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  • Lori Pattison

Am I A Vincentian?
Am I A Vincentian? 1198 1198 Lori Pattison

From Mike Syslo, Past Chair – National Governance Committee

Am I A Vincentian?

 In June 2008, I attended the Western Region Meeting in Boise, Idaho.  I was not alone.  There were 225 other Vincentians along with me.  During the time I spent there, I met with many Vincentians and discussed a wide variety of topics.  I also put on a workshop and facilitated two open forums where anything and everything could be discussed.  One theme came up over and over again in those discussions.  This is also a theme which is continually asked today as well.  How do you get the Conferences and the members to adhere to or comply with the Rule?

This is a tough question.  And it requires a tough answer.  People, in general, have mixed feelings when it comes to rules and regulations.  They usually will admit to the value of them.  They usually will admit to the need for them.  And they normally agree that compliance is necessary; that is, until they want to do something that does not really correspond to the rules.  Then it becomes harsh and too restrictive.  They did not join the Society to follow the rules.  They joined the Society to do some good and do not want to be bogged down with meaningless dos and don’ts.  We hear this stuff all the time!  I can go into a long, drawn-out dissertation on why rules and regulations are important, but that will get us nowhere.  I can take a military point of view and say that if one soldier steps out of line the war will be lost.  Nobody is going to buy that.  I can talk about unity of thought and action, but that cup only holds a limited amount of water.

It truly boils down to one thing.  Ask yourself one question:  Am I a Vincentian?  To be a Vincentian you have to make a commitment.  Here is where the rub comes in.  Commitment!  Being a Vincentian calls for a number of things to be accepted and come into play.  Being a Vincentian means accepting who we are, what we are about, what we do, and how we do it.  Being a Vincentian means more than helping people in need.  It means growing in holiness, striving to grow closer to God.  It means growing closer to our fellow Vincentians.  It means serving God through serving those in need.  It means a blend of all of the above.

A number of years ago, when searching for the answer to a question, I was referred to John Simmons, former National President of the Society, the guru.  If you wanted to know anything about the Society, he was the man to go to.  John said that if you call yourself a Vincentian, you want to meet as often as possible with your fellow Vincentians, you want to learn about the Society, you want to understand what this is all about, and you want to help it grow.  It is that simple.

If I want to do my own thing, follow my own rules or no rules at all, I can start my own special work or organization.  Then all I have to do is get other people who want to join me to follow my rules.  I am a Vincentian.  I am committed to who we are, what we do and the way we do it.  Complying with the Rule not only makes sense, but it is also something I want to do.

  • Lori Pattison

10-17-24 Weekly Questions & Answers
10-17-24 Weekly Questions & Answers 1200 628 Lori Pattison

Q:  When does a newly elected Conference President formally take office?

A:  According to the bylaws for Conferences (approved by the National Council), a President’s term is from October 1st through September 30th three years later.  If the newly elected President takes office at any other time, the first year of office is a short one (still ending on September 30) and then the President serves an additional two years.  When the President actually takes office is normally determined at the time of the election.  The office of President should be vacant for as short a period as possible.

Q: How are international disaster declarations handled and who issues them?

A: The President General (international) usually issues a worldwide circular appealing for funds/donations for national disasters and requests such funds/donations be sent to the Council General in Paris for management and distribution of the funds to stricken countries.  The Council General in turn communicates with the National Council of the stricken countries and also works with the International Territorial Vice-President and the Coordinator in the areas concerned.  In this way there is proper communication and process for accountability of the funds sent.

P: ¿Cuándo asume formalmente el cargo el Presidente de la Conferencia recién elegido?

R: De acuerdo con los Estatutos de las Conferencias (aprobados por el Consejo Nacional), el mandato de un Presidente es del 1 de octubre al 30 de septiembre tres años después.  Si el Presidente recién elegido asume el cargo en cualquier otro momento, el primer año del cargo es corto (termina el 30 de septiembre) y luego el Presidente sirve dos años adicionales.  El momento en que el Presidente asume el cargo normalmente se determina en el momento de la elección.  El cargo de Presidente debe estar vacante por el menor tiempo posible.

P: ¿Cómo operan las declaraciones internacionales de desastre y quién las emite?

R: El Presidente General (internacional) suele emitir una circular mundial en la que solicita fondos/donaciones para desastres nacionales y solicita que dichos fondos/donaciones se envíen al Consejo General en París para la gestión y distribución de los fondos a los países afectados.  A su vez, el Consejo General se comunica con el Consejo Nacional de los países afectados y también trabaja con el Vicepresidente Territorial Internacional y el Coordinador en las áreas afectadas.  De esta manera, existe una comunicación y un proceso adecuados para la rendición de cuentas de los fondos enviados.

  • Lori Pattison

10-10-24 Weekly Questions & Answers
10-10-24 Weekly Questions & Answers 1200 628 Lori Pattison

Q: Our Conference had a meeting with our Pastor.  He wants statistics related to our neighbors as to their origin.  Can you give me a diplomatic explanation as to why we cannot do that?

