Working on a Plan for the Future

Well, at the Association we paid off our debts on January 31st, just like we planned. Next on the list was to get the carpet cleaned (I vacuumed it today, but you can't really tell, that's how gross it is) and, while we're at it, do a DEEP CLEAN, as in have a company come in and do it like they mean it (these are the people that go into restaurants and clean deep fryers and things, so I figured they would be up to the job). Well, a very nice guy named Enrico came to look at the place and advised us to just cover the carpet with something else. He said he was even afraid to clean it! Hmmm. Sounds expensive. I'm waiting for his estimate.

In the meantime, I decided to put together a little DREAM TEAM to help make some decisions for the short-medium-long term of the Association. I think I mentioned that I'm not sure what to do now that I'm not putting out little fires all the time, and business reasoning says "When you don't have anything better to do, FORM A COMMITTEE!!" so that's what I did. I want us to put together a Mission Statement and then get to making a long-term Business Plan. 
I gathered some of our veteran volunteers. These are the people who keep coming back for more, who like us for some reason, and we like them. Then I grabbed a couple of people I thought might like to become volunteers (I can spot them) and who have something special to bring to the group, like creativity or math skills.

We have met twice now and I am amazed at how fast things are changing for the better as a result of putting this group together. We are all feeding off each other's (others' ?) energy. All these great ideas are coming out and I have a new love for this place and for the people in it. So committees aren't all that bad.

The key is that meetings are once a week for one hour. Any more than that would be too much. An hour leaves you feeling like anything is possible.

First on the agenda: make this place look friendlier, get it cleaned, de-clutter. So every day I am trying to do something to that end in 15 minutes or less. I have been making big piles of papers to recycle, floppy disks, cassette tapes, all kinds of crap. Some angel(s) keeps lugging them down to the garbage/recycle bins for me. The place is starting to look decent and I feel enormous satisfaction. I also found 2 fax machines, 2 printers, an old telephone, about a million rulers, boxes of paper clips, etc. I created an old appliance grave yard in the back room and will eventually take that stuff to the dump.

Little by little we're shaping this place up, and the best part is we're ALL doing it together, which feels a lot nicer than doing it alone or with one other person. Phyoo. I feel lighter.

The other great news is that we have really gotten a lot of members this year. We had 340 last year and our outrageous goal for this year was 600. I can't believe we are already on 567!! The reason we chose 600 as a goal was because that would be enough to pay for our American Film Series without having to tap into funds from our classes. Our goal was to make that series independent. We may just get our wish. It's really incredible when I think about it. Wow.

So that's it for now. More updates soon.

Ps.
This t-shirt cracks me up (thanks PH) and for some reason I thought it would illustrate this post perfectly but I lost my train of thought as to why.

Lets's just call it my geeky gift of the day for you. You're welcome!