Learjet's Marci Williams is seeking a berth on USBC Board of Directors By Marci Williams, BWAA Writing Candidate
03/19/08
BWAA Column
Hopes for successful landing in Kansas City
Although I have been an avid bowler for more than 35 years, I never had time to enter the political ring of bowling until 2005 when I retired from Learjet.
It seems almost poetic that I worked for a company that built jets because my career as an association official certainly has taken off in a short span of time from local president to a potential member of the United States Bowling Congress' Board of Directors.
And I have to tell you honestly that trying to throw a 12th strike ball for a 300 game pales in comparison to running for a position on the USBC's Board of Directors.
I never served on any bowling board at any level until 2005 because my personality is such that if I can't do something well, I'd rather not do it at all. Although I loved to bowl, my livelihood was supported by working at Learjet in various capacities: budgeting, pricing, contract administration and corporate tax.
Each position was more demanding than the previous and, therefore, more demanding of my time and energy. There were not enough hours in the days and weeks left over to serve as a board member; I would have missed more meetings that I would have ever been able to attend.
When I made the decision to retire, one of the first things I did was inquire about how go about running for our local board. I found it exciting to finally have the time to devote myself to something I loved!
As fate would have it, our local associations voted to merge and we became the new "Great Plains USBC" in 2005. Enough bowlers felt as though it was the right time to have a President who was also new -- not "ABC" or "WIBC" but purely USBC and I was elected President!
There are many pros and cons to being a President who did not have bowling history (or baggage)! but isn't that true of life?
I attended my first national convention in Orlando in 2006 and was overwhelmed by the support I received from the national level and the encouragement to run for the national board!
Once again, feeling passionate about bowling as I do, I felt as though I had the time and energy to give and others felt like I had the qualifications so I did submit my resume for the election to be held in May 2007.
How fast can you say "rejected"? Oh my! I think the postal system did a record job in delivering my resume to the nominating committee and I think the nominating committee had a PC right there with my e-mail address ready to go and I received the standard "Thank you for applying but you do not have the skillsets we need."
I will admit it was deflating and almost embarrassing!
I was surprised only because of the quality of people who had sincerely encouraged me to run so I politely approached the nominating committee (thru e-mail) with a few questions as to what the skillsets were but I never received a reply. Through time, I learned that extremely talented persons also had been rejected for lack of skillsets so I had to assume that they had very specific skillset needs and ample applicants.
When I attended my second convention in Nashville in 2007, it was very interesting to watch the election process, study the candidates, etc Some of the same influential people once again asked me why I didn't run and, when I explained that I did but was rejected, they encouraged me to run again and made suggestions on improvements to my resume.
After careful consideration and preparation for possible rejection again, I did revamp my resume and submitted it by the deadline for the 2008 election. When I didn't immediately receive a "rejection e-mail," the pressure started to build.
It's a bit like having the front six strikes; you can't help but think of the outcome but you try not to.
Eventually the infamous USBC envelope arrives but there wasn't any drama because it looks like any other USBC envelope. As President of our local association, I receive a lot of correspondence from headquarters so it was a lovely surprise to open the envelope, realize it was about the election and read "We are happy to inform you ..."
I have to admit to doing the happy dance just because I wasn't rejected again.
Then the pressure really builds ~ like the seventh, eighth and ninth straight strikes! The letter described the agenda but, as time went on, one of the most important promised timelines was missed. I didn't know what to do!
Do I call and perhaps be considered a pest? Do I not call and perhaps be viewed as not passionate enough? The pros and cons of life! Eventually we are informed that it had been decided to skip one step in the process and to now plan on a couple of required conference calls and then a trip to Milwaukee.
The conference calls turned out to be humorous. With my first call, there was simply a computer glitch and they didn't know I was on the line. I stayed on hold, listening to the same message about how important my call was to them and not to hang up for nearly as hour before I finally decided to shoot an e-mail which is how it was discovered that they didn't know I was there even though I had called in at my prescribed time.
The second required conference call involved all of the candidates (who are only identified by numbers). In all of the details to be worked out, there was a disconnect between our call-in time and the time that the pertinent people were to be on-line so we waited. And waited. As one who believes in fate, I was wondering if fate was telling me this idea of running for the national board was not a good idea!
Now the big moment arrives. I am in Milwaukee for my face-to-face interview. They have been kind enough to let us know who will be interviewing us so I had the opportunity to gather some information about them (how did we survive without the Internet?) and I know it's a wonderfully diverse group.