A: It is very simple.  We do not track that type of information.  Our Rule (Part I, Article 1.4) specifically prohibits us from any type of discrimination in giving assistance, so we don’t track anything that might lead to that.

Q:  How do Council leaders report their mileage if they pay out of pocket airfare?

A: Mileage reporting on the annual report means driving mileage.  Mileage should reflect only the amount actually driven in a vehicle. 

P: Nuestra Conferencia tuvo una reunión con nuestro Párroco.  Él quiere estadísticas relacionadas con nuestros prójimos en necesidad en cuanto a su origen.  ¿Puede darme una explicación diplomática de por qué no podemos hacer eso?

R: Es muy sencillo.  No pedimos ese tipo de información.  Nuestra Regla (Parte I, Artículo 1.4) nos prohíbe específicamente cualquier tipo de discriminación en la prestación de asistencia, por lo que no buscamos nada que pueda conducir a eso.

P: ¿Cómo informan los líderes del Consejo la cantidad de sus millas si pagan el pasaje aéreo de su bolsillo?

R: El informe de kilometraje en el informe anual significa el kilometraje de conducción.  El kilometraje debe reflejar solo la cantidad realmente conducida en un vehículo.

  • Lori Pattison

Servant Leadership
Servant Leadership 1198 1198 Lori Pattison

From Joe Riley, Phoenix Council Board Member – (Excerpted from Vincentian Life: Conference)

 

Servant Leadership

Within the Rule of the Society, Servant Leadership is identified as a scripture-based method of leadership which all Vincentians aspire to practice.  The following quotes are from the Rule.

Rule: Part 1, 3.11:  Following Christ’s example, the Presidents at all levels of the Society endeavor to be servant leaders.  They provide an encouraging atmosphere in which the talents, capacities and spiritual charism of the members are identified, developed and put to the service of the poor and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.  The President of the Conference or Council will have special responsibility for promoting Vincentian spirituality.

Rule: Part 3, Statute 11:  Leadership positions in the Society, at any level, are always to be accepted as service to Christ, the members and the poor.  Servant leadership is done in imitation of Jesus who said: “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and give his life as a ransom for many.”

The passage below is an excerpt from the Newsletter of the Australian National Council by Livia Carusi and Jenny Papps.  The article is entitled “Vincentian Leadership – Is There Such a Thing?”

“You say you experience great difficulty in the mission.  Alas! Monsieur, there is no lot in life where there is nothing to be endured.” (St. Vincent de Paul)

 It is believed that Vincent de Paul wrote over 30,000 letters during his life.  For Vincentians, his letters provide a small window into his character, his courage, his struggles and achievements over a lifetime of service and leadership which was marked with great personal transformation as well as a steadfast vision for mission, charity, justice, spirituality and servant leadership.

 Fast forward a couple of hundred years, and a young Frenchman, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, and his companions, with the guidance of a Daughter of Charity, Blessed Rosalie Rendu, made a conscious and heartfelt decision to name our organization in honor of Vincent de Paul.  This decision, we suspect, would not have been taken lightly, and in choosing the name “Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” they too would have understood the very essence of the man, his vision for the world and also the magnitude of his legacy. 

 Like other community organizations doing “good works,” the St. Vincent de Paul Society has its own unique DNA, of which our leadership model is a large part.

 So, what makes our DNA unique?

 Briefly, it is our founding story, which no other organization can claim.

 It is our place within the broader Vincentian family; our model of assisting people; home visitation (which remains authentic to our founder’s vision of assisting people in need and in pairs), and also being part of an international organization; the opportunities that we afford to members, volunteers and staff to connect and engage in our mission, our governance model of subsidiarity as well as our model of leadership.

 The Vincentian model of leadership is quite simple – servant leadership.

 Servant leadership is not connected to a person’s title, as it is quite different to the function of management.  The cornerstone of this model is the belief that all people have within them leadership qualities and that an office, Conference or Special Work should facilitate opportunities for individual and collective leadership qualities to come to the fore.

 Servant leadership echoes the message of Christ, Vincent de Paul, Frederic Ozanam and the countless number of Vincentian men and women around the world whose primary mission is to serve another first – so yes, there is such a thing as Vincentian leadership that is very much part of our DNA.

 One of the topics that comes up very often related to Conferences (as well as Councils) and the role of the President is focused around a statement that has been made for years in our writings as well as our training sessions. That statement is: the Conference as a whole makes all of the decisions. Some people have a tough time grasping what that means, and that is very understandable since it is not a simple and straightforward statement. There are a few embedded qualifications.

Those two quotes from the Rule (shown earlier) make it very clear as to how the Conference should be run. There is no place in the Society for a Conference dominated by one or two individuals. The Society does not support a small group of people making the decisions for the whole. Conference members should be made aware of all aspects of the item to be decided. And, for all practical matters, the decision should be made by the Conference simply through consensus. That means the members are in agreement with what should or should not be done. Formal voting on any topic should occur only when there is reason to believe there is a significant difference of opinion.

