Over the weekend I watch a lot of college basketball. Like most of the people that saw Sunday's game between Louisville and Duke I will never forget the sight of seeing Louisville's Kevin Ware brake his leg. It was gross. One of things that you are sorry you had to see.
It makes my leg hurt to think about it.
After it happened I went in the bathroom and when I came out my kids wondered if I went in there to throw up. I didn't but sight of Kevin Ware's leg was that gross. So gross my kids thought it reasonable for somebody to throw up after watching it.
The announcers talked about felling sorry for the young man and his family. People speculated that he would never be the same.
I agree. It was a very sad event that may have a lasting impact on the life of a man in his early 20's.
It also drove home a point with me about safety.
Willmar Electric as a company wants to make sure our employees don't have to suffer any injuries. We want to make sure that everybody we work with goes home in the same condition they arrive in.
Yesterday I read an article in this month's Construction Executive magazine that highlighted a company that has gone over 4 million hours since there last injury. In the article the owner of the company credited the company's culture for achieving such a high level of safety. He sited many examples of how at their firm unsafe behavior isn't tolerated and the health of every co-worker is valued at all times.
That is my message for Willmar Electric. No injuries. Ever.
One step is always to be on the look out of potential injury causing situations.
If you are on a Willmar Electric project site I challenge you to look around you project site and identify when the next injury is likely to occur and eliminate that risk. (Bonus points to do the same thing around your home.)
The goal is no injuries, ever, anywhere!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Keeping up with the Times
Last Friday was a busy day in the Lincoln office.
I understand that what we do at Willmar Electric is install and maintain the electrical systems within large buildings. That is what "pays the bills" so to speak. Friday however we were busy in the Lincoln office updating some systems that allow our support staff to better help our projects get their work done better.
The first item that took place was iPad training for several Foreman.
Currently we have 4 Foreman, 4 Project Leaders and 3 support staff people that are equipped with iPads. On Friday we added 4 Foreman and another Project Leader. With two more Willmar based Foreman set to join the iPad generation in the next couple of weeks we will have over half of our Project Leaders and Foreman using iPads to manage Willmar Electric's projects and keeping them more organized.
You might be asking how does that help us with our core business of "wiring big building?" That is a good question. The current iPad users say that using an iPad save them up to half of their "paperwork" time. That means they have more time to be in the field helping the craft worker with planning work and lining up the resources it takes to work in a high productive, quality and safety manner. (Helping projects Meet the Customers Needs.)
The Foremen in the test group of iPad users also reported several other benefits including:
There is no question that it is fun to have something like an iPad to use on a daily basis but it is also a huge productivity gain and stress reliever to have the iPad on site. To us providing iPad is Thrifty/Financially Prudent!
The second item is a new phone system that we had installed within the office. The Kearney, Willmar and Oklahoma offices are also getting the same phones in the very near future.
The new phones have several new features on them, those features and some new habits are going to allow for the support staff to spend a little less time on answering the phones and contacting each other. The new phones are going to make the support staff easier to get ahold of.
The new phone system and new habits will make us more effective because field personal should be able to get ahold of support staff quicker, more often and more reliably. All of that helps them focus more on the task at hand, which is also the task that we get paid for.
It will allow for support staff and Project Leaders, who are also really support staff, to have more time to be supportive of the field.
The more we can streamline our support staff's functions the more work we can support.
Doing more work for the same overhead. Sounds like a great plan. Sounds like a win for everybody at Willmar Electric, even if you aren't one of the people that got a new phone for your desk. Sounds we are being both Thrifty/Financially Prudent!
I understand that what we do at Willmar Electric is install and maintain the electrical systems within large buildings. That is what "pays the bills" so to speak. Friday however we were busy in the Lincoln office updating some systems that allow our support staff to better help our projects get their work done better.
The first item that took place was iPad training for several Foreman.
Currently we have 4 Foreman, 4 Project Leaders and 3 support staff people that are equipped with iPads. On Friday we added 4 Foreman and another Project Leader. With two more Willmar based Foreman set to join the iPad generation in the next couple of weeks we will have over half of our Project Leaders and Foreman using iPads to manage Willmar Electric's projects and keeping them more organized.
