Hi Scott. Welcome to your first official day as President/CEO of YMCA Canada. Nice to see that you are quickly exploiting technology to support your communications!

I wish you the best in 2010.

Marty

Good use of technology to communicate. Looking forward to working with you to help build stronger communities.

Thanks Scott.

Scott, very impressive.What a leader! Looking forward to working with you.

Wanda

Great way to start off the year and to share your vision of your role as the CEO of YMCA Canada.
I look forward to working with you and with my colleagues towards reaching our common objectives.

Denis

Very cool, Scott – I look forward to following this blog.

Hi Scott
Welcome to the Y Canada. I wish you well in your new job. Anything I can do support your directions please let me know.

Thanks for keeping us informed
Susan

Impressive for your first day on the job. Great use of technology to inform and garner support from across Canada.

Mary Carolyn Hart

A great way to connect with all, while providing clear focus and direction!

Janet

Hi Scott,
Congratulations and welcome to the official beginning (though we all know that you have really been doing two jobs for the past couple of months). I sense a real jolt of new momentum coming from the video. I’m very excited and please let me know if there is anything that that I can do to support the new energy and direction that you are bringing to the process.
Rob Reid

Scott,

As a volunteer, I applaud your vow to communicate better and directly with us on a regular basis.

While I would like to help YMCA Canada improve its communications in 2010, that change should occur not only between YMCA Canada and local YMCAs – but also through connections between local YMCAs.

If collaboration is to become an integral part of the YMCA in Canada, it must start from within. Like you, I believe that assessible and effective technology can help make this kind of transformational change happen (your excellent blog and video exemplify that approach).

There are local stories to be shared, and local models to be emulated, which deserve a national audience. One model is, for example, the innovative health care delivery partnership at my YMCA, involving Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University and us. How many other YMCAs are aware of it, or have any details?

Such change will prove invaluable to neighboring YMCAs specifically. It will also help guide or inspire staff and volunteers across Canada generally. And, most importantly, it will open up an untapped network of communication.

Under your leadership, YMCA Canada is positioned to lead this intra-YMCA initiative now, as part of its overarching long-term vision and pursuit of a truly collaborative culture.

Thank you for taking the risk and accepting the challenge of establishing this important virtual forum – and for asking your “first question” (of course, the above not-so-simple reply can happen when a lawyer tries to answer it!).

I’m looking forward to all the days ahead with you at the helm of YMCA Canada. Bonne chance……

— Brian Heagle
(Chair, YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford)

Scott,
I’m impressed! You’re off and running and I was excited after listening/reading your call to action. I was delighted by the work plan of Y Canada for 2010 (in the last mailout). I believe if all of us can look beyond our usual near-sighted focus towards a far-sighted vision we will do great things collaboratively.

Looking forward to 2010….
John

Scott. The video was very well done, and the message ambitious and clear. This medium should prove to be a great tool to stay connected with the whole movement. I am very much looking forward to “working together” to advance the capacity of the YMCA in Canada to serve even more Canadians.
2010 is going to be a big year for the Y.
Marty

Hi Scott,

Thank you for also including international partners to your blog. Your approach is an inspiring example of good leadership in a modern world. We need to take advantage of the opportunities of modern technology to make a real collaborative effort possible. Wishing you loads of success in your new job!

Johan
YMCA Europe

Hi Scott,
Great work! Direct and regular communication is the catalyst for real grassroots change, growth and impact. All the best in your new role.
Pamela Wright
Winnipeg Y

Refreshing start Scott. I look forward to your leadership of the Canadian branch of this great global organization.

Our focus on youth has always been our biggest challenge, I think you have picked one of the right goals. Recent experience collaborating with like minded community organizations serving youth have invigorated our efforts to find new ways to impact the Kingston community.

We’re with you.

Thornley
Volunteer, Kingston Family YMCA

WOW

Hi Scott

Congratulations on an innovative and new way of communicating with the YMCA family. I liked the video and I like the transparency and openess of the communication combined with the call to action and the desire for advice and collaboration.

