Lessons Learned from Roy Gummerson and Mr. Foreman

Roy Gummerson is a name that has stayed with me.  He was my boss during the summer of 1967.  I was taking summer classes at Concordia Teachers College (Now Concordia University Chicago) and I needed a job for the summer.  Roy Gummerson was the superintendent at the River Forest Tennis Club.  I was hired by him to be head groundskeeper each weekday afternoon.  Roy was used to working with teens.  His regular job was a teacher and track coach at Oak Park – River Forest High School.   He was a great mentor, and often shared wisdom and insights.  He was also encouraging, but also quick to call me on the carpet if he caught a slip up.  I know he was often frustrated with me because I did not possess the “attention to detail” he expected. 

In contrast I had a supervisor the next summer who could not relate to me or my coworker.  During that summer I worked on a gas pipeline in Northern Michigan.  Our actual supervisor was based at the home office in Detroit, but on site we reported daily to the local foreman.  Fortunately, once we got our assignments we were on our own the rest of the day.   Unlike Roy Gummerson, I do not remember his name; probably by choice.    The foreman had no use for college students with different values, and work ethics.  While Roy Gummerson mentored, “Mr. Foreman” lectured.  Each the message was the same; “Kids are lazy, have no respect for their elders and sense of right or wrong.”  It was a very tumultuous time.  The assassination of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, both admired my most young people, were fresh in our minds and the tensions were between the generations were high.  It all came to a head at the Democratic Convention in Chicago where young people expressed their frustrations and the police responded with tear gas and nightsticks.  And each morning we were reminded of how the world was “going to hell in a hand basket” (First time I heard that expression).

The contrasting styles of Roy Gummerson and “Mr. Foreman” are worth considering as we contemplate relating to and working with Millennials.  We have a choice.  We can mentor or lecture. We can see them as colleagues or adversaries.  There is a reason I still remember Roy Gummerson’s name.  He respected me, and he also taught me a lot that summer. As for “Mr. Foreman,” I learned a lesson from him too: avoid people who do not respect you and what you have offer.   How will you be remembered by the young people in your life?

Mr. Hockey did not Need to Tell us He was the Greatest

We lost one of my childhood heroes last week.  Gordie Howe died at age eighty-eight.  His body was laid in state in the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, the city where he is still adored.  Ironic that while most of the attention was on the passing of Muhammad Ali, the death of the hockey icon was almost an afterthought.  I noticed.  To be honest, I was never a big fan of Muhammad Ali, but Gordy Howe was my idol as boy.  In my mind those were the glory days of hockey.  There were only six teams; The Canadians, Maple Leafs, Rangers, Bruins, Black Hawks and The Detroit Red Wings.  The rivalries were fierce, the quality of play high.  No helmets or goalie masks.  Terry Sawchuk was the Detroit goalie.  If he lost a tooth or needed stitches, he skated to the bench where he got patched up and then skated back in place.  When you talk about toughness, hockey players in the “golden age” of the sport might be at the top of the list.

Cassius Clay took the sporting world by storm, primarily because he was so good a promoting himself.  I do not recall another athlete ever being audacious enough to state “I am the greatest” when their career had barely started.  It always bothered me that he thumbed his nose at the government and avoided the draft.  It also troubled me that he converted to Islam and became so radically outspoken on the racial issue, the exact opposite of Martin Luther King.  True, he settled down later in life, especially after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.  Prior to that, his personal life was a mess; numerous marriages and many public affairs.  Not someone I want to emulate or who I would point to as a role model for kids.

Gordie Howe might have been the antithesis.  He continued to play professional hockey into his fifties, playing on the same team as his sons.  He was only married to one woman and I do not recall any negative rumors circulating regarding “Mr. Hockey.”  Until his wife died in 2009, they lived, and were very involved in the Detroit community.  He was also a devote Catholic and his funeral was held in one on of the great cathedrals in the Motor City.  I actually met Gordie Howe once.  He was the featured speaker at a men’s sports banquet at our church.  My dad and I arrived early in order to get a good seat and were surprised to see Mr. Hockey casually standing around talking with the kids.  As I recall he was very friendly and gracious, and almost blended in with the crowd. 

It has always troubled me when we put people with questionable lifestyle on a pedestal.  One of the key traits I look for is a sense of Christian values and some semblance of a faith life.  You learn more about a person by observing them away from the spotlight. I definitely have little use for someone who wants to tell me how great they are, or what they have done for me lately.   Mr. Hockey never needed to tell people he was the greatest.

A Lesson Inside the Ropes

I spent the Memorial Day Weekend serving as a volunteer marshal at the Dean and Deluca Invitational Golf Tournament.  This was the seventh time that I got to work the annual event held at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth.  To people who have watched golf on television, the marshals are the individuals who hold up the quiet signs around the green.  From experience I can tell you there is so much more to it than that.  I am one to sixteen marshals assigned to the 17th hole.  We have responsibility from the landing area on the 17^th hole through the 18^th tee box.  In addition to keeping the gallery quiet, we spot drives and locate errant shots. Our crew also holds the signal paddle on the 18^th tee, letting the marshals in the landing area know where the ball is headed.   We also have responsibility for getting the golfers from the 17^th to the 18^th hole.  We work in teams of two and rotate regularly, providing a lot of variety to the experience.

For the most part, I totally enjoy my work as a marshal.  However, the hours can be long and often our schedule is controlled by the weather.  Example: Because of a delay on Friday, we were not done until sunset and it was almost 10:30 PM when I got home.  Because of our rotating schedule I needed to be back on duty by 7:00 AM Saturday morning.  On the positive side: I do get to view the game inside the ropes and during my off-duty time watch some great golf. 

There is one major frustration, however.  You might think it is the rowdy fans who struggle with self-control after drinking beer and being in the sun all day, but I can understand that. For the most part the fans are courteous and respectful toward the golfers.  The problem comes with one of the PGA’s rules.  The sanctioning body has a strict No pictures – No video policy.  As the golfers approach the green we are required to remind the gallery that they are to have their cell phones on silent and to not be taking pictures.  The annoying thing is people still have their phones up snapping away.  When the local hero and eventual winner, Jordan Spieth, was on the green I counted at least ten people with their cell phone out taking pictures.  You might think, it is kids who are trying to get away with something but you would be wrong.  Almost all of them are adults over forty, and in the case of Jordan Spieth, female.  When called out, most people admit they know the rule, but tell me the picture is for themselves and not to sell or even post online.  I remind them that a rule is still a rule and they need to delete an picture they have taken. 

I have to wonder, what kind of a message are we sending when we feel the rules are only there for other people, and we are the exception?  I hear a lot of older adults talk about how self-absorbed Millennials are, but I think I know where it comes from.  The Baby Boomer generation has not given them a good example to follow.  If it is to change it needs to start with me and you. It might be the "no photo policy" on the golf course or the speed limit on the highway; rules are rules and they are there for all of us.