You might be asking how does that help us with our core business of "wiring big building?" That is a good question. The current iPad users say that using an iPad save them up to half of their "paperwork" time. That means they have more time to be in the field helping the craft worker with planning work and lining up the resources it takes to work in a high productive, quality and safety manner. (Helping projects Meet the Customers Needs.)
The Foremen in the test group of iPad users also reported several other benefits including:
- The ability to efficiently take p[roject's drawings into the field by carrying the iPad with them. It is my understanding that Luke Fosket was never far from the Super Saver drawings because he had the iPad with him at all times.
- The ability to work on an as-built drawings as the project moves along. Chris Mohr was able to discuss the plans with Design professionals right at the point of installation.
- The ability for crew members to use Facetime from their cell phones to connect with the Foreman to literally show a foreman remotely what situation he was faced with. Lucas Jung reported how an a day when he was off site he received a Facetime call from a craft worker that showed him live video of a problem we were facing.
There is no question that it is fun to have something like an iPad to use on a daily basis but it is also a huge productivity gain and stress reliever to have the iPad on site. To us providing iPad is Thrifty/Financially Prudent!
The second item is a new phone system that we had installed within the office. The Kearney, Willmar and Oklahoma offices are also getting the same phones in the very near future.
The new phones have several new features on them, those features and some new habits are going to allow for the support staff to spend a little less time on answering the phones and contacting each other. The new phones are going to make the support staff easier to get ahold of.
The new phone system and new habits will make us more effective because field personal should be able to get ahold of support staff quicker, more often and more reliably. All of that helps them focus more on the task at hand, which is also the task that we get paid for.
It will allow for support staff and Project Leaders, who are also really support staff, to have more time to be supportive of the field.
The more we can streamline our support staff's functions the more work we can support.
Doing more work for the same overhead. Sounds like a great plan. Sounds like a win for everybody at Willmar Electric, even if you aren't one of the people that got a new phone for your desk. Sounds we are being both Thrifty/Financially Prudent!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Third Time Around
I spent last week in Florida at various meetings for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).
I serve on both the board of directors and the executive committee of the national organization and they each met last week. ABC also hosted its annual Bizcon meeting last week. Bizcon is a conference to brings in several authors, speakers and other experts that help a business person like myself understand upcoming trends within the contraction industry and also provides education on best practices within the industry. It is an excellent conference and well worth my time.
I had the chance to have long personal conversations with people such as Karl Rove and Patrick Lencioni. Both of whom are famous and well respected within their fields of expertise. I also got to meet and talk with high level construction industry people like Carl Crowe, Wal*Mart VP of Construction, and Greg Stein, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) VP of Construction, just to name a few.
I mention all of this not to give you some huge name drop but rather as an introduction to the topic of why does Dave Chapin spend so much time at ABC meetings. It takes a lot of time away for both my home and Willmar Electric. That means a sacrifice for both the people I live with and the people I work with.
(I understand that some of you that know me well are questioning whether or not having me be gone is a sacrifice for the people in my life. I have been told that having a break from me can be more of a reward for others then a sacrifice but for the purposes of this blog we are going to assume that my family misses me when I am gone and that my co-worker are forced to do more work because I am not at the office.)
At least that is how I would like to think that it is.
The more time I spend with ABC the more people come to think that like my father before me I might become ABC's national Chairman. That would make Dad and I the first father/son combination to serve is such a role for the association.
I would guess that during my week in Florida last week I was introduced to a stranger with the opening line that went something like "if Dave becomes the National Chair the Chapins will be the first father/son combination to serve as Chairs." It is a nice sentiment and compliment. I know my Dad joins me in thinking it is an honor. As of today I told the others on the executive committee I would like to serve as the 2016 Chair.
Many people suggest that I am a second generation ABCer. That simply isn't the case.
Justin and I (plus the entire organization) are third generation ABCers. Our Dad's uncle Frank was the Treasurer for the Minnesota Chapter of ABC in it's very first years. Willmar Electric was a founding member of the chapter. Willmar Electric's first ABC leader was in fact uncle Frank!
