Nov. 12 2000 Cebu Update
Another roller-coaster ride week has ended. This time we ended right side up, with the arrival of our favorite daughter and our favorite son-in-law, Bonnie and Travis Criddle. (We only have one daughter and therefore only one son-in-law.) Bonnie has been to the Philippines on two previous trips prior to the establishment of the Academy. Travis has never been to an emerging country before. Both were very wide eyed with the contrasts they observed. (I think Travis is most surprised with the way the Filipinos drive and how pedestrians are treated by the drivers). They saw both sides of the economic picture in the morning with the students at the batch beach outing and the evening at a gala Chinese wedding reception that maybe Bette will write about later. It is so good to have these two family members here. I find myself moved to tears a lot easier now than ever before, and I certainly have tears of joy being with Bonnie. We love her so.
Our 5th batch students are doing wonderfully well. They are a little older, more mature and more are married, which adds up to a group of dedicated, directed, motivated and intense group that can still have fun. (I even jumped rope with them at the beach, scary!) The fourth week, although one of the most demanding, second only to the first week, is also one that has a lot of fun activities, including the reading by Bette of the now Academy-wide famous story of "Tops and Bottoms." Bette used to just read the story and have a very short discussion. (The stories are part of the values training side of our business curriculum.) Now we spend two or more hours discussing the story and the partnership it tells about. Briefly it is a story between a single Lazy Bear landowner and a poor rabbit with a large family to feed. The two go into a partnership that utilizes the work of the rabbit and the acreage of the Bear. The students love the story, because of the intensity of Bette telling it, plus the beautiful illustrations, however once we start asking them questions about did each partner get a fair deal or was the bear taken advantage of, the story and the discussions that follow start to take on some real world meanings. Soon the class gets very polarized and quickly divides itself in two definite camps. Those who think the bear was deceived, and those who felt since the rabbit did all the work, and since the bear didn't seem to really care about anything but sleeping, that the bear got what he deserved. As usual we don't give them any answers.
Soon we divide the students into two groups in the room, based on their two distinct positions and then the fun begins as they "argue for their case."
Occasionally one of the students will change their position and move across to the other side of the room. (We call them converts.) We think it is teaching at it's best because the students:
During the forced break after about an hour and a half, the discussions heat up. I was a little worried about the intensity between a couple of the male students and felt that I might have to hold them apart. Some were gathered around the white board during the break, others were gathered in groups in the dining room, while still others were meeting and trying to figure out how they could convince those on the other side of the issue to move over to their side.
When we come back, we discuss the "case" for a few more minutes, and then we divide them into thirteen one rabbit and one bear teams and they are told to negotiate what they feel is a "fair deal" between the bear and the rabbit. They have to write out their partnership agreements and sign them, and then they report as rabbit and bear teams to the group about the deal they struck. Not one of the 13 deals (26 students) was the same as any other, which is good since it teaches the power of deal making and negotiation.
The final step is to put them in groups of five and challenge them to come up with 10 issues that should be covered in a partnership agreement so partner don't "take advantage of one another." We give them two issues to start out with, the issue of division of labor and division of profits; the rest of the issues are for them to come up with on their own. Since most of the students will be in partnerships with family, ward members or friends during the early part of their business ventures, these discussions are very relevant. That, my friends, is what one afternoon of learning is like at the Academy.
Can you imagine five mornings and five afternoons like that every week with 26 students? However I think it is learning at it's best. Bette has taught me that. It is exciting watching them develop. And all this from a simple children's story. I suggest you grandparents might want to buy the book, Tops and Bottoms, for your grandchildren. It is a fun story.
Many other exciting things have happened this week. We heard that three of our graduates got hired this week, mainly because of their skills they learned at the Academy.
When we first envisioned the Academy for Creating Enterprise, I felt I would be disappointed if they didn't all start businesses, but since being here I have seen our goal being broaden (although our mission hasn't changed). If we can help the 50% percentage of the students who aren't earning any income before they come to the Academy, start earning income, then they are becoming self reliant, and really self-reliance is more important than them starting businesses right away. And sometimes if they can get a job, they can save a little start up capital and they won't have to take out a small MicroCredit loan.
It is interesting that so far our statistics show that of those who start earning income for the first time, following the Academy, a little more than one half do it by starting businesses and the others get jobs. This happens, in part because when they graduate they not only know a lot more about how a business runs and therefore are more impressive in the interview (if there are any available where they live) but also they know how to type, use computers, keep simple bookkeeping records, do income statements and drive an automobile. Plus I think they know how to think more logically and their minds have been stretched to new levels of reasoning and analyzing.
Monday we had three visitors from the Church Educational System. Two were from Salt Lake City, Ross Cole and Roger Christensen. Also with them was Ernie Guancia, the CES Country Director. They very much liked what they saw and heard. Each of the 26 students was given an opportunity to have a part in the 3 hours we had with the visitors, whether it was a six-minute talk or only a minute. We, as always, were very proud of our students, who represent some of the finest young people this Church and country has to offer. It donned on me as the students were singing, that this is one of only a two places in this country where every participate has a current temple recommend, which is one of our requirements for acceptance. Wow! I hadn't really thought of that before. What a special group!
Brother Roger Christensen, who is the secretary to the Church Board of Education, told us that he would be reporting about the Academy to the Board on Wednesday, Nov. 7th. I hope we got a good report. I think we did, because on the way to the airport, he implied that this model could be replicated and used in many other countries throughout the world. Bette and I have always felt that way, but to have a man in his position see that same vision was exciting to us. He also confirmed what Bette and I have always felt, that there is private money donated from entrepreneurs like us that could finance such a worldwide effort, once the correct model for teaching self-reliance to the returned missionaries in third world and emerging countries can be developed. Needless to say we were thrilled to hear that statement.
