St. Patrick's Day has a very special place in my heart. In
January of 1986 I joined the Worland, WY Jaycees. It was the beginning of a huge growth
experience which began almost immediately. After being a member
for just a month I was approached at one the meetings and asked if I wanted to
chair the Multiple Sclerosis Ugly Bartender Contest.
The contest was a U.S. Jaycees nationwide program to raise
money to help people afflicted with MS. The contest was also sponsored by the
Wyoming Jaycees and at that time there was 33 Jaycee Chapters in the State with
most participating in the contest.
The contest was really a local competition between bars to
see which one could raise the most money for MS by whatever means possible. It kicked
off on St. Patrick's Day and ended a month later on April 17.
In the beginning I really had no idea how to chair a project
since it was my first and didn't have a clue how I was going to convince anyone
to participate. I was 25 years old at that time and didn't have all that much
confidence in my abilities to sell the idea to bar owners. I was at that time a
very shy introverted person who feared public speaking so much I just couldn't
imagine someone with my personality type selling the idea to anyone. During that time the Worland Jaycees only had
about a dozen members who were active in the chapter so I knew if I took on the
project I was really taking it on myself.
The previous year the Worland Jaycees ran the contest they
had 3 bars that participated and raised $300. I felt like I had to reach for a higher goal. I somehow had to prove to the guys in the
Chapter that I was worthy of being a member of their group.
I felt like the only chance I had at success was to just
walk into each bar, be myself, tell them what the contest was about and were the
money raised would be spent. I also knew
that in order to have them gain trust in me I would have to be there for any of
the projects or fundraisers they tried and help them promote their events in
any way possible. I also knew that the
important key was constant follow up. The most important thing I felt I had to
do was just make each person I met a friend.
Ultimately I convinced 23 bars from Worland, Ten Sleep,
Manderson, Basin and Greybull, WY to participate. In all the 23 bars raised over $4,300 in the
month long fundraising event.
The contest was the beginning of a rebirth for me and helped
me come out of the shell I had been in for most of my young adult life. I made so many new friends, learned so much
about people and organization from the contest it was like going to and
graduating from a Carnegie Program. In fact most of the principles I put to use
came from his book, "How to win friends and influence people."
The contest launched a lifelong 15 year career in Jaycees
for me. The friends, projects and all the wonderful learning experiences I
gleamed from the Jaycees have meant the world to me.
I don't have an advanced college degree in
Business or Psychology but I put my learning experiences in the Jaycees equal to
any degree from any college. What I lacked in education, I made up for in just
hard work and determination to succeed.
There are so many unbelievable stories of men and woman just like me
that understand that giving just a little time to a worthy cause can bring back
so much in return.
So many of the highly educated in this country talk a good
talk but it seems few put their time and their talents were their mouths are
to a cause or a community service organization. The people I most admire are
the ones who "do", who "act" and who “risk” going outside
their own comfort zone to do something for someone other than themselves.
March 17, 1986 was the day I began to come to some understanding
of these principles. I only hope that anyone who reads this will be inspired to
go out and actively participate in some worthy community cause whatever it may be. If you
are under 41 the Jaycees are a great place to start.
Happy St. Patrick's Day
