Yesterday, I attended a division meeting hosted by a small flotilla in a little town called Gulfport that is right next to St. Petersburg, Florida. Like many of our flotillas, it is small and cramped with an emphasis on functionality rather than esthetics. Because it was an annual election meeting and I am the primary photographer, I had to attend. I also knew that I would be presented an award that was to have been presented at DCON, but due to a lack of time, those awards were sent down to the divisions and flotillas for presentation after the conference. I thought I had received every possible award for publications in the Auxiliary and expected a second or third award of one I already held.

Little did I suspect that the award to be presented was the Auxiliary Commendation Medal. That is a real, "Wow!" It is the third highest award any Auxiliary member can receive, and I can honestly say neither of the officers presenting the award or anyone else attending had ever received it.

The award was not so much for the work that I do on the publications that I edit, but for my efforts in trying to improve all of the district's publications, and for the guidance and training I give to other publication officers within my district. The Auxiliary trains people in everything- except publications! Newly appointed newsletter editors have no idea where to go to find help or resources and I am a real thorn in the national staff's side because I am always complaining loudly about the absence of resources for publications officers. I have created resources (How-to manuals) in the absence of guidance from national.

You know the question I posed a few days/ weeks ago- about measures of success? How can I be this succesful within a national organization as an UNPAID VOLUNTEER and yet have never figured out how to make money for myself? It is downright assanine! It really makes me wonder about myself and my values, but then again, maybe I am that age when many people reexamine values and life-long beliefs.


P.S.: It is that little gray and red ribbon that they clipped to the button edge of my shirt.