Over the past few months I have gotten several notes from members commenting on how they responded to a posting in our newsletter even though they hadn’t seen it.

How did this miracle occur you might ask? One of their fellow members took the time to send it to them to ensure that they saw it. They didn’t think to themselves “Oh, he/she probably saw it.” They took a chance about being dismissed out of hand and MADE SURE that their friend had the chance to say aye or nay.

That’s what doing the “friend thing” is all about.

It is all very easy to sit around waiting for someone to call you so you can do them a favor.

While I hope that each of you, if called, will give of yourselves, the more important aspect of our little circle of friends is the doing of small good deeds when the opportunity presents itself even when you haven’t been specifically asked.

Back in 1995 when I was a new member of The FENG, I was picked up by a very special friend by the name of Ken Hall who in those early days would call me at work to tell me about job leads he had uncovered. Although I never had the chance to reciprocate, it somehow never stopped him from calling. Perhaps it was my sincere appreciation. More likely it was Ken’s willingness to do the “friend thing” without being asked.

The core value of The FENG is that we are a circle of friends. Everyone who is a current member was sponsored by someone who thought well enough of them to ask them to join. I like to think that as each of us moves down the road of life as members of our august body that we continue to pick up more friends along the way. That IS what life is all about.

By learning enough about each other’s backgrounds to honestly be helpful is a big step. When you see that perfect job that fits one of your friends, don’t ASSUME they have seen it. Give them a call AND send it to them by email. (That is after all why Al Gore invented this darn thing called the Internet you know!)

Our goal is and continues to be to create an organization that does more for its members than any other previously in existence. This happens not from our national organization per se, but rather from the individual acts of friendship performed by our members for each other.

As I have said before and I will surely say many times again: “Every day and in every way, it all begins with you!”

Regards, Matt