ALL ACTIVE MEMBERS: PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ. As I look at the snow falling outside my window, I am filled with a deep happiness about how my meeting Joan Bennett and our subsequent decision to form H.O.P.E. (now C.O.P.E.) has ignited a community wide movement to support individuals who are homeless in the Greater Boston area. Joan is a visionary and a one of a kind person who balances a compassionate heart with a personality that does not take no for an answer. Knowing her has made me bolder, and I know that so many of you in COPE would say the same. We were laughing this morning about being two sides of the same coin in that she has the vision and I tend to be the strategic thinker. She has the brilliant ideas- I troubleshoot and strategize about how to get from point A to Point B. After the quick and successful efforts to move a large amount of donated warm weather gear and food to the people who desperately need it during this cold snap, Joan and I recognize that COPE is an organization that is bigger than the two of us and has taken on a life of its own. For this reason, we spent our morning talking about what “smart growth” looks like. Smart growth is about setting goals that effectively use the positive momentum from prior successes. Smart growth is about looking at mistakes we’ve made and learning from them. Finally- smart growth is about recognizing that Joan and I are no longer the only people who should have a say in the direction COPE grows. We need to set up an advisory board to help us respond more effectively to the many needs and opportunities we’ve become aware of in the last week. So here are 3 “smart growth” realizations we have had: 1)There’s a lot of enthusiasm about the very real good that COPE has already accomplished. We need to use that energy as fuel to meet new and bigger goals that are set in response to specific needs. I am really excited by how many good minds are involved with helping us and all the wonderful ideas that have been put up on the page. Let’s keep those coming- and let’s keep open dialogue on this page alive. COPE is a place where we do not shy away from respectful expressions of differences in opinion. We need all perspectives and all ideas, not a group of yes-men and women who do as they are told. That said: not every opinion or idea can be responded to with an unequivocal yes. If you float an idea or response and don’t get the feedback you want please do not feel insulted. Your passion for your idea is a wonderful thing, but in some cases COPE may simply be the wrong forum for bringing your idea to life. Perhaps your idea would be worth exploring on a Facebook page of your own. For example: The Hingham Gives Back Facebook page has done a magnificent job of addressing needs that are a bit different than the ones homeless individuals are facing and we are very glad that they are addressing crisis situations that fall out of our area of expertise. We have a mutually supportive relationship with Hingham Gives Back Facebook group and refer interested parties back and forth to make sure the right organization is tackling the right job. 2) We need to make some ground rules to prevent potential hardship down the road. a) Our trips into Boston have been inspiring, but Joan and I recognize that at times we have not been as safe as we probably should be. For this reason we have a new rule: For runs into urban areas that we are unfamiliar with, we will go in caravans of at least 2 vehicles that keep in close contact (preferably visual) with one another. That way, if one car runs into trouble, the second car is out of harms way and can seek immediate assistance. We also feel that at this time it is not appropriate to bring anyone under the age of 18 on a Boston run until we know the landscape and dangers better. Last night there was a touchy situation that we are grateful to Maria Lacatus Bromley for defusing. But if she had not been present, the situation could have escalated and resulted in physical harm. We want to keep children out of harms way and ensure that they have positive (not traumatic) experiences. b) Joan and I do not feel that making any sort of solicitation for cash donations is appropriate at the level of organization we are operating at. While we are grateful to the Hingham Community Center (a registered 501c3 nonprofit) for offering us assistance, COPE is not a 501c3 charity. Having a general fund without being an official nonprofit puts any organization into ethically murky territory once someone decides to spend that money without the full approval of the entire group. That’s not to say that we won’t consider growing in that direction- it means that we only accept donations of items and services until we are equipped to manage a general fund in an above reproach manner. If someone wants to give cash, tell them to buy gift cards or Charlie Cards. Those are always appreciated and we can not have too many. 3) Our most exciting realization is our understanding that the time has come to think about setting up a board of directors for COPE to help Joan and myself make ongoing decisions about “smart growth”. We both are amazed at the talent pool that we see in COPE. For this reason, we will have a strategy meeting later this month to talk about what board responsibilities would look like that all interested COPE members are invited to attend. Joan and I will choose a few members to nominate, and we will accept nominations from you guys about who you feel might be a good leader as we move towards a level of organization that can sustain multiple ongoing projects. I also believe we should elect officers and I’d like to nominate Joan Bennett as our first president. Nominations for the roles of Vice president, Secretary, and Treasurer will also be accepted after a thorough explanation of what each role’s responsibilities would be are delineated. At this meeting we will give an estimate of the time commitment each role would require so nominees can decide whether they want to take on the position. In early February we will hold a second meeting where we vote on all nominations. Please take some time reflecting on whether holding office or serving on a future COPE board might be in the cards for you.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 16:27:17 +0000
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