Our joke reference continues to be Logan’s Run. It’s a dated film at this point, so many of my peers don’t even get the joke, but those that do, laugh. The film basically talks about a society where the members are killed after reaching a certain age, keeping the society young. We joke about this because we’ve created an organization for under 35 year olds. With my 30th in just over a month, I recognize that my Logan’s Run moment is coming fairly soon.
A few months ago I was asked to serve in the forming stages of the Arizona State University Young Alumni program and its Council. ASU realized that the largest group of alums they have are 35 and younger and that they weren’t as effective as they’d like to be in reaching and serving this large demographic–especially in the Phoenix area. Most young graduates leave their university, struggling to create an alumni affiliation with a place they knew so well as a student. Additionally, many students find themselves surprised by the new difficulty in meeting new people after school and building a community outside their campus.
So on Wednesday night, I joined a dozen other people in a strategy night. We discussed priorities of the program and priorities of the council. We spent over two hours going over a six page bylaws draft, spending quite a bit of time discussing big questions: Do we want a vice-president or a president elect system? One or two year terms for council members? Do we have three or four standing committees and what is the major focus of each committee? What are grounds for removal from the council? Is there an immediate past president? Do we have terms limits?
Yes, it was one of those discussions.
It’s not exciting. It was dry at times. We’re not done yet. There is going to be another swing at the document and we’re meeting again next Tuesday. While the group agreed with most of my suggestions, there was definitely one point where I disagreed with the group, but that bylaw will likely pass.
This table struck me for two reasons.
1) While we had some disagreements, we remained civil and polite. This allowed us to voice concerns and HEAR each other’s ideas. In several cases, we collaborated as a group to find a better option that neither one of us initially had.
2) There were several members of the group who were right around my age (30-33). In other words, they were creating an organization where they would soon no longer qualify for membership.
I’m a big proponent of the under 35 age limit for the organization. It’s not that I don’t value 36+, but I do think there is something unique about that first decade or so out of school. I’m lucky in the sense that I can be a member of the group for another five years, but several people in the room with me would be phased out just as the group hits its stride.
And yet, they gave up several hours on a Wednesday evening.
I love the idea that they are concerned more with the foundation of the group and its legacy rather than their own involvement.
Prior to heading towards the meeting, I watched Michael Moore’s latest film, Capitalism. Without getting into an intense political debate, I do think most of us can agree that several companies made decisions based on short term rewards and gain, rather than a long-term foundation. This is one of many factors that contributed to our current financial state. Too often, people make decisions or take action that benefit themselves rather than the people that may come after them.
At leadership conferences, I regularly hear student leaders boast, we were the best group, board, council, etc. ever (later to discover the organization struggled the following year).
I think the biggest testament to our success as leaders comes not in our own list of accomplishments, but rather in accomplishments by the leaders that follow us as they surpass everything we did–not because we lowered the bar, but rather that as we raised it, we created a firm foundation from which they could leap. In other words, let’s think of ourselves as stewards of our organizations.
Fifteen years from now this initial batch of ASU Young Alumni Council members will all be phased out. It’s unlikely any young alums at that time will know any of our names, and that really doesn’t matter. Hopefully though, they’ll be enjoying their time together, engaging in their new network, celebrating a strong affiliation with their alma mater, and raising an organization to new heights.
An organization that began simply with a group of people sitting around a bit table on a Wednesday night.