HOWARD BANKHEAD
Blog: March 2012
One of the most important things we have to do as a nation is developing young minds and character.
Having the correct and/or best board members and/or team and staff is the most important part of operating a business….both non-profit and for profit.
From my experience recruiting staff and/or board members, being a good judge of character is essential.
In the NIV Bible Luke 11:39, Jesus said they clean the outside of the cup and dish, but leave the inside of the cup unclean. I interpret this bible verse as some people look good on the outside, i.e., they may dress well, drive a fancy vehicle, live in a nice big house and master the King’s English, but on the inside, they are unclean with greed and wickedness.
There is nothing wrong with having the best of things, God want us to have the best of things, but God wants our insides to be about Him.
From my training with The First Tee, the United States Golf Association (USGA), the Alabama State Council on the Arts and other non-profit community service organizations and agencies, four important elements in achieving success in operating a business/organization are: {1} Organized board {2} Strong staff {3} Leadership– both titled and untitled {4} A champion–a person that is totally dedicated to the development of youth.
Everybody that is part of an organization should be dedicated first to the mission of serving the youth/participants. But from my experience–and some readers will understand where I am coming from–everybody that is part of the organization, from the board members to volunteers, is involved for various reasons.
Some are involved and serve for notoriety; some for money; some to have access to the benefits of being part of a good program/brand name, and other reasons.
But you will not know what is on the inside of a person until it is time for the commitment.
I pray that all of your board members, staff, parents and participants are truly committed to your mission/vision and purpose of your business/church/school, etc.
When I first started building my organization structure, I was only able to see the outside of the cup/dish of my board members. Yes everybody is expendable; if they do not show the commitment to the mission they can be replaced. They may write a check to fulfill their pledge and others may have to raise money to fulfill their pledge to serve. However, along with fulfilling their individual pledges the key to commitment is to be an advocate for the organization and encourage others to give and match their pledge.
I have learned two major things:
(1) One must not operate a business from their heart, but from their head. The heart is the mission and the head is money/business.
I started my youth service programs, both the jazz education programs and the youth golf development program from my heart. With my heart, I operated with little or no money. My compassion for the youth made me move on straight faith. But I was convinced that my work would show itself to be approved and the money would come, but it never did.
But if we had implemented the business model that the organization had developed, we would have raised money. This is where I counted on the leadership of the board, but apparently I was naïve. I was impressed with the outside of the people I trusted and not knowing their inside.
(2) One cannot carry out a mission before its time. Even though the services offered (with me it was junior golf development for underserved kids) to the youth have been needed for decades.
If the community/youth and families you aim to serve are not prepared and familiar with what you have to offer them you will have problems. This is where the 3-5-10 mentoring initiative is needed. Because of family structure and historical norms, the target that I was trying to reach was not there. I was ahead of my time.
In other words, you may have to build the target; you will have to educate the youth and families of the value of youth golf development. Yes, we had a good number of participants from the start, but because of attrition due to various factors/interest, any program is guaranteed to lose a number of participants. And, if individuals and the business community that you are counting on to support your mission do not understand your cause, you will have big problems.
I am writing this because I don’t want any other person or organization to go through what we went though and are still going though. Ultimately, me having the vision and being the founder of the programs, I take blame for any shortcomings.
Mark 9:35-37 NIV 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be very last, and the servant of all.” 36He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
In 2002 when I first started reading the bible and read this verse in the same year God blessed me to start the Tennessee Valley Youth Golf Development program, I knew I was on the right path! But I believe and know that God will forgive, restore and build!
Let me know your thoughts on this. Send me a message with your comments on my Youth Development Blog.
Howard Bankhead
Executive Director
Tennessee Valley Youth Golf Development
604 Jordan Lane
Huntsville, AL 35816 USA
256-604-8172
