The center of America’s sunflower growth is North Dakota. This year, the state’s farmers grew 625,000 acres of the cheery yellow plants, which can be used to make products like nut butter, cooking oil, confectionery seeds and bird food.
Below is my contribution to the annual celebration. The seed packet said the Autumn Beauty should grow to 6-7 feet in height. Hard to imagine from a little seed.
But one of the seeds decided to outdo itself. It is now 12 feet tall with two stakes providing reinforcement. Here is the crown with more flowers forming.
The current height and still growing.
A proud gardener with nature’s surprise. Two smaller cousins on the way beside it.
“Be like a sunflower so that even on the darkest days you can stand tall and find the sunlight.”
What does a leader do when something goes awry in an organization?
Some will keep the event quiet, trying to handle the problem privately. Others will revise an organization’s manual about how to handle such situations. Some will go public saying the incident has been addressed and will not happen again.
These and other responses are reasonable, but are they sufficient? Is the organization’s leadership more trusted or effective?
One of the most difficult challenges is when members violate the values of an organization.
Five years ago this was a leader’s response at the United States Air Force Military Academy when confronted with an incident.
No viewer of this five minute address will question the ideas presented: replace a bad idea with a better one; if you do not agree with this, then you do not belong;practicecivil discourse; or thepower of diversity.
The Power of a Public Commitment
But what makes this situation different from many is that the “CEO” goes public, placing his leadership on the line.
Transparency is the most critical component for an organization’s leadership especially if they aspire to be democratic, serve the public or just be respected.
Watch and learn. The next time you want to make a lasting point, tell the audience to Reach for your Phones!
From the news story: “We believe that a structured hybrid approach — meaning employees that live near an office need to be onsite two days a week to interact with their teams — is most effective for Zoom,” Colleen Rodriguez, Zoom’s head of global PR, said in a statement. “As a company, we are in a better position to use our own technologies, continue to innovate, and support our global customers.” The company’s new hybrid work approach will roll out over August and September.
Recently I was contacted through this blog for information about Ed Callahan’s career as a high school coach, educator and administrator.
The writer was Kevin Patrowsky who is a Wisconsin high school football historian living in Milwaukee. He wanted to add information about Ed Callahan’s tenure as a teacher and coach at Don Bosco High School. His blog is Wi Hi Football | History of Wisconsin High School Football.
This week he posted his account of Don Bosco’s success as the Milwaukee Catholic Conference mid-1960’s powerhouse. The following is his excerpt describing Ed’s tenure at Don Bosco and move to a new program at Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, Illinois.
Callahan’s Career as a Coach, Teacher and School Administrator
“Coach DanFleming’s replacement at Don Bosco was Edgar “Ed” Callahan who spent five seasons as the head coach, 1955-59 going 28-12-1. Don Bosco had a 7-1-1 season in his initial season of 1955 and then a 7-1-0 year in 1957. They finished second in the Catholic those two years and in the middle of the pack the other three going 4-4-0 in 1956 and 5-3-0 in each of the 1958 and 1959 seasons.
“For coach Ed Callahan, his story is much more widely known than his predecessor. Born in 1929 in Youngstown, Ohio he attended Ursuline High School where he was a very good tackle. Standing 6’1, weighing 225, Callahan graduated in 1946. He was offered many scholarships, but he chose Marquette because he wanted to go to a Catholic Jesuit University.
“Graduating in 1951 with a B.A. in mathematics, Ed stayed on to get a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration in 1952. He then went to Don Bosco as a math teacher and an assistant coach for football and basketball, before replacing Dan Fleming as the top football man. A very principled man with high integrity he was, to say the least, a man that others thought highly of.
“In 1960 he was recruited by a new school in Rockford Illinois to start the football and basketball program at Boylan Catholic High School which opened that year. In 1966 Don Bosco played Rockford Boylan and the Don’s beat the Titan’s 26-25. Ed stayed as the football and basketball coach plus the head of the math department until 1970 when he became the school’s principal.
“In 1971 he took the job as superintendent of the Rockford Area Catholic Schools and stayed until 1975. Because Ed had a reputation as a very trustful and effective administrator, he was asked by the State of Illinois to become the Assistant Secretary of State. Shortly thereafter in 1987, the Governor appointed him Director of Financial Institutions for the state of Illinois.
“Ed and several of his assistants inherited a floundering department and set the ship right to serve the state’s financial institutions including credit unions. A life-long Democrat, Ed caught the attention of Republican President Ronald Reagan who, in 1981, asked him to serve as Chairman of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).
