President's Manifesto January 4, 2024
The end of the year is, for me, a time of reflection, and I thought I’d take advantage of this first manifesto in my “official” presidential capacity to share my musings about HCCO’s past year and what lies ahead.
As many are aware, 2023 saw a continuing return to normalcy for our group, including resumption of more in person events, positive HCCO presence at Pride and Comfest, and positive membership gain. While we are not yet back to prepandemic participation and attendance levels, we are headed in the right direction!
We also saw some changes on the board after our 2023 election. Randall, one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met, decided to step away from board duties. He was kind enough to provide a list of all the things he regularly does for HCCO so we on the board could ensure that all the things he had been doing with such grace and competency would continue to be done. I think it is telling that it is going to take TWO board members (thank you Bob and Ben W) to adequately fill his role. Randall, we probably never said this enough, but thank you for all the work you have done over the years for HCCO. You are just as instrumental as Carl in the current success of this community.
And speaking of Carl, he is finishing out his term as a regular board member after having stepped back from the presidency. I consider myself very fortunate to have him available as president emeritus to mentor me while I learn how to lead this group. As I said at our Solstice dinner, I don’t think any of us realized how much work he has done over the years to keep HCCO viable. Carl, I said it at Solstice and I will say it again: thank you.
We also have a new board member. Ben W has been an active event host for years for HCCO, and I am grateful he has decided to join the board. He is already stepping up to write a monthly article for our newsletter and share some of Randall’s duties with Bob.
Looking ahead, what could 2024 bring? It is my hope that we will continue, as Ben I said during his Solstice speech, to be a light of reason, compassion, and acceptance in what sometimes seems to be a dark and dangerous world. It is my hope that we will continue to participate in events like Pride to support people who might be marginalized, that we will continue to advocate for fair and equitable legislation and voting rights, and that we will continue to look for the best in ourselves and the people around us. Finally, it is my hope that our lived examples will inspire others to live their best lives.
I am humbled by the trust you have placed in me to lead this organization. I doubt I can ever fill the shoes of those who have gone before, but I will work with my colleagues and all of you in the community to continue our growth and financial stability.