There’s no place I’d rather publish my first blog than on myROCUSA.org and for you, the ROC Pack and ROC USA Network!
Welcome to our very own community center where we can meet, talk and share. Thank you for helping kick off myROCUSA.org. Let’s get it rolling! And, then, let’s roll it out to the rest of the ROC community and really “pump you up!”
For my blog, I am really excited to spark conversation about important “big picture” matters. I won’t be working through pet or community rules issues here – ROC Talk and other people online with us are better on those issues than I am. Sure, I have opinions about lots of things like rules but this space is for sharing information about the larger context of “Better Together”.
You see, I think as a general rule, people are attracted to the idea of together — yet we are fiercely independent, too.
So, we spend a lot of time drawing distinctions and gathering our own marbles. And, hey, I like my space, too. Martha, my wife, will charge me with “escaping to the garden” and, sure, I don’t like it when people mess around with my garden.
Indeed, we all need balance on a personal level – we all need our gardens, be they knitting, walking, or woodworking. Yet, we all yearn for togetherness through family, friends and community, too. A full life includes both.
I think the same is true on an organization (your association) and community (your ROC) level. There’s a time for local organization time and a time for reaching out. Through my many years at this, I have seen people and communities who do not reach out; I’ve seen ROC isolationism. It can work but it’s vulnerable to many risks. Moreover, isolationism is not only a disservice to the community because of its limited access to fresh ideas, critical information and problem-solving systems, but it also misses out on the kind of peer support that keeps us all inspired and leading positively.
So, on one level, togetherness is selfish. And, why not? People are busy and the world is a cluttered place so our time together should be worthwhile. Let’s make myROCUSA.org a worthwhile community where ROC leaders come together for fresh ideas and peer support!
And, there’s no one better than the ROC Pack to kick it off because you’ve experienced first-hand the power of togetherness. You came from across the country knowing one or two people, met about two dozen peers and staff and walked away with a lot of new friends with whom you shared, learned and laughed!
Our time together was more than worthwhile! It was inspiring to me to hear positive ideas for leading change in your organizations. Let’s take that type of positive leadership together online!
Better together, Paul
