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“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Henry Ford                                                                                                                             

Summer has belatedly arrived in Chicago, and I hope everyone is enjoying resuming outdoor life. It’s the time of year for doing rather than analyzing, and that spirit applies to the CAC.

New classes of Docents and Exhibit Hosts have just wrapped up their training, and hopefully new and current Volunteers and Docents are enjoying engaging with our guests during the best and busiest time of the year for River Cruises, walking and bus tours, family and student workshops, and visiting the Center.

In the fall the Volunteer and Docent communities will collaborate with CAC Staff in celebrating the first birthday of the Center (remember to mark your calendar for September 26 for Volunteer Appreciation Night).  The fall will also be a time for new training and re-training once we’ve had time to take a breath and reflect on what we’ve learned from a year’s worth of experience in our new home.

In the meantime, I have duly noted our recent training sessions have included a discussion of and a literal handing out of a printed copy of the CAC’s Core Values.  As we all work together this summer, reminding everyone of those carefully crafted words seems like a good use of my monthly message posting.

Building Foundations of Excellence

In support of CAC’s mission…trustees, staff, docents and volunteers are expected to:

-Focus and align effort with CAC’s mission, values, and objectives.

-Be guest-centered in planning and implementation.

-Provide quality and be passionate in everything we deliver.

-Trust that each person is contributing to the best interests of CAC.

Core Values

ONE TEAM: COLLABORATE

-Listen to others’ points of view and be open to feedback, new information, and changed circumstances.

-Resolve disagreements and conflicts directly and promptly.

-Support group decisions.

CONTINUE LEARNING

-Be creative and curious: experiment, explore new ideas, and learn from missteps.

RESPECT

-Be patient and considerate in dealing with others.

-Use appropriate comments, language and humor that will not offend others.

INTEGRITY

-Follow through on commitments.

I can’t say it any better than that, so I won’t.  Enjoy your summer in the best city in the world.

Cheers, Bob