The President, as well as all members, needs to be an excellent listener and a good facilitator. This most likely means that some of us have to fine-tune our listening skills. The President must listen to what the Conference wishes to do (not tell them what he/she wishes to be done). Then the President must help (through guidance and facilitated dialogue) the Conference to make it happen. The President must serve the Conference – not the other way around.

There are times, however, that the democratic process is inappropriate. This is because the Conference is not totally autonomous. All members of the Society must be faithful to the Rule and spirit of the Society. No decision can be made at any level of the Society that contradicts the Rule. This holds true also for bylaws, standards of affiliation, or any other standards set by the general membership or by Councils.

The spirit of the Society is determined by the traditions of the Society on a global scale. As it is, the current Rule is very explicit about most things. Our focus in our decision-making should be on ways to enhance the spiritual growth of our fellow Vincentians as well as improve our service to those in need. There are many official writings of the Society, both current and historical, which can help define what is proper for Vincentians if it is not explicitly defined in the Rule.

So, in summary, the statement “the Conference as a whole makes all of the decisions” is very true within the constraints described above. Our servant leaders must be geared up to serve the members rather than dictate to them. It’s all part of being Vincentian.

  • Lori Pattison

10-03-24 Weekly Questions & Answers
10-03-24 Weekly Questions & Answers 1200 628 Lori Pattison

Q:  There are a few Conferences and some Councils that run Special Works.  Most but not all of these are stores. There seems to be a lack of understanding concerning the proper roles and responsibilities between those Special Works and the Conference or Council that owns or operates them. For example, sometimes a store committee believes it has complete autonomy to make every decision without input from or oversight by the Conference or Council.  Can you clarify how this relationship should work?

A:  A Special Work is a SVdP service, program or thrift store owned and governed by a Council or Conference and operated by members and/or paid staff. It is not self-governed, and any decision must be made with oversight and approval by its owner, either a Conference or Council. A Special Work is devoted to a special location and people resources all year around; otherwise, it is considered a project. The relationship between a Council/Conference and its Special Works should exist with the understanding that any Special Work of the Society must ultimately be under the governance l of a Council or a Conference.

Q: In our Conference meetings, we have had several discussions regarding how we refer to those we serve. Members are divided on the issue. Some say referring to those we serve as “client” is humiliating. Others say we should call them “friends in need”. What is the appropriate way to refer to those we serve?

A: The Society suggests members refrain from using the word “client” to describe or refer to those we serve. The word client makes us an agency, and the Society is not an agency. We are person-to-person assistance to anyone in need. Those we serve are our neighbors (or friends) in need.  The term “client” has been contrary to the culture of the Society throughout, and a conscious effort by members must be made to refrain from the use of such impoverishing terminology.

Frederic often prayed and reflected on the Gospel story of the Good Samaritan, and the question posed by Jesus captured his heart: “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the man who fell in with the robbers?” The answer came, “The one who treated him with compassion.”  Jesus said to him, ‘Then go and do the same.’ This is what drove Frederic and the founding members to go out to those living in poverty to bring Christ’s love and compassion to their neighbors.  Today, we hold this grace in our hearts as we are called to serve our friends and neighbors, never thinking of them as or calling them “clients.”

P: Existen algunas Conferencias y Consejos que tienen y administran Trabajos Especiales.  La mayoría, pero no todas, son tiendas de segunda mano. Parece haber una falta de entendimiento en la Conferencia o el Consejo que las posee o las administra referente a las funciones y responsabilidades adecuadas de esos Trabajos Especiales. Por ejemplo, a veces un comité de tienda cree que tiene una total autonomía para tomar todas las decisiones sin la participación o supervisión de la Conferencia o el Consejo.  ¿Puede usted aclarar cómo debería funcionar esta relación?

 R: Un Trabajo Especial es un servicio, programa o tienda de segunda mano de SVdP que es propiedad y está gobernada por un Consejo o Conferencia, y que es operada por miembros y/o personal remunerado. No es autónomo, y cualquier decisión debe ser tomada con la supervisión y aprobación de su propietario, ya sea una Conferencia o un Consejo. Un Trabajo Especial trabaja durante todo el año con recursos humanos, en una ubicación especifica; de lo contrario, se considera un proyecto. La relación entre un Consejo/Conferencia y sus Trabajos Especiales debe existir en el entendimiento de que cualquier Trabajo Especial de la Sociedad debe estar en última instancia bajo el gobierno de un Consejo o una Conferencia.

P: En nuestras reuniones de Conferencia, hemos tenido varias discusiones sobre cómo nos referimos a aquellos a quienes servimos. Los miembros están divididos sobre el tema. Algunos dicen que referirse a aquellos a quienes servimos como “clientes” es humillante. Otros dicen que deberíamos llamarlos “amigos en necesidad”. ¿Cuál es la forma correcta de referirse a aquellos a quienes servimos?