There have been no hints regarding the line of questioning and, with the diversity, it would be nearly impossible to guess what might be asked.
Although employed very successfully at Learjet in different capacities, I hadn't been through an interview for over 35 years! At Learjet, I was always asked to take a new job - it seems like the jobs pursued me instead of me pursuing the jobs! But this time I was pursuing the job. As females do, I put on my confident dress, my simple jewelry and my best smile and walked into the room with as much confidence as I could possibly muster!
I had vacillated over whether to give small packages of chocolate covered sunflower seeds to the nominating committee members. It's something I often do being from Kansas, but most certainly I didn't want to appear that I was trying to influence them! But I decided it would be an acceptable thing to do and am proud to say that I walked completely around the horseshoe-shaped table to distribute the sunflower seeds and then sat where they instructed me to sit all without tripping or hurting anyone.
I can't remember the last time I was that nervous!
They kindly announce that all candidates will be asked the same questions and that there will be time for me to ask questions following their questions.
The questions are a blur to me now. I remember feeling as though I was able to answer most of them somewhat intelligently and confidently but I remember there being one question that I just didn't understand and I kept telling myself that it was better to admit that I didn't understand the question than to try to answer it but it sure didn't feel better at the time.
The time flew by; I couldn't believe how quickly the interview time went and, before I knew it, I was being escorted out the door, being thanked for applying and told that they would be in touch by a certain date. As I walked numbly down the hall, I passed a nice looking gentleman in a suit and assumed he was the next interviewee and I was envious at how confident he looked.
One of the things I found most intimidating about the entire process is that it seems like everyone knows everyone but me! I had never met any of the people who interviewed me and, during the previous evening while waiting for friends for dinner, I overheard several people in the hotel lobby talking about the process and my goodness! It sounded like they were all attending a reunion!
Time passed, we're to the tenth and 11th strikes by now in our string of strikes, and I was one of the lucky ones who got "the good phone call." I experienced euphoria over making the slate! Eventually I learn of the total slate (via bowl.com) and the euphoria turns to being awestruck by the company I am keeping!
In reflection, my journey to being on the slate for the USBC Board of Directors has been a relatively short but exciting journey.
But the game is not over yet ~ there is one frame to go and that frame will be bowled in Kansas City May 7-10.
I only can hope for perfection.
If all 10 pins fall on that 12th strike attempt, I probably could pilot my own Learjet back home to Wichita and I don't even know how to fly.
Email address: [email protected]
It seems almost poetic that I worked for a company that built jets because my career as an association official certainly has taken off in a short span of time from local president to a potential member of the United States Bowling Congress' Board of Directors.
And I have to tell you honestly that trying to throw a 12th strike ball for a 300 game pales in comparison to running for a position on the USBC's Board of Directors.
I never served on any bowling board at any level until 2005 because my personality is such that if I can't do something well, I'd rather not do it at all. Although I loved to bowl, my livelihood was supported by working at Learjet in various capacities: budgeting, pricing, contract administration and corporate tax.
Each position was more demanding than the previous and, therefore, more demanding of my time and energy. There were not enough hours in the days and weeks left over to serve as a board member; I would have missed more meetings that I would have ever been able to attend.
When I made the decision to retire, one of the first things I did was inquire about how go about running for our local board. I found it exciting to finally have the time to devote myself to something I loved!
As fate would have it, our local associations voted to merge and we became the new "Great Plains USBC" in 2005. Enough bowlers felt as though it was the right time to have a President who was also new -- not "ABC" or "WIBC" but purely USBC and I was elected President!
There are many pros and cons to being a President who did not have bowling history (or baggage)! but isn't that true of life?
I attended my first national convention in Orlando in 2006 and was overwhelmed by the support I received from the national level and the encouragement to run for the national board!
Once again, feeling passionate about bowling as I do, I felt as though I had the time and energy to give and others felt like I had the qualifications so I did submit my resume for the election to be held in May 2007.
How fast can you say "rejected"? Oh my! I think the postal system did a record job in delivering my resume to the nominating committee and I think the nominating committee had a PC right there with my e-mail address ready to go and I received the standard "Thank you for applying but you do not have the skillsets we need."
I will admit it was deflating and almost embarrassing!
I was surprised only because of the quality of people who had sincerely encouraged me to run so I politely approached the nominating committee (thru e-mail) with a few questions as to what the skillsets were but I never received a reply. Through time, I learned that extremely talented persons also had been rejected for lack of skillsets so I had to assume that they had very specific skillset needs and ample applicants.
