[Diabetes-talk] Goals for the Division? And, How Can We Help?

[Everett Gavel]

Good Morning Mike,

I agree, for the most part.  Mission statements and "visions" and all that,
are too often useless.  But I asked about specific goals and steps or tasks,
not just dreams.  (smile)

I am just trying to gain some focus to help myself be more useful.  I have
no real interest in just being a member of something to say I'm a member.
If I am a part of something, I want to be, try to be, a useful, productive
member.  For years I was - at the least - dispersing copies of the Voice
each quarter.  It was a thing I could do.  It was something, y'know?  So I'm
just looking for something again is all, I guess.

At convention, I momentarily thought of putting my own name up for possible
election during our proceedings at the seminar.  But then, I asked myself
the simple question:  "Why?"  I've been out of the loop and rather
unproductive for too long, and so thankfully kept my mouth shut when you
were asking for, "Any other nominations."

Every time I catch myself thinking of something like that, I immediately ask
myself, "Why?"  Why do I want to be in some elected or appointed position?
What difference would it or could it make?  What would I do differently,
y'know?  What would be different then, that I could not do right now, today?
And so then I find I'm back to trying to find out what the division (or any
other organization) exists for, so I can hopefully contribute in some
meaningful way, day by day.  Because I do realize one does not need to be in
any official position to be able to change the world. (smile)

I look forward to your response later in the week - or whenever it makes it
to us.  I look forward to reading about how we all, here, may be able to be
more productive and helpful as members, together.  Thanks for your time and
your efforts--all of you who've taken on leadership roles for the division.


Strive On!
Everett
www.DreamingInTandem.blogspot.com


----- Original Message ----- 
> AS a Federal employee, I am deathly allergic to mission statements,
> statements of goals and objectives and other such bureaucratic detritis
> that serve more to inflate egos than they do to actually make systematic
> plans for the future.
>
> Later in the week, I will summarize my remarks at the DAN Seminar and
> say where I think we should go from here. But the DAN Board will want to
> weigh in on this also before anything official is done. I have a number
> of ideas for possible projects and even simple publications but I would
> rather bring these before the DAN Board before I say more.
>
> So expect something later in the week.
>
> Mike
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> It was great getting to be in Detroit, and be in on the Diabetes Action
> Network seminar.  It was my first national convention in a handful of
> years.
> It's helped to re-inspire me in some great ways.  And so I'm trying to
> "catch-up" and I'm asking, where do we go from here, Sir?
>
> If there was any sort of division or convention wrap-up sent out
> already, I
> apologize.  I might've missed it.  And I did miss the beginning of the
> seminar at the convention.  So to get a little more up-to-speed, I'm
> asking
> here, publicly, what are our goals and wishes and dreams for the
> division,
> now that we're apparently not going to have the Voice of the Diabetic as
> our
> main tool anymore?
>
> What should and could the members do, to help this division thrive?  Do
> we
> have specific dreams, goals, tasks, that we hope to achieve as a
> division?
>