R: La Sociedad sugiere que los miembros se abstengan de usar la palabra “cliente” para describir o referirse a aquellos a quienes servimos. La palabra cliente nos convierte en una agencia, y la Sociedad no es una agencia. Proporcionamos asistencia de persona a persona para cualquiera que lo necesite. Aquellos a quienes servimos son nuestros prójimos (o amigos) en necesidad.  El término “cliente” ha sido contrario a la cultura de la Sociedad en todo momento, y se debe hacer un esfuerzo consciente por parte de los miembros para abstenerse de usar esa terminología empobrecedora.

Federico rezaba y reflexionaba a menudo sobre la historia evangélica del Buen Samaritano, y la pregunta planteada por Jesús cautivó su corazón: «¿Cuál de estos tres, en tu opinión, era el prójimo del hombre que cayó en manos de los ladrones?» La respuesta llegó: “El que lo trató con compasión”.  Jesús le dijo: “Entonces ve y haz lo mismo”. Esto es lo que impulsó a Federico y a los miembros fundadores a salir al encuentro de los que viven en la pobreza para llevar el amor y la compasión de Cristo a sus prójimos.  Hoy en día, tenemos esta gracia en nuestros corazones ya que estamos llamados a servir a nuestros amigos y prójimos, nunca pensando en ellos o llamándolos “clientes”.

 

  • Lori Pattison

NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
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SEPTEMBER 16 MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY 

Written by: Margarita Galindo – In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is September 15 through October 15 

The Independence of México was the process in which the former territory of New Spain, part of the Spanish empire, became an independent country. Mexico was part of the Latin American wars of Independence.

Traditionally, the celebration of this national holiday begins on September 15, when, around 11:00 p.m., the President of the Republic of Mexico gave the Cry of Independence from the National Palace and rang the bell of Dolores, the same one that rang during the harangue pronounced by the Catholic priest, Miguel Hidalgo, on September 16, 1810.

We, Mexicans, celebrate this National Holiday with respect and pride.

We love our homeland every day of our lives because those who do not value the place where they were born have no identity.

I am incredibly happy to be Mexican. VIVA MEXICO

Mexico celebrates this national holiday with a military parade. The Mexican president reviews the army and then he leads the parade.

In other countries, Mexicans celebrate September 16 with a parade very different from the one in Mexico.

The United States of America recognizes and celebrates the culture, history, and contributions that the Hispanic/Latino community have made to the American Society and culture.

The celebrations begin in the middle rather than the start of September because it coincides with the National Independence days in different Latin American countries. Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica celebrate their independence on September 15, followed by México on September 16, Chile, September 18, and Belize, September 21.

 

EL 16 DE SEPTIEMBRE DÍA DE LA INDEPENDENCIA DE MÉXICO 

La Independencia de México fue el proceso por el que el antiguo territorio de Nueva España, que formaba parte del imperio español, se convirtió en un País Independiente. México formo parte de las guerras de Independencia.

Tradicionalmente, la celebración de esta fiesta patria empieza el 15 de septiembre, cuando —alrededor de las 23:00 horas— el presidente de la República de México da el Grito de Independencia desde Palacio Nacional y hace sonar la campana de Dolores, la misma que sonó durante la arenga que pronunció el Cura Católico Miguel Hidalgo el 16 de septiembre de 1810.

Nosotros los Mexicanos festejamos las Fiestas Patrias con respeto y orgullo.

Amamos a nuestra patria cada día de nuestras vidas porque aquel que no valora el lugar donde nació, no tiene identidad.  Yo soy muy feliz de ser Mexicana. VIVA MÉXICO

México celebra esta fiesta nacional con un desfile militar.  El presidente mexicano pasa una revisión del ejército y luego encabeza el desfile.

En otros países, los mexicanos celebran el 16 de septiembre con un desfile muy diferente al de México.

Los Estados Unidos de América reconoce y celebra la cultura, la historia y las contribuciones que los hispanos/latinos han hecho a la sociedad y la cultura estadounidense.

Las celebraciones comienzan a mediados de septiembre y no a principios de septiembre, ya que coincide con los días de la Independencia Nacional en diferentes países de América Latina: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua y Costa Rica celebran la suya el 15 de septiembre, seguida de México el 16 de septiembre, Chile el 18 de septiembre y Belice el 21 de septiembre.

 

 

 

  • Lori Pattison

Integrity Is Foundational to Leadership
Integrity Is Foundational to Leadership 1198 1198 Lori Pattison

From Joe Riley, Phoenix Council Board Member – Written by: McKinlee Covey

In May of 2005, Andy Roddick, one of the top tennis players in the world at the time, was a favorite to win the Italian Masters tournament. Early on, Roddick’s skill was on full display: He beat his opponent Fernando Verdasco in the first set. He was winning the next set too; on the match point, the referee called Verdasco’s second serve as out and declared Roddick the winner. The crowd cheered.

