Nickels and Dimes

Over the years David Jones has collected more quarters than your local car wash. While most of us pay little attention to the nickels and dimes that jingle in our car consol, David is quick to point out how all of the small change can lead to big changes.

David is responsible for publicizing the Kiwanis Club of Abilene Annual Basketball Shootout between Hardin-Simmons and McMurry University. The game is Monday, February 2 at McMurry University. This is the 12th year for the Shootout, which raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network. One of the aspects of the Shootout is that athletes from both schools, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and First Financial Bank all serve as “Change Bandits, who rob people for a good cause” by collecting donations for the game. They encourage people to give all the loose change that might be in their car, in the drawer in their office or in their piggy bank. At halftime of next Monday’s game a local Boy Scout troop will go through the stands collecting change as well.

And while it’s easy to dismiss the money raised from small change, the numbers might surprise you. Over $27,000 has been raised by the change bandits and their friends in the past eleven years to help local children served by the Children’s Miracle Network. The region’s only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit was also made possible by the Children’s Miracle Network, and if you have given a dime or a dollar over the years, you have helped make that possible.

I have known several families that have had a child stay at the Meek Children’s Hospital, and they will tell you that the change goes a long way. When your child has been bitten by a rattlesnake or when your child has trouble breathing, you want the best help available. Obviously the folks at the Meek Children’s Hospital are regarded as some of the best in the country-and it’s good to know that we are helping with their mission.

With the daily deluge of bad news about our economy, it’s second nature for us to decide to pull back on what we spend money on for entertainment and for eating out. While you might pass on going out to the movies this weekend, I hope you won’t pass on your chance to give when the change bandits come to visit you.

Cowboy Up.

JN

NCAA Convention

In 2008 the NCAA Division III convention featured a weekend long discussion of the future of the membership that is composed of over 450 members. And while there was some discussion of splitting Division III, that possibility collapsed when the membership responded to an NCAA survey in the spring. Nearly 90% of the Division III membership claimed they were in favor of the status quo and not exploring any potential change.

So the potential political theatre in Washington, DC for this year’s NCAA convention quickly evaporated. Instead the Division III membership voted on less than 12 proposals in less than ninety minutes. Many long time administrators said they could not recall a day when the voting went so quickly. The only proposal that generated any discussion revolved around the potential of having August 15th be the start date for practice for all fall sports except football. The proposal failed 297-154 and the members quickly moved on to the next proposal.

One thing that was consistently mentioned at the convention was the challenging economic crisis that we are all facing. I visited with several Athletic Directors that are having to make tough decisions about cutting sports, budgets or staff. I doubt that the majority of Division III schools have been frivolous with their budgets over the years. Many schools will be cutting budgets that are already tight.

So the 2009 NCAA convention will not be remembered as the landmark convention that many thought it would be. It is possible that the economic times we are currently facing will provide more changes than any legislation ever will.