Common Thread

For what I hope will be obvious reasons, lately 50th Anniversaries have been on my mind. So over the past few days, I have been doing some research on other organizations and entities that are celebrating 50 years in 2013.

The question I hoped to find some answer to was: is there anything unique about the year 1963 that contributed to the enduring nature of some iconic entities we know? Is there a common thread running through these 50 year-olds?

1963 saw the birth of several communities, such as Coral Springs, FL and the Broomfield Chamber of Commerce.

Mission driven organizations established with a sense of purpose in 1963 include the I Have a Dream Foundation, Think 360 Arts, the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, and the Canadian Dental Hygienist Association.

Learning institutions were also born, such as Semester at Sea and Missouri State University at West Plains.

1963 was a year of information sharing, including the first published version of the magnificently titled Emery County Progress (a newspaper in Utah).

Entertainment and recreation had a good year in 1963. Steamboat Springs Ski Resort was established, the Doctor Who television program first aired, the Newmarket Pipe Band (Irish music … since St Patty’s day is around the corner!) was formed, General Hospital premiered on television, and the Swingle Singers acappela group released their pioneering, Grammy-winning debut album Jazz Sébastien Bach in 1963.



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Creations debuted in 1963 that clearly became icons included Lamborghini, McLaren Group Motor Racing, the Mustang Club of America, the Porsche 911, and the Ferrari Club of America (although that seems a bit oxymoronic).

After all of my research on the many organizations and entities celebrating their golden anniversary, I found the common thread to be . . . Imagine!.

We are most certainly a community organization – we can’t exist without the support of our community.

We are also clearly a mission driven organization.

We are a learning institution of a sort - we strive not only to educate those we serve so they may participate more fully in society, but also to educate society about the many contributions individuals with developmental disabilities are bringing to their communities every single day, and to facilitate the meeting of mutual obligation between those we serve and the community.

We believe firmly in information sharing, and work tirelessly to find the most effective and efficient ways to communicate with our many stakeholders so they can stay up to date about happenings throughout Imagine! and the world of services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Recreation and entertainment are a key element to the services we provide. Why? Because they are a key element in every person’s life, and finding ways to create recreation and entertainment opportunities for the individuals we serve in integrated settings benefits everyone – our clients, Imagine!, and the community.

For the last element – are we iconic? While I may be biased, I would argue that we are an iconic organization. Throughout the history of our organization, we have been looked at as a model locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally for our innovative thinking and forward looking services. For 50 years, Imagine! has never been afraid to ask a simple question: “why not?” But beyond asking the question, we looked for answers where others only saw obstacles.

1963, then, was indeed a unique year. It marked the beginning of a 50-year odyssey for Imagine! and our stakeholders. The stories you have (hopefully) been reading in this blog are just a small sample of the successes that have resulted from that journey. I can’t wait to see what the next 50 years will bring.

Then again, what do I know?