“This Washington DC-based federal government organization had been recently reorganized as an independent regulatory agency during the Carter administration. In 1981 when Ed assumed this position, the the country was in the midst great economic uncertainty and deregulation was affecting all financial institutions. The new agency was transitioning from its prior function as a bureau within HEW.
“Ed left in 1985 and started his own company, Callahan and Associates, Inc. which became the leading provider of financial data to credit unions in the United States. He served in several other positions before retiring in 2002 and then passing in 2009.”
The Rest of the Story
A blog devoted to high school football would not spend many words on Ed’s next career and multiple contributions to the credit union system.
In February 2003 when receiving the National Credit Union Foundation’s Herb Wegner Lifetime Achievement Award, an introductory film summarized this period of Ed’s professional accomplishments.
To understand Ed’s leadership, I believe one must be aware of his initial career as an educator and coach. In these multiple roles in high school education, Ed formed his multiple skills of vision, innovation, communication and effective management.
Here is how the Foundation described his legacy for the credit union system in this Lifetime Achievement award.
Washington’s National Cathedral is the site of a free 4th of July concert. There is always a full house. This year’s program featured an organ duet. Two players on one organ console.
Four hands for three manual keyboards, four feet for one pedalboard, and a single music sheet. The Cathedral has video screens on the pillars throughout the sanctuary to provide up close views of the action.
This 1:35 minute video shows the pair playing in the concert finale, Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever. Note the four feet working the pedals and which player turns the pages.
Cooperation and collaboration in a musical celebration. The audience rises to participate at the end.
No posts last week. Joan and I took a week-long singing vacation with the Berkshire Chorus International.
We rehearsed for a week at Virginia Tech before giving a full orchestra concert of Orff’s Carmina Burana, and a shorter contrasting work by Brahms, Schicksalslied-Song of Destiny.
The week in pictures.
BCI’s Music Director since 1992 and on site producer, Frank Nemhauser.
Our dorm and rehearsals were on the Virginia Tech campus.
Hokie mascot outside the dining hall.
Our conductor for the week, Dr. Jenny Wong, who grew up in Hong Kong and now is Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Master Choral. She earned MA and PhD degrees from USC.
The major work for the evening.
Rehearsal in the Moss Center for the performing arts on campus.
Some Blacksburg city arts and activities. The former National Bank of Blacksburg is now an ice cream parlor. Sculptures and a scene from the farmer’s market.
Preconcert pep talk by Jenny. Note all of the “luggage.” She has a seven month old child at home.
Yesterday A Celebration of Life was held for Betina Buscemi. Two notes from her obituary capture the essence of her special purpose devoted to others.
“Tina was a passionate advocate for equality and human rights. She devoted her time to serving the underserved.
“She has volunteered for countless organizations in the community including Kettering Volunteer Advisory Council, Kettering Cities of Service Committee, Montgomery County Reentry Collaborative, CANE/Collaboration Against Abuse Neglect and Exploitation (Seniors), Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and several other local Chambers of Commerce. Tina was a mother to two wonderful children.”
Her professional home was as Business Development Manager with Day Air Credit Union where she worked for the past 17 years.
The following is CEO Bill Burke’s tribute sent to all the credit union’s employees. (used with permission)
Bettina
As you know, Bettina Buscemi passed away very late Tuesday afternoon. Bettina was a remarkable person. Huge heart. Irrepressible spirit. Limitless passion for Day Air Credit Union. Always a positive, energizing presence.
We are a very tight-knit group here at Day Air. Losing someone who is an integral part of the team hurts. Hurts a lot. Our culture is one of putting people first and we’re all now coming together to support each other.
For now, let’s just think of Bettina and her family (significant other Don Crosthwaite, son John in Columbus, and daughter Annie in New Zealand). When I spoke with Don, he passed on a statement that Bettina made to him many times – “you have a job but I have a lifestyle.” He described how much Bettina loved Day Air, its people, its culture and how her position at the Credit Union allowed her to do what she loved most – to contribute to the well-being of the people of our community – to help people.
Face of the Credit Union
Bettina was an integral part of the Day Air team for over 17 years. As our Business Development Manager, she was the face of the Credit Union to so many in our community (including key member groups, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, at least four other smaller Chambers in the area, city and township administrations where our branches are located, so many non-profits and civic organizations, etc.).
She led the Credit Union’s efforts to support the Montgomery County re-entry program. I’ll never forget her pitching that idea to me. At first I thought it was crazy but she had so much conviction about it … turns out we helped a lot of people get back on their feet after serving time.