What we weren't thrilled with was the lack of break through in our efforts to get a "loaned Filipino CES director" to be able to rotate into the directorship of the Academy for a two-year stint. It seems like the CES gentlemen and us both feel so strongly that part of what the returned missionaries need is real training that will enable them to become self reliant by earning a living. Therefore they will become more effective parents, church leaders and also be able to make a more substantial contribution to the building up of the Kingdom here in this country. We also believe that since the model is now started, that a Filipino should lead it.
It is ironic to us, that on the one hand, the Academy is praised highly as a unique and working model or vehicle to solve a worldwide, growing problem of returned missionaries not being employable or self reliant soon enough after their missions; yet the same people who make those kinds of observations can't change a bureaucratic policy or two to support a very workable solution.
It seems to me that entrepreneurs live in the world of creating solutions, tools, teams or organizations or whatever to solve problems while those who work in bureaucratic environment would rather keep the problem than look or make new tools. If the solution (no matter how good it is) to a problem (no matter how big and bad it is) isn't on the approved action list, the bureaucrat it seems, would rather have the problem go unsolved than fight to change a policy.
That is part of what I learned this week from our visitors. However on the flip side of that, I also learned that that attitude keeps order in a bureaucracy. There are furthermore two clearly defined roles, as taught to me indirectly by Ernie Guancia. There are the policy makers and with them program writers and then there are the field men, whose responsibility it is to maintain the policies (not make them) and administer the programs (not write them.)
The true entrepreneur usually doesn't have time for either role, that is making/writing the policies and programs or maintaining them and administering them. He just wants to get the job done (85% of it is enough for me) and leave the policy writing and enforcement to others.
Long philosophical answer to the short story. They loved the Academy, but didn't like the successor solution so I have abandoned that idea that could have so quickly, simply and easily helped others and will find a successor in another way. I do love Ross Cole, though, from the Church Educational System. He helped Bette and I so much when others weren't so encouraging before we moved here. It isn't the messenger I dislike; it is the message. The Area Presidency have certainly been supportive in all our requests. Since they are on the scene, they seem to view us as a resource center for the members, which we appreciate. Pres. Oaks especially was helpful a visit with me this week.
We received a nice donation from another one of our entrepreneur friends who wishes to remain unnamed, however he and his wife's contribution will help us pay for the attendance of 10 Filipino returned missionaries next year. The Academy will provide training for at least 125 more returned missionaries next year.
We also have some other "outside the box" ideas of how to increase the speed with which the graduates can start earning enough money to take care of their families faster after graduation. They will be finalized within the next six months.
Finally, this next week consists of starting batch five students working with five LDS small business people who are struggling with their little businesses. Our students will work as consultants in groups of five to help the business people design and implement systems to run their businesses more profitably. We also need to go back to the drawing board on the successor issue, plus try and utilize another American missionary couple that has offered some time to help our students in the area of self-reliance. This will be in addition to Elder and Sister Whitlock, from Alpine, Utah, who teaches two hours a week in a courtship and marriage class at the Academy. Since they have become involved, several serious romances have started among the students and we expect our first wedding to be any month now. Bette and I also need to start meeting as an Admissions Board to select students for batch six.
Seems like with all that we have to accomplish, we need to stay another year instead of getting on the big plane on May 14, 2001. Instead, we are just going to do two things. One, stay healthier and two, get more people to help us do the work. (And three stay away from trying to get exceptions from bureaucracies.)
God bless each of you, until next week. We love the work, the students, our staff and our friends and family. It is so great having Bonnie and Travis here for a week. I love my wife, missionary companion and co-director of the Academy. She helps me in so many ways.
Steve
It is my turn now and I have a just a couple of things to add. Like Steve has said it is doing us a lot of good to have family with us for a few days. It'll be fun to take Bonnie and Travis to church with us in an hour or so. We just had a very relaxing breakfast at Montebello Court Hotel with the kids, which is right next door. We can see it from our window. We can see this lovely little bridge in this garden area by the swimming pool that is very picturesque and I have wanted to walk over there and take pictures ever since we've been here so today was my chance and it was a delightful experience.
This past week was way too eventful for me. The traveling to Manila on Wednesday to the CES conference was tiring but we were glad we went to give those brethren an annual report on the Academy's first year. We also wanted to thank them in person for helping to distribute applications. Ronald Aban, our Director of Recruitment and Alumni Relations, went with us and he showed some statistics and a video of the facility and our current students. It was fun for the CES men to hear greetings via the video from the students who they had referred to the Academy. It was a good presentation. Steve answered several pertinent questions. We also managed to deliver more than 1,350 applications to the PBO in Manila to be mailed out with a Liahona magazine mailing and then also another thousand or more to the CES people to distribute. It was a challenge to get all that done, but worth the effort. Steve is already worrying having enough students for Batch 6.
Last night we took Travis and Bonnie with us to the biggest and fanciest wedding reception you can possibly imagine. Some of you will remember the non-LDS exchange student that we had named Ross-Ann King. This was her brother's wedding and because of the Academy we were invited. Liz Siady is also a relative so of course we were with them. We figured that there must have been over 750 people to a big 8-course meal. The decorations and floral arrangements, the gowns, beautifully embroidered borongs on the men, the fancy food and variety of entertainment was out of this world! We were the only non-Chinese people there, so we stood out like sore thumbs. (Note from Steve: I prefer to think of us more like roses or diamonds than sore thumbs.) It was an experience I will long remember.
I am looking forward to this next week, mostly because of Bonnie and Travis being here but also because the pace will slow just a little. I have decided I can make it another 6 months.
May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by family and yummy food. We are thankful also for our many blessings!
Bette