Good bye Holden Massachusetts, Get ready Austin, Texas

What a great week we had with the folks in Massachusetts this past week.  The folks at Holden Public Safety provided us a terrific (new) facility and were very hospitable themselves.  And, the students in both the Program Manager and Train-the-Trainer courses were there because they were self-motivated and eager to learn.  They asked great questions and actively participated in the various activities we led them through.

This week I had the privilege of working with a fellow instructor that until now I had not worked with.  Again I’m very fortunate because not only do my students learn in class, but I do as well.  I learn from both them as well as my co-instructors.  This week was no exception.  This week, I worked with “Joe”.  Joe is a very kind and giving individual.  He takes his work very seriously and as such is always prepared and ready to go.  While I may have thought I was pretty good leading a class, I really admired his interpersonal skills with his students.  And his presentation style is very effective.  Joe is not a boastful or self-centered individual by any stretch of the imagination.  And to that end, I’m guessing I don’t think he realizes just how impactful he really was this past week.

As I’ve shared with you before in my various posts, I’m truly feel blessed to be doing what I do.  I have met so many nice people over the course of the past year while I’ve been teaching the CERT classes.  And I’ve been to so many interesting places.  I look forward to what lies ahead in future trips.  And because I’ll be sharing those trips with you as well, I hope you enjoy the opportunities as much as what I do.

So to close out our Massachusetts training, I’ll include some pictures and these very kind words from one of our students…

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Hello Tim,

Hope this finds you safe and sound in your home resting up from the class.  Just got home myself and enjoyed reading your blog and the pictures you have shared.  Can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed the class.  I still have a lot to learn but have a lot to pass on to new volunteers and a model of how best to do that.  I am motivated to participate in training our next CERT group.  I know they will teach me as much as I will teach them.  If I leave with one important concept—life is an ongoing, lifelong, exchange of experiences and overcoming of challenges to our survival—serious stuff.  Your class approached this serious concept of self-sufficiency with a perfect recipe of well- presented subject matter, spiced up with individual respect and sharing of life experiences with a wonderful dollop good natured humor tossed in.  Thank-you.

This week coming up, we’ll be in Austin, Texas.  I’m working with two other instructors that I’ve only worked with once before but enjoyed very much.  We’ve got a good size class so we should have great interaction.  But first stop, once my plane lands … Whataburger!

Hope y’all will follow me this coming week.