Muffed part 2

Muffy* telling me, once again, my idea wouldn't work.
She says that a lot. (*Ok, that's not really Muffy
but it looks like her and the
facial expression is perfect)

So yesterday's Community Outreach Meeting made me want to drink heavily. I didn't. I stuck with iced tea while I commiserated with my realtor pal, Sally. To be fair, Sally warned me six ways from Sunday what I was in for. I knew going in this was a popularity contest. Naively, I believed the folks on this committee actually wanted to accomplish something more than just getting together once a month to gripe about how they aren't getting the committee's goals met.


Issue 2: The Community Outreach Committee handles providing key boxes to the community. These key boxes are put on the homes of the elderly and disabled, so that if the resident of the home calls 911 and is unable to answer, the police and fire don't have to break down the door. They can use the key in the box. This program is wildly popular and there is a long waiting list for these key boxes. We (the Committee) work with the fire departments of the local cities and distribute these boxes. It is an ongoing service project. Each box costs about $10. Before the key box is given to the fire department, we affix a sticker on the back, with the local realtor association information--like a commercial. The question was how do we raise awareness about this project and how do we raise money to purchase more boxes.

My two ideas:

1. Ask the local fire fighting high school if they are interested in a service project. If so, perhaps we can get these kids on board to help us raise money for this program. In fact, I was heading to meet with the head of that department an hour after the meeting was ending and I would be happy to discuss it with him (after we finished the meeting with him regarding Buckaroo that I was  initially going to see him for).

2. (Actually, this one was originally my realtor pal, Sally's idea with a few modifications). Because we are already affixing a sticker to the back of these things anyway for no discernible reason (I asked), why not ask agents if they want to sponsor a box. We can charge an agent $10 per box and put a sticker on the back saying, Courtesy of Mary Jones, ABC Realty, 480-999-9999. Additionally, because it is this committee that provides the Web content to the fire departments and municipalities about this program, could we not give a nod to those agents who sponsored this? "Lock boxes courtesy of Mary Jones, ABC Realty, 480-999-9999, etc." It would go on each city's Web site and provide advertising for these agents. I am pleased to say a few other Committee members thought this was a great idea. Muffy only said, "It won't work" and refused to discuss it further.

Muffy nixed both of my ideas but gave no reason whatsoever why they couldn't happen. But she assured me they couldn't. End of discussion. In fact, when another member of the committee wanted to revisit my sponsor a box idea, she said, "We just discussed this. It won't work." But there was no discussion. It was just me throwing out an idea.

Muffy's Minion's idea: And I swear I am not making this up. Make a video. Don't use actual fire fighters (or even get the local fire fighter public affairs offices involved at all) or a "real" elderly person (their words). Instead, two agents from our committee would portray a fire fighter and an elderly person. The viewer would not see the faces of these people. Instead it would be "incognito" as if they were informants on tonight's six o'clock news and need to remain anonymous to protect themselves. They would then have a conversation about the importance of a key box. All the viewer would see is a dark screen.

This video would then be put exclusively on the realtor association's Facebook page for any agent to click on. When I told this to Sally, she said, "There's a Facebook page for the realtor association?!" That was my reaction too. Wait, there's more! The Committee would then be shown said video at the next meeting and we could vote on whether or not to use it going forward.

Because I have decided not to go the the next meeting, I won't be voting. Perhaps I will swing by the association's Facebook page and show it to you two if I get around to seeing it.

Incidentally, without Muffy's blessing, I gave a flyer to Buckaroo's teacher and discussed the program with him. I suggested eliminating the middleman and just going directly to his contacts in the fire departments. The fire departments seem to have their act together more than this committee.

As I write this, I am seeing my true issue is I was hoping to be in a place where I made a difference. Even if my ideas aren't good, that's fine. But it seems Muffy and her minions are finding job security in this (unpaid) committee by keeping it alive with busy work.