And if you truly know Frank it should come as no surprise. ABC's core philosophy is the Merit Shop and the Merit Shop philosophy does a perfect job of describing Frank and explaining why I spend so much time with ABC.
The official definition ABC give for the phrase Merit Shop is:
That phrase sums up how Frank thought business should be done and how Willmar Electric should be run. Frank wasn't in the room when that statement was written up but for those of us that know him we know that is how Frank operates. Allow people that freedom to work and reward high achievement regardless of labor affiliation sums it up.
It explain why Willmar Electric joined ABC and why Frank was willing to serve as it Treasurer in its early days.
It is what I spend my time working and fighting for when I am away from home at ABC meetings. It is what Willmar Electric has been based on for 93 years.
The Merit Shop. It is still one of our core values today.
Willmar Electric's core values are;
I serve on both the board of directors and the executive committee of the national organization and they each met last week. ABC also hosted its annual Bizcon meeting last week. Bizcon is a conference to brings in several authors, speakers and other experts that help a business person like myself understand upcoming trends within the contraction industry and also provides education on best practices within the industry. It is an excellent conference and well worth my time.
I had the chance to have long personal conversations with people such as Karl Rove and Patrick Lencioni. Both of whom are famous and well respected within their fields of expertise. I also got to meet and talk with high level construction industry people like Carl Crowe, Wal*Mart VP of Construction, and Greg Stein, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) VP of Construction, just to name a few.
I mention all of this not to give you some huge name drop but rather as an introduction to the topic of why does Dave Chapin spend so much time at ABC meetings. It takes a lot of time away for both my home and Willmar Electric. That means a sacrifice for both the people I live with and the people I work with.
(I understand that some of you that know me well are questioning whether or not having me be gone is a sacrifice for the people in my life. I have been told that having a break from me can be more of a reward for others then a sacrifice but for the purposes of this blog we are going to assume that my family misses me when I am gone and that my co-worker are forced to do more work because I am not at the office.)
At least that is how I would like to think that it is.
The more time I spend with ABC the more people come to think that like my father before me I might become ABC's national Chairman. That would make Dad and I the first father/son combination to serve is such a role for the association.
I would guess that during my week in Florida last week I was introduced to a stranger with the opening line that went something like "if Dave becomes the National Chair the Chapins will be the first father/son combination to serve as Chairs." It is a nice sentiment and compliment. I know my Dad joins me in thinking it is an honor. As of today I told the others on the executive committee I would like to serve as the 2016 Chair.
Many people suggest that I am a second generation ABCer. That simply isn't the case.
Justin and I (plus the entire organization) are third generation ABCers. Our Dad's uncle Frank was the Treasurer for the Minnesota Chapter of ABC in it's very first years. Willmar Electric was a founding member of the chapter. Willmar Electric's first ABC leader was in fact uncle Frank!
And if you truly know Frank it should come as no surprise. ABC's core philosophy is the Merit Shop and the Merit Shop philosophy does a perfect job of describing Frank and explaining why I spend so much time with ABC.
The official definition ABC give for the phrase Merit Shop is:
Merit Shop is a way of doing business in which contractors reward
employees based on performance and encourage them to reach their
highest level of achievement, and in which contractors are awarded
business based on quality, safety, and cost effectiveness regardless
of labor affiliation.
It explain why Willmar Electric joined ABC and why Frank was willing to serve as it Treasurer in its early days.
It is what I spend my time working and fighting for when I am away from home at ABC meetings. It is what Willmar Electric has been based on for 93 years.
The Merit Shop. It is still one of our core values today.
Willmar Electric's core values are;
- Treating others the way you want to be treated
- Merit Shop
- Thrifty
- Meet Customer Needs.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Going Green
My brother Justin has 4 young children. His youngest son, Max, is 2 1/2 years old and like most kids that age not everything he says comes out perfectly clear. He is a very bright young yet but from time to time what he says makes very little sense to people besides his mother.
While to be exact I think that at time his mother, Dianna, can understand Max's words but not the meaning while at other times she can understand the meaning but not the words. If you have ever lived with a 2 1/2 year old this makes perfect sense. If you have never lived with a 2 1/2 year old your missing out on a lot of fun (and frustration)!
