I want to thank all Bluebills for working with our Leadership Council during 2010.

My aim this year has been to promote Bluebills, by linking our ongoing activities with The Boeing Company’s program goals and by bringing in new members.  Our joint efforts had some very positive achievements in the first category and lackluster achievement in the second.

In the last few months our relationship with Boeing has become increasingly cooperative. For years, we have worked to gain their trust throughout many management “modifications.” This patience has been rewarded, and today I think we have established an excellent working relationship.

It has been a long time effort, as you all know, and it is related to the company’s Global Corporate Citizenship initiatives.  We were able to link our ongoing activities to many of their areas of concentration.  When we pointed this out effectively, it became obvious that the Bluebills organization would be a resource well worth supporting. To start, we have been encouraged to get further involved in their 2011 employee volunteer programs, working side by side with current employees. 

This is very good news.  The involvement will not only help our communities, but will demonstrate to current employees that when they retire they have an effective, enjoyable path for continuing to support community needs --  by joining Bluebills. There are plans underway to get Bluebill  membership materials into retirement packages.

I ask that every Bluebill work toward helping Boeing meet our mutual objectives.  It is my hope that this close relationship will demonstrate Bluebill’s effectiveness and encourage current employees to want to be Bluebills when they retire.  As I review the exciting accomplishments of our chapters this year and match them to the objectives of Boeing’s Employee Volunteer Programs, I leave 2010 with a great feeling of accomplishment in our expanding interface with The Boeing Company.  

The membership issue is a thorny one for those of us in Bluebill Leadership Council.  Our roster of new members is very small.   Our membership is aging and getting smaller. This is somewhat due to the fact that we have not had the ability to contact current and recent retirees because of privacy laws.  We need to get our message to all Boeing retirees of the last five-plus years and I hope that our new relationship with the company will provide the invaluable tools we need.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has an idea about connecting with the new, young blood that is so vital to our success.  Our effort to attract new members through a Bluebills Facebook page has not yet generated much activity, but we believe Facebook can also provide a quick and simple way to communicate with our members, once more members 'Like' (subscribe to) our page. Updates to the Bluebills Facebook page can be made by anyone who subscribes, so this could be a way to get the word out about a special volunteer needs or events without needing the webmaster to post it. Yes, we are looking for new members, but we believe we can improve communication with existing members, by educating them about the benefits of using the Internet.

We must spread the word about our good deeds. Even though the final reporting of our hours for 2010 has not been collected we should once again be in the range of 80,000 to 90,000 hours of volunteer service, continuing our remarkable record of serving our communities.  We are proud of our record and its impact on our communities.  Spread the word!

Have a Wonderful Holiday, and thanks for all you do.