However, Roddick looked closely at the mark on the court where the serve had been called out and did not believe the call was correct. Under no formal obligation to tell the truth, Roddick informed the referee of the perceived error and asked for the point to be replayed. He returned to his side of the net, ready to play on, only wanting to win if the victory was fair and square. Verdasco won the replayed point, and then the match. A breath away from victory, Roddick lost in an upset, going from being a tournament favorite to an early elimination.

Although Roddick lost his shot at the big prize that day, he gained something arguably more valuable—he cemented his reputation as a man of integrity. In a single moment, he demonstrated the strength of his character for posterity and inspired fans with his commitment to honesty. Future opponents and referees alike could rest assured: here was a trustworthy sportsman.

Even if we’ve never participated in a high-stakes sporting event on the world stage, many of us can relate to this story. We’ve all faced moments of choice when we are called to do the right thing even if it carries consequences.  Each of these moments is an opportunity for us to show who we truly are—both as a leader and as a person.

In life and leadership, it takes courage to do the right thing and discipline to do so consistently. When we act with both courage and discipline, we develop our integrity and become leaders worth following.

Integrity Is Foundational to Leadership

Doug Conant wrote that integrity is “foundational and mandatory to leadership.” Too often, we get lost in the weeds when thinking about leadership, creating long lists of what a good leader needs to do. Or we conflate good leadership with being charming and bold. But at the end of the day, leadership begins and ends with a simple premise: Are you a person of your word?

Research shows that most employees rank trust in their bosses as the most essential component for workplace satisfaction. When people feel that they can trust their leaders they perform better, are more innovative and engaged, and experience less stress and burnout. Meanwhile, low-trust organizations experience the opposite effects.

So how can leaders embody integrity and build trust? Integrity is all about aligning your personal thoughts and actions with your public persona. Who you are in private and who you are in public must connect.

Dr. Stephen R. Covey said, “Moral authority comes from following universal and timeless principles like honesty, integrity, and treating people with respect.” We cannot fake, coerce, or pay our way to moral authority—it must be earned through our daily interactions and behaviors. Employees and colleagues alike are attuned to your leadership actions; they want to know that what you say matches up with what you do and who you are.

When we make integrity part of our leadership foundation, all our other qualities are on solid ground. And with trust as our bedrock, our organizations can thrive. Here are four practices that will help you move towards integrity in your leadership behaviors. 

  1. Start with Yourself – Make It a Habit

Are some people more predisposed to acting with integrity? Perhaps. But it doesn’t matter. Whether or not you were born with a strong moral compass or were raised a certain way, anyone can lead a life of integrity. Integrity is a choice. But it isn’t a spur of the moment decision; like any competency, it is honed over time.

It’s doubtful that Roddick’s choice to be truthful at the Italian Masters was an outlier or whim; it’s more likely it was part of a decision pattern. At some point he decided to play honestly no matter what, and then he matched his behavior to that decision in moments small and large. Each of us can do the same. You can say today that you want to live with integrity and then commit to the principle, practicing in more and more moments over time.

When you practice making the right decisions consistently, eventually it becomes a habit. Dr. Covey researched and wrote about this extensively, explaining that integrity starts with keeping commitments to ourselves. He wrote: “As we make and keep commitments, even small commitments, we begin to establish an inner integrity that gives us the awareness of self-control, and the courage and strength to accept more of the responsibility for our own lives. By making and keeping promises to ourselves and others, little by little, our honor becomes greater than our moods.”

This process starts small, but it yields large and long-lasting results. First, integrity becomes a habit and then an essential part of who you are. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes, creating a virtuous cycle of momentum that strengthens your resolve to keep doing what is right, especially in difficult situations.

As novelist Mary Ann Evans writing under the pen name George Eliot once said, “Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.” 

  1. Declare Your Intent

It’s important to remember that the people you work with are not mind readers. If you want people to know what you stand for, what you believe in, and what guides your decisions, you have to tell them. Otherwise, how will they know what to measure your actions against?

Lack of clarity often leads to miscommunication, unmet expectations, frustration, poor results, and lagging collaboration. So, one of the first steps to leading with integrity is a practice Doug Conant calls, “Declaring Yourself.” He describes it this way: “The first hour of the first day I work with someone, I declare myself. I set aside an hour for a one-on-one meeting aimed at removing the mystery from our working relationship.  Rather that unproductively spending the first few months working together trying to indirectly figure out what to expect from one another — I have found it to be much more productive to take the issue head on. Then, we can constructively focus on the challenges at hand as quickly as possible.”

At the end of the hour he says, “I just spent an hour sharing with you the way I intend to behave and some of the motivation for that behavior. If I do what I say I will do, I guess that means you can trust me. If I don’t, I guess that means you can’t.”

Declaring yourself lays the groundwork to earn people’s trust by first extending trust. You’re inviting people to get to know you, but also to hold you accountable to what you say. This is an exercise in vulnerability, and may feel uncomfortable, but it is highly effective. We must first communicate our intent in order to demonstrate integrity and build trust. 

  1. Do What You Say

The saying goes that “talk is cheap.” And it’s often true, but it doesn’t have to be. After you’ve declared yourself, it’s time to back up your word with your actions. When you do what you say, your talk is no longer cheapened—it becomes a treasure.

