The Almost Perfect Foundation
Posted on Dec. 9, 2021 / Subscribe 0
By: Bart Graham, PRSA Board Member, Committee Chair and Active Member
There’s a specific theory I subscribe to in life: WEPT (Welcome, Engage, Prompt and Thanks). This is what guides me in a lot of aspects of my life, including how I manage my work as the Membership Committee Chair and Board Member of PRSA Tampa Bay. I just used my “WEPT” theory to determine if I should continue to volunteer with the following foundation in 2022.
In the past, I had attempted to join multiple charity foundations: One told me I could volunteer with them but only on their terms. The second foundation welcomed me with open arms, but their bureaucratic processes to officially join left my application in their trash. The third foundation gave me a cold shoulder.
Honor Flights came up on my radar next, which seemed perfect given I am a “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” enthusiast. I had witnessed one of their heartwarming events at the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. This foundation looked promising to meet my personal goal of getting involved with a charity. However, as chance would have it, COVID struck, and their flights shut down.
While on a PRSA Independent Practitioners Section chat , I realized one of our members was involved with Dream Flights as their Public Relations Manager. She shared how beginning on Aug. 1, their goal was to spend the next couple of months giving 1,000 World War II veterans free rides in their fleet of Boeing Stearman aircraft. Guess where they were heading next? Florida. She invited me to check out a flight. Having both PR and aviation experience, how could I turn this invitation down?
I attended my first event in Williston, Florida, in September, and when the aircraft touched down the pilot and crew chief WELCOMED me warmly (WEPT theory). I ended up being their PR liaison with WWII veteran named Joe and his family. As The Spirit of Wisconsin left Williston for Orlando after the event, the crew topped my day off by giving me a “wing wave”. This was only my first event, and I was hooked.
As the nominated ground crew “ladder man,” I played an important role because making it onto the wing of a Boeing Stearman is a tough ask for WWII vets ranging between the ages of 91 to 103. The crews appreciated me being their ladder man and ENGAGED me with open arms.
Getting information during this two-month flying period was a tricky task. You can imagine the logistics of trying to schedule rides for 1,000 veterans on six aircrafts in 47 states, using volunteer pilots and crew chiefs. After all, this was one of the largest barnstorming operations that had ever been attempted and everybody was busy. PROMPTNESS suffered a bit here but when I did get the information I received more than I bargained for. I will have to say that I did join the foundation late so I blame a lot of this delay on me.
After we ended our last event in Fort Myers on Sept. 30, I was officially a part of Dream Flights and was invited to a wrap-up party by the Dream Flights founder. I was surprised as I had only been a part of the team since September 18. But he THANKED me for being a valuable member of their team and at my professionalism as their ladder man.
Dream Flights passed my “WEPT” critique. But I need to change “WEPT” to “I WEPT” as I find being INVITED is an important part of the joining process of any association or foundation.
That’s why I’m so passionate about my role as Chair of the Membership Committee at PRSA Tampa Bay. Ensuring people feel invited to and welcomed at our events has always been important to me. Many didn’t know why it was such a passion of mine. Now you do – WEPT.
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