November 28, 2009

Inspiration is found around every corner. I need to follow up with Jim Ewing (Devon) and gauge his interest in supporting Friday Harbour.

During this month, I have brought on two Shell supporters, Deborah Neville and Pam Davis. They both have reached a point in their lives where they want to give back to the community. They just needed to find that one thing that they could believe in and I believe that is FH. Debbie will get us organized and develop a deeper understanding of the Grants world. Pam has agreed to assist in some of these efforts until she finds that “thing” to make a difference in.

Priority one is Committee Assignments. Next is Grants. Third is Events-Fundraisers.

Action: I need to get an officers meeting together and set some goals with deadlines.

October 18, 2009

Committees

Burzynski Clinic: The call came in on Monday October 12^th. It was a very busy day, and it was about to get busier. Catherine says she got our name from Tonia Sperry, and old friend of mine, and Pete at Coffee Groundz. I quickly remembered how this was possible. I had recently ran into Tonia at a Houston Energy HH at Block 7. We caught up on old times, and like always, I took the time to give her a birds eye view of Friday Harbour and what we hoped to accomplish here in Houston. I remember having the ear of several HH folks…but the energy we were talking about had nothing to do with the major oil companies that most of us represented. The conversation was all about the energy that comes from applying a solution to a real problem. A problem that most of us know all too well. Well, back to Catherine. She quickly dove into an emotional story of a young mother and her 8 year old son who has a form of brain cancer that has left him with one final ray of hope. The Burzynski Clinic here in Houston has made some waves through its unique way of treating brain tumors and other cancers like it. I’m told that little Brandon’s mother Renita Caldwell has sold everything they had back in Detroit, and have made yet another journey to Houston for what could be the final treatment in Brandon’s fight for a cure. To endure the tests, treatment and more tests, this family of two must prepare to spend the next few weeks in Houston. With no money in hand, and even less hope, they along with Catherine from the clinic tried every last effort to find a place to lay their head down, when all they really want to do is hold their head up.

Well, between Friday Harbour, a kind and hard-working group of friends back in Detroit, and an outstanding and generous Burzynski Clinic worker, Brandon and Renita have a place to lay their heads for at least the next 10 days. Now, lets hope the treatments at the Burzynski Clinic does it’s part.

September 27, 2009

This past week was filled with chasing down the “many” action items that have become Friday Harbour.

Strategy: There is special need for this charity to go to the next level. Plans were made to sit with Brian Truax to draft a formal business plan and strategy. The focus of this activity will be to put meat around the financial goals, board strategy, committees and overall theme.

The twestival  held by Caroline Collective on Sunday  the 13^th proved to be yet another example of how Friday Harbour needs to place a people strategy around getting key FH people to attend, meet and greet, and share our story with as many folks as possible. This type of “easy” sell will begin to drive our behaviors toward securing a dynamic group of followers to pick our future talent from.

Commitees: There is a strong and specific need for this charity to form key committees quickly. These committees should handle the top priorities for FH. Examples of these committees would be: Financial, Events, Fundraising, Volunteer, Social Work, Lodging etc. We have some key people already involved in FH that could fold themselves into heading up such committees. Its time for the leadership of FH make those connections formal.

City Of Houston: Although we have a board member from the City Of Houston, I think it would be key to have additional involvement from this group, as this will help bring ground level expertise and access to a group that will lean and learn from as time passes. Greg Harrington has been extremely helpful in our pursuit of these contacts.

Board Member Candidates: It’s no doubt that a healthy board will make all the difference in our long-term endeavors. We continue to put FH out there in every circle possible to help us drive interest in others who have proven themselves in their support, commitment and knowledge of the charitable community.  Specifically, we are looking for leaders in the areas of Business, Financial Planning, Real Estate, Lodging, Government, Sports and Transportation.

NetSquared: Prior to the end of 2009, FH should schedule time with the folks from NetSquared and spend some time providing feedback on our NS experience. I believe this time together could prove beneficial to both organizations. We could respond to the many comments and suggestion received during our presentation. We could also follow up on the interests shared by some of the folks in attendance. FH would also provide thoughts on the format and execution of the NS event itself.  

Congressional Black Caucus: Wow! Let me say that again. Wow! Through the generosity of Shell Oil Company, I was able to attend and benefit from a wonderful experience in our nations capital. This event, in its 39^th year, has proven to be a great thinkin ground

Friday on Sunday…The Un-official blog of Friday Harbour

August 30, 2009
Last week was a great week for our Friday Harbour charity.
Fundraiser: We held our first fundraiser which netted the charity over $1500 in proceeds. We held a Foosball Tournament at SRO Sports Bar and Grill in the nearly defunct Northwest mall off highway 290. Our dear friend Will Wilkinson took the reigns and put together a great duel-bracketed tournament. The tables were set, the teams were paired, the drinks were pouring and the fun began. In the end, everyone in attendance showcased their skills in table soccer, while celebrating the fact that their participation will result in a comfortable night of sleep for some very important people. SRO Sports Bar was the perfect host for the event. Our waiter, Steve Schorr donated ½ of his tips back to Friday Harbour, as did the winners of the tournament Will and Wendy Wilkinson. I can’t think of a better way to start out our journey.
Next Up: Our dear friend Cathy Clark has darn there singlehandedly placed “Live It Big Festival” on the map. This event was born out of sadness, but has quickly grown into a Celebration of Life. The street type festival is set to occur on Sunday September 6th on the Washington Avenue corridor. Several popular establishments such as Reign, The Lot, The Drinkery and Pearl Bar will play host to hundreds of revelers as they celebrate the lives of the close friends or family members too soon in their lives. The event activities will be only open to those with pre-purchased wristbands. And the proceeds of Live It Big go to Friday Harbour.

Coming soon…”Friday on Sunday”. The un-official Blog of Friday Harbour.

Be sure to check us out on our Facebook page and on Twitter, www.twitter/FridayHarbour

Brian