Doug Conant wrote that leading with integrity means, “always consciously acting with the knowledge that others are relying on us to embody our shared values with our words and deeds.” He says that words and actions are equally important; they go hand in hand. Talk without action breeds mistrust.

To grow your credibility and to create what Doug calls, “a profound reservoir of trust and belief in your ability,” you must walk your talk. How? Here are a few best practices:

  • Prioritize your time according to your values
  • Own your mistakes & share your successes
  • Ask for and implement feedback
  • See each interaction as an opportunity to match your actions to your words 
  1. Be Consistent – in Public and in Private

Oprah Winfrey said, “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” Her words hold an important lesson for leaders: One of the truest tests of our integrity is our consistency—with or without an audience.

To fulfill the commitment to yourself that helps build your integrity habit, it’s crucial to uphold your values and ideals even when people aren’t watching. Dr. Covey called this, “being loyal to the absent,” and it’s a way to show respect to everyone in your organization, as well as to yourself.

Start to think with more intention about each moment of choice in your day–even the ones that people don’t see. Small moments matter. When can you step closer to your declared values? Maybe it means prioritizing purpose over profit, apologizing for a misstep, stifling your instinct to jump in before you’ve listened, or taking time to thank an employee for their contributions.

There are infinite opportunities to practice your integrity habit in any given day.  The more consistent and loyal you are to your principles, the more consistency and loyalty you earn from your constituents. 

  1. Integrity Inspires

As we lead with integrity, we earn moral authority, increase trust within our organizations—and most of all, we inspire others. Inspiration is powerful. Research shows that employees are inspired by leaders who commit to their values and that, “the ability to inspire creates the highest levels of employee engagement and commitment.”  

As we lead with integrity, we earn moral authority, increase trust within our organizations—and most of all, we inspire others. Inspiration is powerful. Research shows that employees are inspired by leaders who commit to their values and that, “the ability to inspire creates the highest levels of employee engagement and commitment.”

As you model integrity, declare your intent, do what you say, and practice consistency, you will inspire others to greatness.

About the Author: McKinlee Covey is an educator, coach, and co-author with Stephen M.R. Covey of the WSJ bestseller, Trust & Inspire.  This article appeared in BoardSource in January 2023.

 

  • Lori Pattison

Budgeting, Forecasting, & Measuring Your Way to Profitability
Budgeting, Forecasting, & Measuring Your Way to Profitability 1200 628 Lori Pattison

By Paul Ihlenfeldt, Director of Operations – North Central Region

At our National Assembly in August, we presented material on how to use data to measure productivity. I thought it would be appropriate to provide a detailed recap of the presentation and highlight several key strategies.

The non-profit thrift environment can be extremely unpredictable. You’re not always sure how much you are going to receive in donations and cannot always predict how or when it is going to sell. But we can reference trends and use those trends to plan and budget for improvement. If we do not establish a goal for improvement, we will not achieve improvement. We will only repeat what we have done and eventually lose what we have gained.

Our thrift stores not only provide low-cost products for our friends in need, but they also provide a significant amount of funding for our various programs that provide the support our Neighbors in Need (NIN) depend on. We have a huge responsibility to ensure our stores are consistently profitable and can continue to support the St Vincent de Paul mission in serving others.

The following is a high-level road map of key areas of focus to assist you in achieving success in your planning.

First, you will need to implement the color tag rotation and use a POS pricing system that can capture the data. The POS systems most commonly used are Thriftworks and Secure Retail. They both can provide sufficient data to be used in analyzing the key components of your business.

Second, if you have not already, you need to create a profit & loss statement for your stores. The financials should be broken out by store and totaled and summed together to understand the health of the organization’s profit/support centers. Profit & Loss (P&L) tells a story, and we should be reviewing that “story” monthly. The fundamental equation for the P&L is:

Revenue – Cost = Net Operating Revenue

Work with your accounting firm or your own in-house financial leadership to create this business tool if you are not already using it.

Budget Sales:

What do you want to achieve? Look at trends and what contributed to those trends and start with determining the revenue budget. Are there external factors? Road construction, weather, pandemic, lack of good applicants to fill open positions? Or are there internal factors? Inefficiencies in production, not enough produced causing high sell-through, employees taking vacations, not enough donations? If you correct these issues, how much more revenue will you generate? Put a plan in place to fix the correctable and budget the benefit.

Budget Expenses:

Start with payroll, which is your largest expense. Your store wages should be approximately 40% of its revenue. When including administrative payroll, your organization’s payroll should be approximately 50% of the revenue. Now, based on the revenue budget, you can determine the number of full-time equivalents or FTE’s you can employ. Always ask yourself, is the added payroll adding value and will the revenue cover the expense?

Review the Key Areas of Support:

I recommend looking at 5 key areas of production.