And trust me talking to Max can be both (mostly fun).
At Christmas time the entire Chapin clan got together to celebrate. Although we aren't a huge number of the people, the 20 of us can't all sit at one table. This year found Max as the only kid at a table full of my siblings and our spouses. In fact Max, my sister Nancy, Dianna and I all sat at the same end of the table.
It was at the table that my 2 1/2 year old nephew decided to model a great life lesson.
As we sat eating Max noticed that Nancy had taken a green Marciano cherry off of her dinner roll and decided not to eat it. A wise health choice because I am fairly sure that although edible a green Marciano cherries aren't really food.
After minutes of making noises and sounds that I am sure at times were intended to be words Max clear as Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, Max decides to speak up and say "are you going to eat that." As he point to Nancy's unwanted cherry. Nancy responded by quickly giving this young man a chance at pure sugar before his parents even realized what was going on. (Hey, she is the aunt. She wants to be loved by her nephew and Max is going home with Justin and Dianna.)
Max chewed the cherry for awhile. Actually he chewed it for quite sometime. But in the end he found out why Nancy didn't want the cherry for herself.
That was brunch.
At dinner a few hours later we found ourselves all sitting in the same spots and again Max noticed that Nancy wasn't polishing off everything on her plate. So again as clear as Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, Max decides to speak up and say "are you going to eat that." This time referring to the lime jello on Nancy's plate. Again as the aunt Nancy gave the sugar to the 2 1/2. (Well done, sis.)
Max's second food request had us wondering if he was fixated with green foods, although it should be pointed out that Max didn't ask about anybody's uneaten salads.
When something was just outside of Max's reach that he wanted he went for it in the only way he could. He ask for the item. Over the next few week I notice several times that things people requested for gifts weren't measuring up exactly how they thought they would. Nobody was ungrateful but the delivery was less then the desire.
I often hear people say that a tool they thought would be super slick to a particular job wasn't quite as handy as they imagined that would be and our house has many dusty items that didn't hit reach the expectations of the recipient. I am sure that you have had similar experiences.
Isn't that how life often goes for us.
Just like Max's food requests, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Sometimes even if the grass is greener we find out that greener grass isn't what we really wanted after all.
Brings me back to concept of being thrifty. Getting more things doesn't typically bring us the satisfaction we seek but at the same time hoarding doesn't either. Wisely using or spending our resources on things that are tested and proven over time often does leave us satisfied.
While to be exact I think that at time his mother, Dianna, can understand Max's words but not the meaning while at other times she can understand the meaning but not the words. If you have ever lived with a 2 1/2 year old this makes perfect sense. If you have never lived with a 2 1/2 year old your missing out on a lot of fun (and frustration)!
And trust me talking to Max can be both (mostly fun).
At Christmas time the entire Chapin clan got together to celebrate. Although we aren't a huge number of the people, the 20 of us can't all sit at one table. This year found Max as the only kid at a table full of my siblings and our spouses. In fact Max, my sister Nancy, Dianna and I all sat at the same end of the table.
It was at the table that my 2 1/2 year old nephew decided to model a great life lesson.
As we sat eating Max noticed that Nancy had taken a green Marciano cherry off of her dinner roll and decided not to eat it. A wise health choice because I am fairly sure that although edible a green Marciano cherries aren't really food.
After minutes of making noises and sounds that I am sure at times were intended to be words Max clear as Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, Max decides to speak up and say "are you going to eat that." As he point to Nancy's unwanted cherry. Nancy responded by quickly giving this young man a chance at pure sugar before his parents even realized what was going on. (Hey, she is the aunt. She wants to be loved by her nephew and Max is going home with Justin and Dianna.)
Max chewed the cherry for awhile. Actually he chewed it for quite sometime. But in the end he found out why Nancy didn't want the cherry for herself.
That was brunch.
