Fifth Anniversary of CenTexWFS

We will be celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Central Texas Chapter of the World Future Society on May 15, 2007. Come join us to hear our special guest speaker Betty Sue Flowers, recognize the people who have worked to create and build this organization, and enjoy each other's company.

The celebration will be held at the meeting room of Marie Callender's, 9503 Research Blvd. # 400., Austin, TX 78759 (512.349.7151) at 6:00 p.m. Attendance fee is $20 per person, for members, $25 for nonmembers, cash or checks only. (Make checks payable to CenTexWFS.) The fee includes a meal but is charged for attendance. The meeting room is at the back of the restaurant on the right.

Seating will be limited so please reserve your place here.

For more information about the Central Texas Chapter of the World Future Society, visit www.CenTexWFS.org. For more information about the World Future Society, visit www.wfs.org.

Paul SchumannPresident
E-Mail
512.302.1935

Secretary of the Future

Kurt Vonnegut died recently. In one of his last TV interviews he suggested that the U.S. needs a new cabinet position - Secretary of the Future. Given our present situation I couldn't agree more, if it would help our leaders to become more aware of the impacts of their actions on the future.

So he went: At his life's end, Vonnegut lost faith in people
By Brad Buchholz
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, April 15, 2007

Ten Steps to Take Advantage of the Public's Yearning for Community

“Ten steps for political, business, and religious leaders who want to take advantage of the public’s yearning for community:

1. Clearly define your purpose. It’s what galvanizes your community.

2. Give your staff the clear sense that they’re vital to achieving a common purpose.

3. Build your organization from the bottom up, not the top down. Technology makes grassroots organizing easier than ever.

4. Give your customers/voters/worshipers a say in how the product/campaign/church is marketed. Recognize that the consumer has more control than ever.

5. Tap into existing networks when possible. Create networks where none exist.

6. Be true to your purpose. Authenticity, accountability, and trust are the keys to building a bond or a brand.

7. Join the online community of bloggers to catch the first whiff of a crisis and to make sure your message is heard in the cyberspace community.

8. Wherever possible, make your enterprise a Third Place, a community outside home and work for people in search of connection.

9. Donate time and money to community causes. Customers are inclined to support civic-minded companies such as Home Depot, according to Bridgeland, the former head of UDSA Freedom Corps.

10. Identify the community’s leaders (Navigators) and get them on your side. Better still, use the Internet and other tools to create products that draw people together in online communities.”

Applebee’s America: How Successful Political, Business, and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community
Douglas Sosnik, Matthew Dowd and Ron Fournier
Simon & Schuster (2006)