Organizations and Institutions

Something happened during this past week that prompted me to think about the organizations I belong to now and have in the past. Among those are organizations related to education, government, medicine, etc. It occurs to me that there is a lot to “unpack” (as they say, today) about these institutions. I plan to broaden the terms of organization and institution to suit my own definitions. So here goes; who knows – you may learn something about me that you never knew before.

I think my first organization was my family. Mother, father, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles – you understand. My first family of seven (five sisters) started in Colorado. It grew to more than that. Mom had around thirty grand kids, great grand kids, etc. – maybe, more. Three of the sisters had one husband; two sisters had two. That’s fourteen “basic” family members. Two of us are left. There are many more children of children of children. So many names that I don’t even know.

School was my next organization. Elementary, junior high, high school. And, college where I met my late husband of sixty years. My “basic family” added three daughters; one lost her life to a glioblastoma. First, we were five; then, son-in-law made is six; then, eight with two grands. And, now that basic family is six.

Work comes next for organizations and institutions. My work life involved education. That has been teaching in a one-teacher country school, Head Start, elementary grades in public school districts, in a hospital with kids with serious respiratory diagnoses, school director at a state hospital for serious psychiatric diagnoses, and school superintendent in a public school. Each of the experiences was with an organization specifically designed to meet the needs of city or state populations. Each organization had its own culture; when we join an organization, we find ways to work within that culture. Not always an easy job.

Sprinkled in between the experiences I’ve described, I also loved working on library bookmobiles. My first opportunity with bookmobile work was in the city where I attended high school. Between teaching experiences, I worked with three libraries in my area on old bookmobiles and brand-new bookmobiles. That work was so much fun. Moving from one location to another each day and, sometimes, two places in a day, gave me an opportunity to meet a great diversity of book lovers. Libraries were a constant work place for me – high school library; as I said, city library; and, at college, it was the campus library.

Before my last education-related experience, I was pleased to work at a local children’s hospital. As the secretary to the pharmacy. Seventy people worked in that part of the larger organization. Each one could – and did – ask for help. I always felt that I was an integral part of that institution. After all, it’s my belief that an organization runs on the willingness of the office people to keep the gears moving.

Then, my last education organization was as assistant to the chair of the department of pharmacology in the school of medicine – a part of a large university in our state. We called me his secretary because you know, if it walks like a secretary and talks like a secretary – it’s a secretary. And, yes, as the assistant to the chair, even though I had no teaching responsibility, I was, again, in the position of keeping the gears moving. I was, indeed, in the middle of an education institution.

All during this time, I enjoyed being a part of the Rocky Mountain Depression Glass Society. I love depression glass. Its beauty always sparkles, especially under lights or in the sunshine. And, yep, I was secretary to that organization, too.

Now that retirement has been my lot for twenty-three years, new organizations have filled my life. The first I think about is Lions International. Actually, I became a Lion while working as the school super in that small school district. So, it is a kind of carryover from then. I was pleased to serve my last Lions group as the secretary for a while. Now, however, I’ve found it necessary to leave that group of people who work so hard for their community. Service is their joy, and they do a great job.

Because I am a retired educator and a retired state employee, I belong to a retired teachers’ group (my local) and the state/parent organization (Colorado School and Public Employees Retirement Association or CSPERA). The state organization works with the state’s legislature and the Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) to assure that retirement benefits we’ve paid for are properly managed. For some time, I served as the secretary to the state organization, and only resigned that position when my cardiologist strongly recommended that I give up my secretarial positions with four of the six organizations that I held at that time. And, since I believe that when you work with a competent medical person, you act on their strongly worded recommendations. Keeping only the secretarial positions with my Lions club and my local retired teachers group, I reluctantly let the rest of them go.

Larry and I became members of my rock club (the Denver Gem and Mineral Guild-DGMG). I’d wanted to learn enough about rocks and minerals that if I took a walk with my grands, I could pick up a rock and say, “This is an xxxx-rock or mineral.” So, I started by enrolling in and taking half of a class at the local community college with a professor whose classes were, thus. Read the text and answer the quiz for each chapter (and my score on each quiz was 100%); view the overhead screen with information that he read (READ, and didn’t add comments). The syllabus said we would have one of the meetings each week in the “lab.” That never happened. In the ”lab,” there were, indeed, shelves with specimens. But, there was no key to which rocks were to be identified as “what rock.” No teaching was presented. No help with identification. A waste of time for the student.

In time, we were given a mid-term exam. After not being able to understand or answer seventy-five percent of the questions, I handed in my paper and never went back. About then, I heard the late Barbara Sher say, “This is America. There is an organization for everyone. Do you like chimpanzees? There’s an organization for you. Do you like quilting? There is an organization for you. Do you like rocks? There is an organization for you.

In about 2015, I found DGMG on the web with a Google search. The members were open and accepting of our ignorance. A husband and wife team, Joe and Marjie, became our mentors. For a while, I was able to be the club’s secretary.

I always had a good time when I was allowed to provide snacks for a specific month; my preference always was St. Patty’s Day. For a while, I wrote “Trials and Tribulations of a Novice” for the club’s newsletter, Tips & Chips. Then, because I’m a poet, I’ve been pleased to provide a poem each month for the newsletter. I always enjoyed working at the front desk during the club’s annual show and sale. And, I’ve especially enjoyed creating the banquet for that show. But, again, age has entered in and my participation in activities of the DGMG is now very limited.

In July 2017, I became a member of the largest unorganized organization in the world. Certainly, not of my own choosing. My beloved husband died that month. I became a widow (I still hate that word). But, a widow, I am. Widowhood – there are a lot of us in this largest of all organizations. However, we know that life is for the living, so we keep living. And, with family and friends, I know I can survive.

This past week, I was notified that I’ve been honored by DGMG wonderful organization by being awarded a Lifetime Membership status. I am very thankful that they are so kind and appreciate the thoughtfulness of the Lifetime membership. And, still, the only specimens I can identify are amethyst and amazonite.

You may considering the organizations where you belong. I think it will open your eyes and, perhaps, please your heart.
Be Safe and Be Well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are appreciated.