  1. Donations
  2. Warehouse/Logistics/Recycling
  3. Pricing
  4. Utility/Sales Floor Support
  5. Cashiers

Your revenue budget will drive what you need to support these areas of production. Pricing is the key position, and this is where we specifically refer to the metrics (financials) to understand the number of pricers needed to support our sales plan.

  • You can only budget more revenue if you have enough donations. Track the daily number of donors dropping off donations. The number of gaylords/containers you fill and the number the pricers empty. Remember those donations are free and are valuable in support of our mission.
  • Depending on the amount of donations and kind of donations, are you able to transport and store those items efficiently and effectively.
  • Determine the units needed to get you to your sales plan. We use this formula to forecast our production units:
    • Units=1.43(X*Y)
    • X=Units sold last year
    • Y=1. (your budgeted percent increase as a decimal)
      • Example: for a 7% increase would be 1.07
    • 43 coefficient X your forecasted units allows you to achieve 70% sell thru.
  • Determine the number of hours to allocate to pricing.
    • Hours=X/Y
      • X=Units to be priced to meet goal
      • Y=Hourly production target for pricer.
    • How many utility teammates do you need to run the carts to fill the floor? Determine the number of carts that can be put out per hour and set those goals with your team.
    • Based on the sales plan, do you have enough registers and cashiers to effectively move customers through the registers? Determine a maximum number of customers in line to call for assistance.

In conclusion, effective budgeting, forecasting, and measurement are essential for navigating the unpredictable landscape of the non-profit thrift environment. By setting clear improvement goals and utilizing data-driven strategies, we can transform challenges into opportunities for growth.

The practices outlined—such as implementing a robust POS system, developing detailed profit and loss statements, and strategically budgeting for both revenue and expenses—are vital in ensuring the sustainability of our thrift stores.

Your stores not only provide affordable goods to those in need but also generate crucial funding for our programs that support the community.

As we focus on key areas like donations, logistics, pricing, and customer service, we empower our teams to operate more efficiently and effectively.

Ultimately, our commitment to continuous improvement and careful financial management will allow us to uphold the St. Vincent de Paul mission, ensuring that we can serve NIN for years to come. Let us take these insights forward, implementing actionable plans that lead to sustained profitability and greater impact in our communities.

If you have questions or have a topic for a future Stores Corner article, please email our Director of Stores Support-Jeff Beamguard at jbeamguard@svdpusa.org.

  • Lori Pattison

Recruiting New Members
Recruiting New Members 1198 1198 Lori Pattison

From Joe Riley, Phoenix Council Board Member – (Excerpted from Vincentian Life: Conference)

Recruiting New Members

In the previous chapter, we focused on how to retain the members you have and how to help them to grow.  Keep in mind that in order for the Conference to grow we need to be able to attract new members.  New members have the ability to renew a Conference with fresh new ideas and experiences. History has shown that Conferences which do not engage or welcome new members become stagnant and often close down.

Imagine the benefits of gaining a new member is like finding a diamond in the slag at the Kimberly mines.  You have no idea of its real value until you chip away the exterior to reveal its inner composition (get to know her/him), and spend time polishing its surface (provide training, motivation and direction).

In this chapter, we will focus on the techniques to use to bring new members into the Conference so that you can discover those hidden diamonds.

PERSONAL INVITATION

It has been proven that the best way to recruit new people for your organization is the personal invitation.  Challenge every member of your Conference to invite one friend or family member to join the Conference.  Your Conference would easily double in size. This is because people have a tendency to trust the recommendations of people close to them, people whose opinion they value.

If you have enjoyed being a Vincentian, then you probably have talked about it to family members and friends.  Spreading the word about something good can prove to be contagious.  If being a member of the Society has truly had a positive impact on your life, then you likely want to share that with others.

Start by encouraging them to attend a meeting.  Invite them to participate in some activity of the Society.  Invite them to accompany you on a home visit to observe how we serve those needing help.  Exposure to who we are and what we do is one sure way to make someone want to know more.  Of course, keep in mind that all you can do is invite them.  It is the Holy Spirit that will move them to sign on the dotted line.

INVITATION TO SERVE

 After the personal invitation, the next best recruitment method available is the Invitation to Serve.  The Invitation to Serve is a proven recruitment method that is used for starting new Conferences and recruiting new members for existing Conferences.  This is touched on in the chapter titled “Getting Started.”  This method provides an organized approach for recruitment and has a proven track record throughout the United States and has been used for more than 30 years.

There is no need to go into detail about this recruitment program here.  All of the details are described in the program documentation which is available on the National Council website (https://members.ssvpusa.org/growth-revitalization/planning/) under Growing New Conferences/ Councils.  Suffice it to say that everything you need for a successful recruitment is spelled out in the program description.  All you have to do is follow the step-by-step plan.

MINISTRY FAIRS

Another recruitment method that has been in use is the parish ministry fair.  Essentially, the parish picks out a particular weekend on which they invite all of the parish ministries to have a display table with information about their particular ministry and invite parishioners to join.  Members of each ministry provide brochures and other information and answer questions the people have about their ministry.

