Running for Jaycee Office is a Step to a Career

As written in the LOM President's Column of the Volume II Issue 9, August 2003 issue of The General-the LOM's Official Publication

Running for Jaycee Office is a Step to a Career

By: 2003 LOM President Ellie Acuesta, Jr

In my past columns, I often emphasized the importance of knowing your organization before committing to its programs and activities. In the Jaycees, it is highly recommended that we should not just memorize the tenets of our Jaycee Creed but to put the meaning of these in our hearts. In doing so, no matter what happens, the Jaycee spirit will always be in us even we’re no longer a part of the organization.

Being a LOM officer is not an easy task. It requires more than just understanding of our organization. It is a must that he values Jayceeism as a career – not just a pastime. An officer of the LOM is expected to train leaders who are in turn expected to take the cudgels in training other future leaders. That idealism of the youth must be harnessed to transform our dreams and visions into reality. This means that there must be a unified and conscientious effort towards at achieving a set goal.

The Jaycees believe in “learning by doing”. It is then very crucial that we value the big difference of “doing it right the first time”. Gone were the days when we just say, “I’ll cross the bridge when I get there”. Rather, knowing first what’s across the bridge is becoming imperative. More so in these trying times. We have our own formula. We sacrifice painstakingly in following it. After all, running for Jaycee office is a step to a career – not a mere circus.

Are we ready for the elections?

Changing of Organizational Culture

as published in The General-The LOMs official publication Volume II Issue 9 Aug. 2003

Opinion:

Changing of Organizational Culture: A Challenge to the New Leadership

by: LOM President Ellie Acuesta, Jr.- PP Ellie is the Charter President of The General Santos "Twin Star" Junior Jaycees & the 2003 Lom President (March-Sept) of the JCI General Santos "Twin Star".

Culture is defined as the entire range of customs, beliefs, social forms and material traits of a religious, social or racial group. Organizational culture therefore mirrors what we are as an organization - a vivid description of our LOM in the Jaycees mirror.

What is considered as the only thing permanent in this world is CHANGE. As the saying goes, “Change before change will change you”. Truly, the primary purpose of change is for the betterment or an enhancement of what’s already in place. Leaders and would-be founders of an organization regardless of its size should learn how to conceptualize the type of culture it wants to adopt and develop in the organization. Policies and procedures (policy manual in our case) therefore should be tailored-fit towards that culture.

Public Relations vis-à-vis Fund Raising Campaigns

We have to admit that public relations has a parallel magnitude with any fund raising project when we talk of goodwill created and promoting the Jaycees as credible, responsible and stable organization. For example, how can our sales force sell raffle tickets when the previous year’s winners have not received their prizes yet? Whatever the underlying cause of the problems may be, be it internal friction or otherwise, it should not outweigh the interest of the organization. The name and integrity of the organization must always be of paramount consideration in any official Jaycee act that we do in its behalf.

The Rise and Fall of LOMs

Local Organization Members or LOMs do experience having a rollercoaster ride in terms of membership growth, stability, and the like. But let us not take these circumstances as mere part of history but rather as real-life organizational survival lessons. The organizational status of LOMs in the countryside reflects that of the national leadership. We have to be brave in admitting that there is indeed a crisis in our midst. We ourselves are short of leaders not because we fail to sustain the manpower requirement of the LOM but we fail to recognize potential leaders who are completely equipped with the right attitudes and outlook towards their duties and responsibilities. Blame it on our ailing economy, but that would just be too easy a scapegoat. Let us dig deeper.

The turnover of administration is sometimes most disturbing. There are a lot of good and able leaders yet too hesitant to run because of the tremendous expenses involved once they are sworn into office and running it. If this is happening to your LOM, then you’re not alone in saying that there’s something wrong. What could be its cause? I believe, it is rooted in our culture. The LOMs who have enough fund is not so susceptible with this so long as transparency is in place. But for those who have insufficient fund, the officer (in most cases the President if he allows himself to) becomes the shock absorber of funds deficit the LOM entails. LOM elections comes, no one would run. But if there’s fund, it’s the other way around.

Other issues that beset LOM downfalls are also rooted in politics. For some LOMs, the political conflict of the elders is being passed on to the present generation. The losers in the election just simply slip away and form their own new LOM. Others are just too personal to tackle but still, the bottom line is our organizational culture.

Any Remedial Measures?

There is. The leaders should first and foremost see to it that they truly believe in Jayceeism, and have this belief and commitment transferred on to all members to the lowest level (Jaycee family – baby, Jaycee belles, Jaycee kids/teens, Jr. Jaycees, etc.). The policies and procedures should be clear. Most importantly, the financial matters should be transparent. Prior to election time, the members of the incumbent Board should hold a candidates forum where from the questions raised, the voting members could know the extent of understanding these candidates have about the organization. From there, the platforms could be assessed.

We are disheartened to know that there were maiden projects that were shelved or put on hold due to lack of funding. With our vast networking (Jaycees is worldwide, remember), it is best recommended that we have twinning with other LOMs preferably in the first world countries. There are wide arrays of foundations found in the Internet. They too are potential sponsors to our projects.

Finally, it has to be emphasized that the Jaycees is just a catalyst for change. That way, we just channel the available resources to where it is needed most. We are not supposed to spend our own money, but the money of the moneyed people in our community. Most of all, we should do projects as a team. Maximum participation of the beneficiary community is also desired. We are leaders and therefore we must be vanguards of our communities. We are not politicians so we don’t encourage politicians to play around with us. This is our culture.

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Tell me...

The Jaycee Prophet


One fine day, as I as wandering in the fields, the skies took on a peculiar coppery hue as small clouds of dusts kept rising above the swells and ridges that marked the horizon. As I watch this curious display of color and formation, I suddenly saw a funnel-shaped cloud separate itself from the dusty mass and in its own volition moved rapidly in my direction. It came so close that I was momentarily obscured by the image of a prophet that had frequently appeared in my dreams.

He told me that he came to reveal to me certain things about life.

“Tell me about integrity,” I asked.

“He is a proud eagle ho soars higher than any bird. He is swift, and has huge talons by which he crushes smaller birds that he despises because of their weakness. He abhors darkness, and enjoys gliding in a sunlit-filled morning. He is known and envied for his soaring flights. His eyes are very sharp, and he easily reaches his destination with a single flap of his powerful wings. He has a reputation for indomitable determination, decisiveness, strength and fortitude.

“Tell me about credibility.”

“He is a lion. His roar is a commandment by which others bow and yield to. He has a very imposing image and personality, and is reputedly known for his sublime courage, wisdom, and fairness.”

“Tell me about legitimacy.”

“He is a winged lion, a jealous and vicious beast. He, just like the Cerberus in mythology, is a ruthless guardian of the all illuminating light, naked truth, and moral authority. He is night-blind and hates slithering serpents. He enjoys going out everyday to witness the captivating radiance of a rising sun.”

“Why are you telling me all these things, my Prophet?”

“Verily I say unto you, happy are these animals for they have virtues men thought to have possessed. These beasts truly understand these virtues because they live them. They are in their fiery breath, in all their deliberate and well-thought of actions.”

“Life is indeed full of contradictions. Virtues which are supposed to be the very essence of man becomes a rare quality already found in animals.”

“I will be coming back to tell you more about life - and the propensities of man.”

“Read a very enlightening tale of a man dictated by his own creation – his vanity.”

“The title of the tale is “The Emperor and His New Clothes.”

“Until then, my Son.”