LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth

CAMP Matters

All eyes are on the upcoming presidential election, and the question of who will lead us through the coming years is on everyone's mind. There is no question that this is a crucial election and one that will have vast consequences for America and our role in the world around us. Good leaders, wise leaders, are always needed, but will be especially vital as we try to find our way out of the wars and the financial mess that has tangled the people of this country into anxious knots.

Good leaders are needed at more than just the Presidential level: in all forms of government, both state and local, in business, in schools, in churches, in hospitals, and in organizations of all kindsfrom sports teams to civic groups. Defining what makes a "good leader" is not always an easy thing to do because there are many ways to lead, many styles of leadership.

Sometimes leaders are simply born leaders, and their natural charisma makes it impossible for them to be seen as anything else. That doesn't make them instinctively good leaders, though, and natural ability and wise judgment must still be mentored. Some people lead with great bravurain bold colors and wide strokes. Others are more "behind the scenes" working quietly to build partnerships and coalitions. Most leaders grow their way into their respective positions, learning as they go and building on experience and education and the respect of the people they are leading.

Eighteen years ago when we first founded CAMP Rehoboth, I was of the nave opinion that we could start the organization and then let someone else handle the day-to-day work of leading it. That didn't last long, though, and I learned early on that creation is only the first step of the creative process; taking care of itas every parent knowsis the hard part.

I don't think, in the beginning, I ever intended to play a leadership role in CAMP Rehoboth, but here I am. Looking back over the almost two decades we've been here, has given me a better perspective, and certainly a more humble one, on what makes us better leaders. Four things come to mind, though I'll be the first to admit that I still have a long way to go toward living up to them.

Talk About Mistakes

Politics being what they are, especially in these days of instant sound bites and distorted advertising, major candidates are hesitant to be recorded talking about the mistakes they've made in their lives and in their careers. The truth is, however, that people learn the most from their mistakes. Understanding one's failures is the first step on the road to success. A person who has rapidly learned from his or her mistakes is less likely to make that same mistake or others like them, again. Instead of always touting success, perhaps we learn more about each other from the way we have handled mistakes and failures.

Know Your Weaknesses

No one particularly likes to talk about the things we are not good at doing, but knowing what they are, is essential to creating balance in one's life. For leaders and organizations, knowing where the weaknesses lie, is the only way to correct them. Surrounding ourselves with only those with whom we agree, feels goodat least until the fairytale endsbut only multiplies the weakness even as we are blinded by it.

Listen to All Sides

Back when we started CAMP Rehoboth we were confident and probably arrogant in our self-righteous activism. Quickly we learned that nothing was ever as simple or one-dimensional as it first appeared. In one of those early years, I remember writing a blistering response in Letters to an incident that had occurred in a local eatery, only to discover that my information was wrong because I got it from only one of the participants. I apologized and (talk about mistakes!) learned that no matter how clear-cut the answer seems, there is always a different perspective. Listening to those we dislike or disagree with is hard, but they are often the ones who challenge us to grow the most.

Make Wise Choices

If I could figure a surefire way to always make wise choices I'd be a rich man, right? Every individual, every household, every business, every government, and certainly every leader is faced with difficult choices at every turn of the road. Sometimes the outcome of our choices can only be known long after it's far too late to change them. Difficult choices can paralyze usfreeze us like animals caught in a bright beam of light. Sometimes paralysis becomes our choice and we simply do nothing instead of taking action or making a scene. Education and experience certainly help to make wise decisions, but it also takes heart, and courage, and a willingness to do all the other things I just mentionedtalk about mistakes, understand weaknesses, listen to all sides.

For an organization like CAMP Rehoboth, creating leadership for the future is vital to our continued success. By the end of this year, we will be well into a process of expanding the opportunities for leadership roles in the life and the work of CAMP Rehoboth. Part of it is a need to be able to handle the changes that come from having responsibility for larger and more complicated buildings and grounds. Part of it is my strong belief that we must engage new people and new talents at every level of our operation if we are to continue to create a successful and relevant "home for all."

Murray Archibald, Founder and President of the Board of Directors of CAMP Rehoboth, is an artist in Rehoboth Beach.

Thank you to all the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center Volunteers for the period of September 11-October 9. Tony Burns Chuck Flanagan Tony Ghigi Spencer Kingswell Charlie Lee Pierrot Logan Anthony Perkins Barb Ralph Ken Reilly Chris Sampson Guillermo Silveira Rich Snell George Whitehouse

Matt Carey Ward Ellinger Rob Freeman Tony Ghigi Steve Hoult Anne Mundel Bud Palmer Ken Reilly Tom White

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 14 October 10, 2008