At dinner a few hours later we found ourselves all sitting in the same spots and again Max noticed that Nancy wasn't polishing off everything on her plate. So again as clear as Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, Max decides to speak up and say "are you going to eat that." This time referring to the lime jello on Nancy's plate. Again as the aunt Nancy gave the sugar to the 2 1/2. (Well done, sis.)
Max's second food request had us wondering if he was fixated with green foods, although it should be pointed out that Max didn't ask about anybody's uneaten salads.
When something was just outside of Max's reach that he wanted he went for it in the only way he could. He ask for the item. Over the next few week I notice several times that things people requested for gifts weren't measuring up exactly how they thought they would. Nobody was ungrateful but the delivery was less then the desire.
I often hear people say that a tool they thought would be super slick to a particular job wasn't quite as handy as they imagined that would be and our house has many dusty items that didn't hit reach the expectations of the recipient. I am sure that you have had similar experiences.
Isn't that how life often goes for us.
Just like Max's food requests, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Sometimes even if the grass is greener we find out that greener grass isn't what we really wanted after all.
Brings me back to concept of being thrifty. Getting more things doesn't typically bring us the satisfaction we seek but at the same time hoarding doesn't either. Wisely using or spending our resources on things that are tested and proven over time often does leave us satisfied.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Bogus Impression
While driving my car today a song came on the radio by Suzy Bogguss. Every time I hear Suzy sing I laugh just a little. If you have no idea who she is please don't mistake her for "Weird" Al Yankovic. She isn't trying to make me laugh. No, the reason I laugh is because of my friend Kenny King.
You see a few years ago Kenny and his wife, Kirsten, convinced Sue and I that we should go to "The Great Minnesota Get Together" (state fair). We went the same day as the Mary Chapin-Carpenter concert. My wife Sue and Kirsten thought it was a good idea. I am still not sure what my role was in any of this, I didn't want to do either of the two activities. But few people consider me a friend and only Sue would be married to me so I willing went on this journey, if only to be a good friend and husband.
The opening act for Mary Chapin-Carpenter was Suzy Boggass. Except Kenny had a mental block and every time he went to say Suzy Bogguss the name came out as Kathy Bogus. After hearing Kenny call her Kathy Bogus several times the name stuck. To me her name changed. If I ever meet Suzy Bogguss I am sure I will call her Kathy.
In grade school a new kid moved to town. Matt Dawson thought he looked like a bird. Nearly everybody called him Bird until we were out of high school. His real name is Bryan Halgremson.
In college I made several new friends. One of them was Jon Willis. He called himself J Dubbs and like Matt Dawson he was excellent at giving out nicknames. The tall skinny kid down the hall became Lanky and it takes me a minute to remember him as Todd Woolf.
It is ever harder to remember the name Tim Anderson. Why because he was from Walnut Grove and that meant we all called him Wally.
During my son Mike's select baseball days he was called "Billy" and we had to warn family when we went to games that when people talked about Billy they were talking about Mike. (That story is too long for me to cover here. It has to do with Caddyshack, his bat and the personality of Bob Pettit.)
From history we have the legend of Thomas Jackson a man born on January 21, 1824 and lived with that plain name for over 37 years. Then at what us Yankees call the First Battle of Bull Run he was nicknamed Stonewall for his bold leadership. He lived for another 2 years as the famous Confederate General Stonewall Jackson before dying at the battle of Chancellorsville. Stonewall Jackson is a legend and nearly everybody is familiar with that name. Monuments have been erected and schools have been name after the Confederate General across the south. It's Stonewall (2 years) not Thomas (37 years) to everybody!!!
It is more than names however. Actions tend to stick as well.
At work we have odd or funny stories about people that stick in our minds and form our impressions of certain people. Often even though we have known somebody for years we still go back in time to a particular incident that is less then flattering to define them in our minds.
Growing up we can remember people labeled for deeds or actions that happened while we were all in grade school. A kid wets his pants in school and he gets labeled. A girls makes one bad choice and everybody labels her.
Maybe the first time you met somebody they said something that cemented your opinion about them.
I have been told that some people think am a witty and clever. Many others think that I am a jerk and find me quite obnoxious. Sometime that is a matter of taste but it also has to the do with the timing of what I said or did. (I need to work on that.)
