Ken Winch, FCSI
FROM
THE PRESIDENT |
CELEBRATIONS
Celebrating our 50th Anniversary is an extraordinary achievement and one that should generate pride in all of us who believe in and are passionate about this Society. It is borne out by the commitment of our members in the daily routines of their practices and companies.
While it is not necessary for us all to wax lyrical, it is essential for us all to demonstrate to our clients and customers that we are a Society of professionals serving the foodservice and hospitality profession. I think that we have done this admirably as otherwise we would not have grown and developed so successfully.
Anniversaries and significant milestones should be celebrated with enthusiasm and we have the added enjoyment of saying to the world and ourselves: 'We made it!' Indeed, despite all the difficulties, the misunderstandings, the frustrations, the setbacks and confusions that may have occurred, 'We made it!'
Anniversaries also have a unique way of making us look backwards and forwards at the same time. They are, in so many ways, a mirror image of life. Although we are mostly in charge of events, yet things still happen over which we have no control.
We have to learn to live through sad times and sometimes events occur we wish had never happened. But, overall, we look back and remember the good things.
We should look back and acknowledge the foresight and ambitions of our founders. Think for a moment how they might feel today. My thoughts are that they would be both pleased and slightly frustrated to think we had only got this far but that is the very essence of being involved in the leadership of any organization. We should look sensibly at what has been achieved - and this has been enormous - yet always we feel concerned about our supposed failings. This is what drives us forward and we should never be satisfied.
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We should look forward with excitement to the future and especially to the initiatives and programs that we have planned. These are progressive and essentially based on ideas and proposals made by the members. Some are basic but there are others that are more out of the box, pushing the envelope further.
In my first letter I invited you to join the Board on our journey and promised that I would update you on our progress, especially when we reached our various marker posts.
I reiterate my invitation to travel along with FCSI. We, the Board, are listening intently in order to develop solutions to meet your needs. We welcome new thinking and interesting ideas. FCSI will never become static, nor will it be negative in its search for excellence in all that we do.
As my first year ends, to coincide with the Anaheim Conference, a report will be available to everyone to explain our past program and our future goals and ambitions. This report will be comprehensive. I trust you will find it both informative and exciting.
Someone once said to me, 'Once you reach 50, you only get six months a year because time passes so quickly.' Perhaps that is why as we get older we sleep less. Perhaps we are just attempting to maximize the time and not miss opportunities.
Our Society is now 50 years old but time will not be a factor because we have a constant stream of new, young members combined with the experience of our more senior members (ever conscious of the six month time restriction) to ensure our future.
FCSI will undoubtedly achieve at least another 50 years and its influence and authority will become legendary. Some of us will be privileged to experience this and once again enjoy the moment.
Ken Winch, FCSI
President
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