A Year of 3-Day Firsts for Me

So I'm sitting here in the crew tent before Crew Day starts in AZ and I have a lot of time to reflect. I'm realizing how much this is a year of firsts for me when it comes to 3-Day.

5. This is the first year I am doing AZ!
4. This is the first year I am leading a team other than Camp Logistics (Youth Corps)
3. This is the first year since 2005, that I won't be going to San Diego. Kinda sad about that one.
2. This is the first event I won't have any Ka'Nunu Ohana on event.
1. This is the first time ever (started in 2003), that I will get to see Opening Ceremonies!

I'm sure this weekend will be bound full of firsts and I am looking forward to new beginnings.

A New Venture for an Old Dog

2011 has definitely brought new changes for me as a captain. San Francisco was a great event back in September. A new adventure awaits me this week as I volunteer both in a new city and new leadership position. Thursday, I will leave for the Arizona 3-Day and this time I will be fortunate to be a Youth Corp leader. The Youth Corp program has been something that originated in Boston, but this year has been proliferated to all the cities that host a 3-Day event. This team gives kids from 11-16 a chance to volunteer and contribute to the 3-Day community. Many of the kids have moms that have been through or are going through battling breast cancer. What makes this team even more exciting is that each kid must raise at least $500 to even participate. So this is for the serious minded individual who wants to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer.

This weekend promises to be very exciting as we also have a completely new route for AZ. Watch for updates on the SF Camp Logistics team page (yes, I am leveraging) at...

http://www.facebook.com/CampLogs

Change is in the air for 2011

The only thing that stays the same is change. It happens in front of us all the time whether we are aware of it or not. Not everyone is adept at accepting change and maybe that because some need longer time to process and accept change. Often times you hear people say, "remember the good 'ol days?" or "things aren't what they used to be." I have to agree that days gone by, there were certainly good 'ol times or the appreciation of the status quo. However, if we don't go through change, how do we know that the past was good or not. We would also not know of things that make our lives better.

"The Case for Change"

Those of us who participate in efforts such as the Susan G. Komen, 3-Day for the Cure are all seeking one outcome...the end of breast cancer. Whether you are a walker or part of the crew, we all spend time preparing, raising money, and finally celebrating our efforts over 3-Days. Like all endeavors, we try things out. When it doesn't work, when adjust. When things work, we keep it in the program. When we learn something new, we look to implement. This is change. If we ever want to get to a world without breast cancer, it will entail constant change over time. While we will always know the constant of 1 + 1 = 2, the definition of success cannot be boiled down to a simple mathematical formula. Instead, it's the ability to adapt to the changing variables in life that occur and change the formula all the time. This is why the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome.

So look out 2011! Walkers and crew alike, be prepared, be flexible, and let's make this season one of the best yet!

A Time for Reflection

Wow, we are about to close the books on 2010. As I take a moment to stop and reflect, I find myself in awe of how fast the year went by, how much was accomplished, and how much still needs to be done. A quick self-reflection, I find that I am a horrible blogger. Most avid bloggers fill the internet space with frequent updates about events, experiences, and the happenings in the world. I went through 2 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure events and completely forgot to blog. In my defense, I did post many times to Facebook during events.

So, have I learned anything this year? The answer is a resounding, YES! I constantly strive for improvement in some form or fashion. This year, it was the year where I wanted to practice patience and being even keel. I have realized that as a leader, the more people you lead, the more even keel you must be in order to prevail and appeal to the majority of whom you lead. To look back upon personas like Howard Dean who effectively destroyed his presidential hopes with one cowboy outcry, it is easy to see how the mass can move a ship in a different direction. To lead with confidence but exude patience can have an amazing effect on people and help you get to where you are going.

What else did I learn? Well, I learned more about my friends this year, especially my 3-Day friends. I made new friends on event as well as reconnected with old friends. More relishing were the moments with my Ka'nunu Ohana, both on and off the 3-Day field. What's great to know is that more often than not, the people you meet on 3-Day that you take time to get to know, can easily become your friend for life. And yes, it's a little cheesy, but if you take time to invest in people, the ones worth friending are truly a blessing in your life.

It's truly been a busy year...at least for me, but the learning I have each year, which really is just a reminder, is that all the things I do are really a means to an end. Because in the end, I always remember that there are only really 3 things I care about in life...Family, Friends, and an end to breast cancer.

So for what probably will be my final post for the year, I will take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy holidays and a prosperous new year. May 2011 bring you health and happiness.

Meeting the Crew Series

With 3-Day SF Bay Area just around the corner, our FaceBook page will start profiling members of the Camp Logistics team. Check out our page and become a fan. It's a place to learn about folks, get additional pics during and after event, and find out other neat things going on with Camp life! Go to www.facebook.com/CampLogs

Life Should Mirror Camp Logistics

People often comment that life on the 3-Day is how life should be. Unfortunately, when Monday rolls around, we forget some of the awful stuff we left behind the Thursday before. However, I think as crew, we should all mirror our 3-Day lives in the real world. Take for example, Camp Logistics. I think this should look and does resemble my life in reality. You drop in to work hard in order to positively change the lives of many people. Sometimes, it's smooth running and other times it's organized chaos. However, in the end, we wrap it all up and leave the place better than we found it. Life should be like that as well. I want to be able to look back or have others reflect on behalf that when I was alive, I worked hard to make a positive impact on loved ones, friends, and the people I associated with. I won't have always been perfect. And when I pass to a better place...I want to go knowing and feeling that the world was just a little better because I did something about it.

You can almost determine someone's character on 3-Day by how they fundraise

I'm often reminded in real life how people demonstrate their character towards each other and I am always comparing that to the character I witness on 3-Day. I once heard and now paraphrase that we ultimately see a person's character when they are challenged. Do they lash out? Complain? Wallow in the challenge? OR do they step up and demonstrate a commitment to meet that challenge in the eye and put every ounce of effort to accomplishing the goal? I have seen people with amazing character on event and then I have seen people with so-so or lackluster character as well.

As a crew captain, I have the privilege of encouraging my team to fundraise and over the last eight plus years, I have started to formulate a hypothesis that the level of commitment, engagement, and character demonstrated on 3-Day can be correlated and determined by the corresponding level of funds raised.

For example, in my experience and reflecting back, the folks on my team who have raised $0 for event typically showed a less than desirable level of commitment on event. Furthermore, these folks also included whiners, complainers, and challengers to authority. They were often late to meetings on event, late to rise in the morning, and could not be found when needed. Worst of all, these folks would have an excuse for everything. "Fund raising is not a requirement for crew." "Why do we have to help them?"

On the contrary, the people who raise a significant amount of money (~$300 or more) had high levels of commitment. They were the first to agree to pitch in. They participated in fund raising events. Most importantly, during event, they remained highly engaged and open to anything.

Now there are some responsibilities incumbent upon the captain. First, you must lead by example. Don't expect things from your crew if you will not do the same. Second, you have to engage the team and fire them up. Remind them that this is a fund raising event. While crew is not required to fund raising, you can easily position the fact that it costs money to run the event and for every dollar raised by crew, it helps offset event expenses. Third, reach out to the newbies who have never crewed or walked before. You may find several diamonds in the rough who just need the help to jump start their fundraising. Finally, put forth some challenges to your crew. Start a friendly competition with other crews or provide incentives to your top fund raisers.
Challenging your crew will give you leading indicators as to how they will perform on event.

My final thought. You won't be successful in getting all your crew to be superstars. You can't inspire someone who isn't passionate about what they are doing.

Share your thoughts and observations. I can always use reference points and other ideas!