But my point isn't about making sure that you make a good impression although that is important. My point is about treating people the way you want to be treated.
Before you rush to judgement or lock into what you think of somebody I encourage you to make sure you really know the person. Sometimes that can mean giving people several chances. None of us likes to be labeled. With that in mind I would encourage you to give somebody a second chance. Don't rush to judgement.
Isn't that what we want for ourselves?
You see a few years ago Kenny and his wife, Kirsten, convinced Sue and I that we should go to "The Great Minnesota Get Together" (state fair). We went the same day as the Mary Chapin-Carpenter concert. My wife Sue and Kirsten thought it was a good idea. I am still not sure what my role was in any of this, I didn't want to do either of the two activities. But few people consider me a friend and only Sue would be married to me so I willing went on this journey, if only to be a good friend and husband.
The opening act for Mary Chapin-Carpenter was Suzy Boggass. Except Kenny had a mental block and every time he went to say Suzy Bogguss the name came out as Kathy Bogus. After hearing Kenny call her Kathy Bogus several times the name stuck. To me her name changed. If I ever meet Suzy Bogguss I am sure I will call her Kathy.
In grade school a new kid moved to town. Matt Dawson thought he looked like a bird. Nearly everybody called him Bird until we were out of high school. His real name is Bryan Halgremson.
In college I made several new friends. One of them was Jon Willis. He called himself J Dubbs and like Matt Dawson he was excellent at giving out nicknames. The tall skinny kid down the hall became Lanky and it takes me a minute to remember him as Todd Woolf.
It is ever harder to remember the name Tim Anderson. Why because he was from Walnut Grove and that meant we all called him Wally.
During my son Mike's select baseball days he was called "Billy" and we had to warn family when we went to games that when people talked about Billy they were talking about Mike. (That story is too long for me to cover here. It has to do with Caddyshack, his bat and the personality of Bob Pettit.)
From history we have the legend of Thomas Jackson a man born on January 21, 1824 and lived with that plain name for over 37 years. Then at what us Yankees call the First Battle of Bull Run he was nicknamed Stonewall for his bold leadership. He lived for another 2 years as the famous Confederate General Stonewall Jackson before dying at the battle of Chancellorsville. Stonewall Jackson is a legend and nearly everybody is familiar with that name. Monuments have been erected and schools have been name after the Confederate General across the south. It's Stonewall (2 years) not Thomas (37 years) to everybody!!!
It is more than names however. Actions tend to stick as well.
At work we have odd or funny stories about people that stick in our minds and form our impressions of certain people. Often even though we have known somebody for years we still go back in time to a particular incident that is less then flattering to define them in our minds.
Growing up we can remember people labeled for deeds or actions that happened while we were all in grade school. A kid wets his pants in school and he gets labeled. A girls makes one bad choice and everybody labels her.
Maybe the first time you met somebody they said something that cemented your opinion about them.
I have been told that some people think am a witty and clever. Many others think that I am a jerk and find me quite obnoxious. Sometime that is a matter of taste but it also has to the do with the timing of what I said or did. (I need to work on that.)
But my point isn't about making sure that you make a good impression although that is important. My point is about treating people the way you want to be treated.
Before you rush to judgement or lock into what you think of somebody I encourage you to make sure you really know the person. Sometimes that can mean giving people several chances. None of us likes to be labeled. With that in mind I would encourage you to give somebody a second chance. Don't rush to judgement.
Isn't that what we want for ourselves?
Monday, January 7, 2013
It's Elmo Chapin Day
Yesterday would have been my Grandpa’s 91st birthday. Every year I send out a tribute to him and encourage others to consider leaving their world better than they found it in honor of him. I call it Elmo Chapin day.
I am sending the note on a Monday because this year his birthday, January 6th, landed on the weekend. An encouraging sign in my life was that my children remembered the point of Elmo Chapin day. Hallelujah, they are listening!!
Here is how my Grandpa worked. He was a servant. He thought that you should always leave a room or any other place in better shape than you found it.
So if he saw a piece of garbage on the floor he didn’t wonder who put it there. He picked it up and threw it away. If he was leaving a room he turned off the lights when he left the room.
