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Club Corner

When espresso doesn't do the trick, try a 'shot' of Peer Group wisdom. Heritage Clubs features a new club director every month in our Club Corner. From successes to challenges, we can all learn from one another's experiences.

DECEMBER 2011:

Sandy – There are several memorable experiences.  One of course never forgets when a blizzard uninvitingly gets your motorcoach home 4 hours later than expected, by police escort none the less!  But a memory that continues to touch my heart every time I share it was on a trip back from Branson.   It was a Sunday morning and we decided to try out the ‘Pay It Forward’ philosophy with our travelers.  In handing out envelopes to them all we shared our idea to simply stop by a random church along the way and make a free-will offering as we were unable to attend a Sunday service ourselves.  Upon meeting the pastor and giving him our donations as I explained what we were doing he was left speechless.  Minutes later the pastor and a few members of the congregation boarded our coach, guitar and all, leading us in hymns and sharing a scripture reading with us.  Unforgettable!

Ann -  As a diehard Hawkeyes fan it does not go unnoticed that every trip we have taken to see a game they have won every time!  That is pretty memorable for me!

Becky – Our club took a Mystery Trip to Bayfield, WI and everyone said it was the “Cadillac of all trips.”  Our members commented on how they enjoyed the laid back experience going to both Madeline and the Apostle Islands.  It was nice to receive so many nice compliments as you never know when it is a Mystery Trip.

Sandy – For me, I find it can be challenging to plan experiences that will be intriguing for both men and women.

Ann – For me, I find it challenging in finding a happy medium when you have different travel abilities on a trip (ie. some are more ‘able’ than others when it comes to walking distances, etc).

Becky – For me, keeping our experiences affordable!

All agreed that attending the annual conference gives them great ideas for how to overcome these above-mentioned challenges!

Sandy, Ann and Becky all agree on the following advice for directors new and veteran:

**Have lots of patience.

**Listen to your members for what they want to do.

**Don’t let them see you sweat!  Be confident!

In addition, we (FreedomClub Directors) have a great advantage with our network of 3 directors.  However, if you are a sole-director it is invaluable for you to utilize the experience and friendship of the HCI Peer network.  Reach out to other directors!  Also, a reminder to think locally.  Often there is so much to do right in your local communities and you can get creative!  We have the opportunity to pull from 3 communities since our bank merged.  Don’t forget to take advantage of that if you have multiple communities that you impact. 

Sandy – We all benefit greatly from working with other Heritage Clubs directors.  Attending Peer Group and being able to ask questions and share ideas is priceless.  Network, Network, Network!   We also have all benefited from the Open Mic on the Web site.   There have been some great idea exchanges online.

Ann – We all shared a room together in Dubuque.  We had such a great time and laughed a lot.  We don’t get that kind of opportunity very often so it was really nice.  Amy C was also our ‘neighbor’ so we had fun with that too!  She can attest to the late night giggling!  We really enjoyed the Dubuque conference.

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