This can be an effective way to get people to join many ministries.  It can also be overwhelming to people who are given too much to choose from.  For an individual ministry, you are faced with people being offered too many choices, a lot of competition, and the possibility that you will be overlooked depending on your location. Realistically, more time is required and much smaller numbers result from this type of recruitment.  However, it does give your organization visibility and an opportunity to talk about the good works of the Society.

DIVERSITY

In any recruitment effort, we must keep in mind the ethnic and cultural differences of the community in which we live.  The membership in a Conference ideally should reflect ethnic and cultural diversity.  An example would be if a community has a large populace of Hispanic/Latino people, that membership should be reflected within the Conference.  The same holds true with Black Americans, Native Americans, and other ethnic or racial groups.  Conferences should be aware of and exposed to the cultural competencies needed to service those in need regardless of ethnic, racial or cultural background.

Did you know the Society was founded by a group of college students?  Young adults were at the very center of our existence and growth as an organization.  Youth and young adults represent the future of the Society.  It is imperative that we make every effort to attract and welcome young people into our Conference.  This very important topic is discussed in more detail in another chapter on Youth and Young Adult Involvement.

BE WELCOMING

The biggest failure that occurs in any recruitment effort is when existing members do not welcome the new recruits.  In this case, we are not referring to saying “hello” and shaking their hands.  “Welcoming” means to allow them to participate in the life of the Conference.

“Welcoming” includes the following:

  1. Allowing new members an opportunity to attend meetings on a regular basis. Sometimes our existing members are unwilling to accommodate changes to attract new members.  For example, often times Conferences will hold their meetings during the day because the majority of the existing members are retired, and daytime meetings are attractive and convenient.  However, this does not allow people who work during the daytime hours the flexibility to attend the meetings.  The existing members could adjust their meeting schedule to accommodate the new recruits as a sign of acceptance.
  1. The same holds true with doing home visits. Sometimes our members again set all home visit schedules for daytime hours with no regard for its new member’s availability.
  1. Our existing members need to partner with the new recruits to make them feel welcome in addition to training them. Sometimes our members are so accustomed to a familiar partner they sidestep the opportunity to partner with new members.
  1. This is also true with activities other than home visits. For example, certain members are used to doing a particular job, such as organizing and maintaining the food pantry.  They feel ownership of that work and will not allow anyone else to help.

As mentioned in the previous chapter, one of the fastest ways to lose members is to not make them feel welcome.

SUMMARY

There are proven ways to bring new people into the Conference: personal invitation, Invitation to Serve, and ministry fairs.  However, no effort will prove successful if you do not welcome the new recruits and get them active.

  • Lori Pattison

9-26-24 Weekly Questions & Answers
9-26-24 Weekly Questions & Answers 1200 628 Lori Pattison

Q: Are we still keeping records on those friends “that we cannot help” due to low or no funds on hand at time of their need? Do we report these numbers in some fashion?

 A: Case records should be made whether we help an individual or not. A Home Visit may still offer spiritual and emotional support even if no funds are provided.  Although the Conference may not be able to help financially at the point in time asked, a need may arise in future weeks or months. If so, there is a file already established and may or may not require some updates.  The visit should be recorded in the annual report.  Many visits do not include giving funds, but a visit was made and thus should be counted.

Q:  A Conference President believes he (she) is in his (her) fifth year in office because he (she) served as co-President the first year. Does serving as a co-President count toward the six-year term limitation as a single President?  

 A:  The National Council does not recognize co-President terms.  The election process does not identify co-Presidents as an elected office. Therefore, a co-President term cannot count as serving individually as President.  If the person was actually elected/appointed as a Vice President, there is no effect on the Presidential term.

P: ¿Todavía mantenemos registros de los prójimos “a los que no podemos ayudar” debido a la escasez o ausencia de fondos disponibles en el momento en que lo necesitan? ¿Reportamos estos números de alguna manera?

 R: Los registros de casos deben hacerse, ya sea que ayudemos a un individuo o no. Una visita domiciliaria aún puede ofrecer apoyo espiritual y emocional, incluso si no se proporcionan fondos.  Aunque es posible que la Conferencia no pueda ayudar financieramente en el momento solicitado, es posible que surja la necesidad en las próximas semanas o meses. Si es así, hay un archivo ya establecido y puede o no requerir algunas actualizaciones.  La visita debe quedar registrada en el informe anual.  Muchas visitas no incluyen la entrega de fondos, pero se hizo una visita y, por lo tanto, debe contarse.

P: Un Presidente de Conferencia cree que está en su quinto año en el cargo porque se desempeñó como copresidente el primer año. ¿Servir como copresidente cuenta para el límite de mandato de seis años como Presidente?

 R: El Consejo Nacional no reconoce mandatos de copresidentes.  El proceso de elección no identifica a los copresidentes como un cargo electo. Por lo tanto, un mandato de copresidente no puede contar como servir individualmente como Presidente.  Si la persona fue realmente elegida/nombrada como Vicepresidente, no hay ningún efecto en el período presidencial.

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