I look foward to working with you in any way I can to help advance our cause and the mission of our YMCA family.

All the best.
Tom

Scott – I know I am a voice from the distant past but still try and keep up on the YMCA- Congrats on your new appointment. When you start your tours and are down seeing all the exciting things Jim has going in Chatham-Kent-let me know and maybe we can get together for a cup of coffee (or a dart game??)

Have a great 2010
Brian

Congratulations to you Scott and really do look forward to having you guide this large ship of ours!
In answer to your first question: I’d like to see a strategy where the boards & chairs of individual associations become more connected on an ongoing basis. A system to encourage more networking between boards of similar size, associations deliverying similar/same programing, associations focused on same/similar goals & objectives etc. If we can create more ongoing connections we have a lot share and learn.

A strong start Scott! Thanks!

Congratulations Scott! This is a great method of communication and more importantly your message is compelling and right! Very exciting times!

Michael

Hi Scott..Excellent piece with both the medium and the message. I look forward to working with you as we build our movement to meet the future.
jim

Really appreciate knowing and seeing the vision of YMCA Canada – it helps me, as a staff member in Calgary, be focused and inspired.
One change I have in mind for the YMCA in 2010 is that we be clearly identifiable as a non-profit charitable organization e.g. “the world’s largest local charity” by one and all.
Accordingly, would there be an opportunity to use the communication forum you have created to pose a “burning question of the month” – for example, “How has your YMCA created community partnerships?” or “How has your YMCA focused on the health of children and youth?” to which YMCAers can respond with their experiences, succeses, tips, questions etc. A forum like this could help sustain national YMCA cohesivness – and the intra-YMCA collaboration that Brian Heagle mentions above. Thanks again for giving us a sustaining message to chew on.
Jennifer Burgess, Staff member, YMCA Calgary

Congratulations, Scott. This is a terrific use of technology, and a big commitment going forward. From you, I expected nothing less. Well done, Scott.

For the children, youth and families in Canada, I look forward to “seizing the day” together with you and our peers at YMCAs across the country!

One change for 2010? Every single YMCA staff person in Canada, full or part time, makes a gift to the YMCA Strong Kids campaign, has a YMCA story of impact to tell, and tells it to at least one other person that makes a gift.

Great week 1 Scott and a super new and innovative method to connect with The YMCAs in Canada – CEO’s and the movement at large. The “added value” to piloting this technology is not only is it a method for you to communicate and receive feedback, you have created a way for YMCA leaders to hear and meet others from across the country- many that one would not encounter in our traditional and existing organizational structures. Hope this web based technology can be further developed to help facilitate YMCA relationships, share information and facilitate daily and monthly dialogue and even more fun – debate! I look forward to the CEO forum as part of the next new way of doing work with colleagues – staff and volunteer – across the country.

Just a quick response to those of you who posted comments. Glad to read that you like how we’re using new technology to communicate. Soon, this will be our “new normal.” Also appreciate the ideas that have been shared here. Good to know that collaboration, new connections among volunteers and staff, and children and youth are important to you. Many thanks for your words of welcome and encouragement. You’ve lit a fire under me!

Hi Scott and congratulations on your nomination. I am impressed at this communication strategy and look forward to receiving updates. The “just too young to be old” commercial is great. Will there be a French one done to support the upcoming campaign in Quebec?

Best wishes.

Hi Eric,

We have finally completed the French version of the YMCA Strong Kids PSA.

Here’s the link:

http://www.ymcapournosenfants.ca/

I spoke with Stephane Vaillancourt yesterday and he is pleased that this is available with time left in the campaign.

All the best,

Scott

[...] When I started my new role as President and CEO of YMCA Canada in January 2010, I phoned each one of our YMCA and YMCA-YWCA CEOs in our federation.  This allowed me to ‘get on the balcony’ so to speak, to gain a different view/perspective of our federation.  [...]