Ask me how my graduate class is going- IUPUI- Lilly School of Philanthropy and I may say: great I love the reading, I'm learning. I may say- it is so hard referring to the on-line platform, the return to deep reading and analysis AND teamwork with three people I do not know, have never met beyond the cyber world. I admire them, respect them, need them and appreciate their perspective. However, overall it really is fascinating and I am loving the learning. I value digging deeper into a cross-discipline academic approach to something I care deeply about and want to know more about: philanthropy!
I learned a new word and concept: Meliorism! It is the blend of pessimism and optimism or the middle place: page 122 of Payton and Moody's Text (Understanding Philanthropy 2008). The word hope is connected to this concept! “James saw meliorism as hopeful but more realistic perspective than optimism or pessimism. “Page 125 goes further with hope to says “The belief that things can be made “better” suggests a bias toward hope, a disinclination to despair. The meliorist reasons that some things are probably acceptable as they are but could be improved, that many things that go wrong and appear to be out of control could be prevented, and certainly that most things that go wrong can be “ameliorated” through philanthropy. But while hopeful, the meliorist is a realist." As I learn how the government, private sector and, nonprofit world intersect, support, engage and blur I'm in awe and loving learning!
And philanthropy is what gives me hope so I declare myself a Meliorist. This approach can be hard in today's crazy world but I am hopeful. I believe in these next generations coming behind my own- they are smart, flexible, committed, creative, hardworking and caring. I get to see it with my friend's children, my own children, their friends, and the Denison students and young alums of today! I get to see it with the progress organizations I am engaged with are making- Rotary is today's example. Last night we had a great event to raise funds for the good work Newark Rotary does in our local community. The Rotary Park at OSU was and is an important, accessible playground. Camp Enterprise provides real life coaching and learning about running a business and carries on a commitment to our teens of yesterday, today and tomorrow with scholarships and networking. I'm proud of what Rotary International supports around the world. It was a great night relaunching friend/fundraising and applying what I learned at The Works when executing events and obtaining Ohio liquor license. Best lesson- Team Works Makes the Dream Work! Here is the team, minus one important member!!
I am also learning about our village. In my life on Newark-Granville Road I serve on the Granville Chamber of Commerce and am proud of work to support commerce- current and future business in our beautiful village. We're more active this year with Economic Development. This means working with our village council and governance. I need to understand more. I believe we can do better and I'm sharing this by asking questions to understand how I can help. I need to understand and learn about financing and how decisions are made. I read the Village's 2012 Comprehensive Plan and 2019 Annual Report to prepare for the Village Council Retreat I attended. I have posted out there before we need to get more people involved and attending meetings. Granville Township is an active player in all of this. Join me in learning, help me learn- it does take a village!
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