As we wrap up another year, it’s a good occasion to reflect back on meaningful events and accomplishments of the past 12 months. I’ve often likened NAI to a tree, comparing our efforts to prosper this organization as the kind of work that goes into nurturing a tree—you have to take the long view of decades or more to envision the eventual height and shape of the tree. Yet even ancient trees have annual growth rings and growth increments that help tell the story of the life of that tree and the environment it grew in. So if NAI was a tree, what would this year’s growth look like?
First off, I’d suspect the growth ring for 2009 might be relatively narrow. This was a harsh year for organizations of all sorts, including non-profits. Resources were scarce, opportunities for growth were limited. In particular, the prolonged fiscal drought created additional stress on our NAI tree.
But stress can have some beneficial effects as well. Some trees tend to extend their root systems to become efficient at finding water. They use water more efficiently, sometimes dropping some leaves or reducing growth. NAI responded in a similar way, exploring new ways to generate earned revenue and looking for ways to use existing resources in new, more efficient ways. In NAI the national office is the trunk that supports the regions and sections that are the limbs and branches of the organization tree. We’ve seen some sections and regions shrink or grow in the past year, and that may ultimately affect the shape and branching pattern of our tree.
As a woodworker, I’ve learned that those lean years where the rings are close together create the strongest wood with the most interesting grain. I expect that will probably be the case with NAI—that coming out of this year will make us stronger, and perhaps even more interesting from an outside perspective.
I hope that wherever you are, you had a chance to grow a little this year; that you get to rest a bit during the upcoming winter months, and that a glorious spring awaits you.
Happy New Year
- Jim Covel
One Response
December 29th, 2009 at 8:55 am
May our roots grow strong and our branches grow long … Happy New Year wishes to Jim, the NAI Board, the NAI Staff, and all our members around the world.
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