She was on countless boards including one (the Oasis House, a non-profit that supports women victims of sexual exploitation and trauma), that literally sent her notice of her appointment to that board on Wednesday.
She was laser-like focused on the community in which we live, work and play. Not only did she serve on so many boards and committees, she constantly promoted Day Air to anyone who would listen to her. As if she would ever let anyone not listen to her (let that sink in and smile….). I can’t remember how many times she referenced her days at 5/3 and Huntington with that smile of hers while shaking her head, then compared that to her time here at Day Air while beaming.
I’m sorry to be conveying such sad news. The team at Day Air is very tight – and Bettina was an extraordinary teammate (it’s hard to be using the past tense here….) who lived the Day Air mission. Her irrepressible spirit was contagious and I, for one, commit to press forward with that very same irrepressible spirit.
Thank you Bill and the Day Air team for sharing her exceptional life for others with the credit union community. Her mission continues with each remembrance.
Yesterday I described Aaron Copeland’s Fanfare for the Common Man as a staple of patriotic concerts. Yesterday it was the opening number of the National Cathedral’s Independence Day program.
I then learned that composer Joan Tower had written a series of six short Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman as “parts” of one 25-minute composition.
She describes the work as a tribute to “women who take risks and are adventurous”, with each dedicated to an inspiring woman in music.
The first of the Fanfares was commissioned by the Houston Symphony as part of the orchestra’s Fanfare Project and was composed in 1986. It was originally inspired by Copland’sFanfare for the Common Man and employs the same instrumentation while adding the glockenspiel, marimba, chimes, and drums. The piece is about 2 minutes and 41 seconds long and is dedicated to the conductor Marin Alsop. (source: Wikipedia)
Equal Time
Here is the St. Louis Symphony’s recording of the first of the six fanfares.
One of the most frequently played musical tributes in July 4th concerts is Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man.
He wrote Fanfare in response to a 1942 request from the conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as the US became became fully involved in World War II.
As a musical form, a fanfare is usually a brief, musical introduction to some noteworthy person, ceremony or event. Fanfares announce the appearance of Royalty in Europe, open the Olympic games, precede important national or military occasions and celebrate events such as the dedication of a memorial or new public space.
By this time Copland had composed a wide variety of scores for orchestra, dance, film and drama that portrayed uniquely American sounds. Compositions such as Rodeo, Billy the Kid, Appalachian Spring evoke scenes of our country from the expansive West to the modern city.
Here is an example of Copland conducting Hoedown from the ballet Rodeo. Get ready to dance along with him on the podium!
Copland considered multiple names for his new composition including “Fanfare for the Day of Victory,” “Fanfare for Our Heroes,” “Fanfare for the Spirit of Democracy,” “Fanfare for the Paratroops” before Fanfare for the Common Man. The phrase had been used by Vice President Henry Wallace who called the 20th century the Century for the Common Man.
The music is martial, dramatic, easy to follow and heroic in feeling. He wanted to honor the ordinary people who were doing the fighting and dying in the war. It is still the most popular piece in patriotic concerts.
One person upon hearing the music wrote: I would love this as the anthem of humanity, the song of farmers, cobblers, men who were raised from the land, staring into the night sky at the fat moon and saying, “I am going there,” and never once doubting his words.
The version which follows is the one that you will hear across the country today.
Few of us will compose music to communicate a vision. Most will use the spoken or written word. What follows is from a life dedicated to Copland’s Common Man:
“My life has been centered around my family, my wife Jean, and credit unions. Why credit unions? Because I could never accept that in America those who had the least and knew the least should always pay the most for financial services.
“I believe that credit unions were created to correct that injustice. In the words of Thomas Paine – a true revolutionary in all respects –“I have always objected to wealth achieved through the misery and misfortune of others”.
“That economic injustice continues to thrive in our financial system today. Credit unions remain the alternative, the best hope, the answer.
“We all confront an uncertain future, and many folks would like to rewrite the past. You and I know we cannot change the past. But if we have credit union leaders with integrity, courage and character; we most certainly can reshape the future…but changing the future is very hard work.
“Arthur Ashe, the great American tennis player, described the credit union leaders we need. Ashe said: “ True leadership is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, true leadership is the urge to serve all others at whatever cost.”. . .
(The words by Jim Blaine, former CEO of State Employees NC, to the African American Credit Union Coalition upon his induction to its Hall of Fame)
Two tributes on July 4th to celebrate liberty for all and especially the contributions of the Common Man.
