues and candidates and then make a decision that best suits you.  That is what voting is all about.

So I guess voting does require a certain degree of commitment.  You must educate yourself on the candidates and issues, but more importantly you must want to be educated.  In a representative democracy, like the one we have, the citizens elect candidates who best align with their own opinions and ideology.  And with how complicated the issues can be the citizens need to be informed voters. 

Comparatively speaking, voting is much easier than most of the other resolutions discussed.  Especially in the era we live in.  Any information we want is at our fingertips via the Internet.  Even if you do not happen to have Internet access at home almost all public libraries do.  Most of the candidates have websites where you can find out exactly where they stand on specific issues or even send an email to thier campaign.  While local office candidates may not have websites, they at least have some contact information for their campaign office where you can get information on the candidate. 

So lets everyone make our collective New Year Resolution to VOTE!  Mark your calendars on March 4th for the primary election and November 4th for the general election.  Remember, if you cannot make it, for whatever reason, to the polls on either of those days it is OK.  You still have a couple of options.  You can visit your county Board of Elections in the 30 days prior to the election and vote early in person or you can request an absentee ballot.  In that case the BOE will mail you a ballot that you fill out and mail back before the evening of the election.  No need for any excuses!

Voting is easy, but more than that voting is important!  See you at the polls!  

When you’re a small non-profit organization, publicity can be everything, no matter how embarrassing, or even negative, it might be. I forget, now, how many times a PR Person from some random company has mentioned (somewhat jokingly, I think) that even ‘Bad publicity is good publicity.’

Ss, imagine everyone’s excitement this morning when we receive this email from Fantine Kerckaert - one of the Program Managers at WHIO-TV who was instrumental in getting our Kids Voting/High-Q special edition on the air:

Happy New Year to you Anna! Glad you enjoyed seeing the show. I agree, Tom does great work! Per Nielsen overnights, the show was viewed by 21,000 households in the Dayton DMA…clearly a success! (Emphasis mine. WooHoo!) In fact, the show beat all the combined broadcast competition during the same half hour:

WDTN: 3,000 HH

WKEF: 8,000 HH

WRGT: 3,000 HH

WBDT: 6,000 HH

TOTAL: 20,000 HH versus High Q’s 21,000 HH
In addition, High Q beat all the programming airing on WKEF & WRGT on that day and everything but prime time football & news on WDTN and Two & A Half Men on WBDT! Clearly we have a great partnership in place so please keep us in mind for future projects (particularly as we enter an election year).

Have a great day!

Fantine

Of course, the program wouldn’t have been such an amazing success without the help of all kinds of people, from organizers at the Democratic and Republican parties, to Montgomery County staff who got us access to the Old County Courthouse, to the camera men, to….

Well, you get the idea. Lots of amazing people did lots of amazing stuff, and we owe them all greatly for our success. Perhaps Anna could bake them cookies?

How do you define success?

For me, success was defined by a note from my father before I took my ACT test. The stress of this life changing test manifested itself in ways that were not pleasant for my family. Some students prepare with disciplined study. My preparation consisted of scowling, whining, and a steady diet of Mountain Dew and generic fruit loops. Needless to say, I was not a popular family member and spent lots of time alone at my desk leading up to that fateful Saturday.

The morning of the test day, I found a note among the scattered fruit loops and crushed pop cans. On a large yellow post-it note, my father wrote in his physician like style of handwriting the following: “Remember that your test score does not measure your value as a human being. You will find ways to make a difference in this world no matter the grade, test, or task.” To this day, the thought of that note brings a lump to my throat. I give my parents credit for introducing my siblings and me to the nonprofit world. Both worked or volunteered for the nonprofit community, and it was an unspoken expectation that we would help seal envelopes, make phone calls, and other miscellaneous tasks. As young volunteers, our internal drives were shaped by these early experiences that resulted in our lifelong connection to service.

So I always knew that I would find ways to have a role with nonprofits - just not as an executive director.

It is scary. It is difficult. It is frustrating. It is disappointing.

Yes, I must confess there are times I would truly prefer my high school job as the fast lane cashier in Des Moines, Iowa. However, I am inspired by the mission at Kids Voting. My personal success at Kids Voting is defined by the following:

1. The mission matters!
2. The organization makes a difference!
3. The Board of Directors are involved and passionate –they are instrumental in taking this organization to the next level and giving me valuable leadership lessons!
4. The Kids Voting staff –we are small but mighty! The Kids Voting Council inspire me! Each of the students have a special place in my heart.
5. Kids Voting past and present supporters are extraordinary! Max Jennings, Mayor Rhine McLin, Doris Ponitz, Dona Vella, and Mitchell Bailey are just a few names that gave their hearts, talents, and time to put Kids Voting on the map!

My husband and I opened our house to the Kids Voting team this December for our monthly meeting and holiday open house. When I watched the Board members and KV Council members celebrate the holiday by following the beat of the Nintendo Wii’s Dance Dance Revolution (see pictures above post!), I couldn’t help but feel incredibly proud as I reflected upon the successes of our organization this year. Kids Voting rocks!

Woot! Woot!