He wasn’t perfect.
At times he left you wondering how a person could so easily notice and take care of three scraps of paper in a public restroom but was unable to clean the stacks of useless piles of paper out of his own office. The temptation to ask him how a 6 year old magazine on a subject he could care less about wasn’t garbage just like the paper towel you picked up off the floor ten minutes ago came to me quite often. His office was always beyond a mess.
My Grandpa not only used this concept on the small level I have suggested above but he carried it out to a much larger level. Thing that he worked on in his life like give to and supporting missionaries at church, starting the alarm division at Willmar Electric, and helping widows or the underprivileged are larger examples of his wanting to make the world a better place. Giving people a hand up in the world made his day.
Finding a job or a place to live for somebody down on their luck was typical of Elmo Chapin.
Over the past few years of my declaring an Elmo Chapin day I have received several warm responses from people about how much they appreciated and loved my Grandpa. They are always fun to receive. I have also seen countless examples of people being like Elmo Chapin. That is even more fun. (Even when it was Dan Williams shutting off the lights on a room full of people leaving us in complete blackness as he left the room. He laughed and we reminded him that shutting off the lights when you leave a room applies only if you are the last to leave!)
But his concern for his fellow man and the world around us was something we all need to try to emulate.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Better than a Can Opener
We just received a nice thank you note from my wife, Sue's Dad. The note included the usually thank yous for gifts given and kinds words of good times spent together over the holidays that most thank you notes tend to include. It also included a line from my father-in-law, Chuck, that many readers would have ignored or failed to catch.
Chuck included a line that said "so glad you got home safe and sound."
You are likely thinking so what, Dave, of course he is glad his family got home safe and sound!
I agree but most people don't include a line like that in their thank you notes. Most thank you notes say things like, "Grandma, Thank you for the video games, I will play with them until my eyes go blind or my thumbs are numb" or "Mom, Thank you for the book. I will use it to become a better person." Maybe something like "Honey, Thank you for all six sweaters, I didn't realize my entire wardrobe needed replacing" even "Glad you got me an electric can opener because I was starting to reach my breaking point."
O.K. those were exaggerations but I enjoyed writing them.
However if you know Chuck Stern you know he never fails to mention safety. He always has a heart felt warning about some potential danger in life. It is part of who he is. The value of safety is never lost on him. So his thankfulness of his daughter and her family's need to be expressed. It is an expression of love. He loves his family and wants them to be safe. What an honor.
He doesn't us take it for granted.
That is the mentality I want everybody at Willmar Electric to have for each other. We should never take each other for granted and we should never take the safety and well being of each other for granted.
I am very grateful that my father-in-law gives our family such a wonderful example and couldn't resist sharing it with everybody.
Let's face it being safe and sound is better then all the video games, books, sweaters and can openers we could possibly have anyways.
Chuck included a line that said "so glad you got home safe and sound."
You are likely thinking so what, Dave, of course he is glad his family got home safe and sound!
I agree but most people don't include a line like that in their thank you notes. Most thank you notes say things like, "Grandma, Thank you for the video games, I will play with them until my eyes go blind or my thumbs are numb" or "Mom, Thank you for the book. I will use it to become a better person." Maybe something like "Honey, Thank you for all six sweaters, I didn't realize my entire wardrobe needed replacing" even "Glad you got me an electric can opener because I was starting to reach my breaking point."
O.K. those were exaggerations but I enjoyed writing them.
However if you know Chuck Stern you know he never fails to mention safety. He always has a heart felt warning about some potential danger in life. It is part of who he is. The value of safety is never lost on him. So his thankfulness of his daughter and her family's need to be expressed. It is an expression of love. He loves his family and wants them to be safe. What an honor.
He doesn't us take it for granted.
That is the mentality I want everybody at Willmar Electric to have for each other. We should never take each other for granted and we should never take the safety and well being of each other for granted.
I am very grateful that my father-in-law gives our family such a wonderful example and couldn't resist sharing it with everybody.
Let's face it being safe and sound is better then all the video games, books, sweaters and can openers we could possibly have anyways.
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