The Times They Are A-Changin': Civil-Society Organizations Today

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

     When Bob Dylan released these lyrics in 1964, he was speaking of the social transformation that was erupting. In essence, he was speaking of the rise of individuality and the dismantling of the post-WWII honeymoon. Today, as the baby boomers retire, the times are changing again. These individuals took over the civil-society organizations from their parents and preserved solidarity. These organizations give people and society a sense of community, the foundation of belonging. Unfortunately, these organizations are dying. They are dying because of inaction. Who is responsible? I argue that the fault lies not only with my generation, but also my parents’ generation, the generation of contemporary leadership. First, my generation is one of individuals. We would rather start an organization than take over the reins of an archaic body. We want it our way and we want it to benefit us. We want returns, personal not societal. We are dynamic. In contrast, the leading generation is stagnating. They steer inflexible and unwieldy organizations. They preserve the status quo within a confined box. As an enlightened generation who experienced societal unrest and civil-society movements, they don't innovate anymore or accept new ideas. The line of demarcation is clear.

    Of course, these are blatant stereotypes. They represent perception, and in some cases, reality. Perceptions matter. The demise of civil-society organizations is a consequence of asymmetric information, where one party has more or better information than the other. In this case, neither the leading generation nor this generation possesses adequate information. In fact, they possess misinformation, which distorts the commonality of purpose and value which civil-society organizations provide across generations. They are a mechanism for positive social activism and service. The organizations of today possess institutional legitimacy which allows them to function, to raise revenues, and to act as a force within society. Yet, we must remember that they are fungible. They can change and adapt to meet the needs of today's society. They are capable of innovation and of fighting the world's fights whether locally or internationally, now and in the future. They need both generations working together. This synergy is the intrinsic characteristic of such organizations. Diversity can be the strength of the new civil-society, ending generational frictions.  Without intervention by both generations and shared-compromise, our society (I use this term broadly to encompass many societies) will face a crisis of community. The bastions of community will die and we will be left with nothing but individuals, searching for community.

Welcome to Cambridge Rotary

Last night was my first opportunity to interact with the local Cambridge Rotary Club and District 1080. It just so happened that it was a combined meeting of all the clubs in East Anglia as the district welcomed a Group Study Exchange Group (GSE) from District 6510 in Southern Illinois. The meeting took place at the University Arms Hotel, one of the few hotels in the area, but a convenient stroll from the house on Grafton Street. I finally met my Rotary Counselor, Jenny Roux, in person, and it seemed as though we had already met. We enjoyed a nice cocktail hour and followed it with a wonderful dinner of pork chops, properly roasted potatoes, and cauliflower encapsulated in broiled cheese. I am certain and hopeful that this is not the regular meeting style or I will return to the U.S. 20-30 lbs. heavier. Like many of the clubs back home, the members in attendance were older, either retired, or nearing the end of their careers. The meeting was quite formal with the President presiding and orchestrating the meeting on a stringent timeline. The dress code was widely followed and I fit well with a suit and tie. It was quite the change from the Kinsman Area Club, but the coffee is still better at Time Square.

The discussions at my table were quite intrusive and we covered the full range of topics from my family, to the Navy, to the Rotary, to politics, to Ohio, and so on, but I do so love sharing and answering questions that it never grows old. The members seemed quite intent on gaining the U.S. perspective on defense spending, the War on Terror, social safety nets, educational reform, and the national debt. We truly share the same contentious issues, but the human interaction and perspective on these issues is missing on both ends. While I initially wondered whether I could be a Rotary Ambassador to a country so similar, I found my confirmation tonight. We share such common problems that we certainly should and ought to arrive at common solutions. We are divided by the separation of dialogue on all levels of state and society.

Due to the GSE presentation, I was not fully exposed to the range of activities (fundraising and service) that the clubs organize and execute, but I certainly have time in the coming weeks to integrate and involve myself in their functions. Of consequence, I met several of the other Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars for the year. Cambridge Rotary could not have landed a more homogeneous group of Virginia Military Institute, U.S. Military Academy, and U.S. Naval Academy graduates. In fact, we each were sporting our new beards and long hair to mask this distinction. More importantly, we share a commonality in terms of athletics: we are terrible at football (The English term for the game that we call soccer). Of note, I would also be poor at American Football. This lack of skill will be fully exposed at the Cambridge Rotary Homeless tournament where the District fields a team of Rotary Ambassadors and members. This project provides constructive activities for homeless shelters throughout the District and works to generate revenue for homeless programs and awareness of homelessness within the UK. I look forward to working with the District and the other Ambassadors on this an other meaningful projects in the Cambridge area as well as elsewhere around the globe. My mind is already at work.