A Good Game

It's the end of a long day and I'm tired. I've just completed an all day workshop for the Navy Personnel Command on Mentoring. The evaluations were full of "excellents" and I had a good time; who could ask for more. Plus, I get paid.

The Navpercom [get it?] had decreed that every military person in the command (about 1000) be required to take this training. Every civilian employee (3000 or so) may if they wish. The training covers certain skills that I determined Mentors and Proteges should have to have a successful relationship. So far in the two sessions I've done, about 3 military and about 15 civilians have participated.

I believe that mentoring someone is a highly desirable thing--if you're any good at it. And I believe that being a protege is a highly desirable thing if you want to get a leg up in your chosen field. A lot of mentoring goes on informally in Navpercom and in business anyway, but the Navy, believing it is a good thing, has institutionalized the idea.

Good for them. Unfortunately, there are no teeth in the mandate, that is, there are no consequences for non-participation. The three military were not high ranking officers who could see that others they command participate. In fact, the Cmdr who's in charge wasn't there--which I find a little odd. So why am I writing about this? Well, not to tell you how your tax dollars are being spent.

I'm writing because what's happening here is so typical of the "real world" in general and perhaps the Church in particular. Lots of agreement about what's highly desirable: peace, justice, mercy, security, opportunity, just to name a few things. But not much going on to promote the actual accomplishment of these things. If you look at a typical parish budget, you'll be hard pressed to find 10% of the budget dedicated to outreach. Almost all the bucks just keep the doors open. And, as you probably know, most of what good is done by the parishioners is done by less than 20% of those, while the other 80% get to bask in the glow of a "caring community."

End of rant, but here's hoping you consider the validity of what I've said and see what you can do to change the way things are.

Peace,

Jerry+