When I attended my second convention in Nashville in 2007, it was very interesting to watch the election process, study the candidates, etc Some of the same influential people once again asked me why I didn't run and, when I explained that I did but was rejected, they encouraged me to run again and made suggestions on improvements to my resume.
After careful consideration and preparation for possible rejection again, I did revamp my resume and submitted it by the deadline for the 2008 election. When I didn't immediately receive a "rejection e-mail," the pressure started to build.
It's a bit like having the front six strikes; you can't help but think of the outcome but you try not to.
Eventually the infamous USBC envelope arrives but there wasn't any drama because it looks like any other USBC envelope. As President of our local association, I receive a lot of correspondence from headquarters so it was a lovely surprise to open the envelope, realize it was about the election and read "We are happy to inform you ..."
I have to admit to doing the happy dance just because I wasn't rejected again.
Then the pressure really builds ~ like the seventh, eighth and ninth straight strikes! The letter described the agenda but, as time went on, one of the most important promised timelines was missed. I didn't know what to do!
Do I call and perhaps be considered a pest? Do I not call and perhaps be viewed as not passionate enough? The pros and cons of life! Eventually we are informed that it had been decided to skip one step in the process and to now plan on a couple of required conference calls and then a trip to Milwaukee.
The conference calls turned out to be humorous. With my first call, there was simply a computer glitch and they didn't know I was on the line. I stayed on hold, listening to the same message about how important my call was to them and not to hang up for nearly as hour before I finally decided to shoot an e-mail which is how it was discovered that they didn't know I was there even though I had called in at my prescribed time.
The second required conference call involved all of the candidates (who are only identified by numbers). In all of the details to be worked out, there was a disconnect between our call-in time and the time that the pertinent people were to be on-line so we waited. And waited. As one who believes in fate, I was wondering if fate was telling me this idea of running for the national board was not a good idea!
Now the big moment arrives. I am in Milwaukee for my face-to-face interview. They have been kind enough to let us know who will be interviewing us so I had the opportunity to gather some information about them (how did we survive without the Internet?) and I know it's a wonderfully diverse group.
There have been no hints regarding the line of questioning and, with the diversity, it would be nearly impossible to guess what might be asked.
Although employed very successfully at Learjet in different capacities, I hadn't been through an interview for over 35 years! At Learjet, I was always asked to take a new job - it seems like the jobs pursued me instead of me pursuing the jobs! But this time I was pursuing the job. As females do, I put on my confident dress, my simple jewelry and my best smile and walked into the room with as much confidence as I could possibly muster!
I had vacillated over whether to give small packages of chocolate covered sunflower seeds to the nominating committee members. It's something I often do being from Kansas, but most certainly I didn't want to appear that I was trying to influence them! But I decided it would be an acceptable thing to do and am proud to say that I walked completely around the horseshoe-shaped table to distribute the sunflower seeds and then sat where they instructed me to sit all without tripping or hurting anyone.
I can't remember the last time I was that nervous!
They kindly announce that all candidates will be asked the same questions and that there will be time for me to ask questions following their questions.
The questions are a blur to me now. I remember feeling as though I was able to answer most of them somewhat intelligently and confidently but I remember there being one question that I just didn't understand and I kept telling myself that it was better to admit that I didn't understand the question than to try to answer it but it sure didn't feel better at the time.
The time flew by; I couldn't believe how quickly the interview time went and, before I knew it, I was being escorted out the door, being thanked for applying and told that they would be in touch by a certain date. As I walked numbly down the hall, I passed a nice looking gentleman in a suit and assumed he was the next interviewee and I was envious at how confident he looked.
One of the things I found most intimidating about the entire process is that it seems like everyone knows everyone but me! I had never met any of the people who interviewed me and, during the previous evening while waiting for friends for dinner, I overheard several people in the hotel lobby talking about the process and my goodness! It sounded like they were all attending a reunion!
Time passed, we're to the tenth and 11th strikes by now in our string of strikes, and I was one of the lucky ones who got "the good phone call." I experienced euphoria over making the slate! Eventually I learn of the total slate (via bowl.com) and the euphoria turns to being awestruck by the company I am keeping!
In reflection, my journey to being on the slate for the USBC Board of Directors has been a relatively short but exciting journey.
But the game is not over yet ~ there is one frame to go and that frame will be bowled in Kansas City May 7-10.
I only can hope for perfection.
If all 10 pins fall on that 12th strike attempt, I probably could pilot my own Learjet back home to Wichita and I don't even know how to fly.
Email address: [email protected]