Meyer Mix

When cleaning out old files, I came across this journal I started when Jenny and I just began at Mooseheart as Houseparents.  We had just graduated college, and then got married, went on our honeymoon, and came to mooseheart a week later.  The Journal only covered the first week or so.  I started it after our second day, because I quickly realized how weird this experience was going to be.  Keep in mind, that Mooseheart is a different place now, although I do see some simalarities in these early observations with how current Family Teachers may view the organization.

“It is our second night here and we just completed our first day of training.  Earlier in the day, we were told by our CCM [Supervisor] that the Houseparent hwo has been running Oregon Home gave his resignation.  And in winding down his last few weeks here, he let the chores and the discipline in the house slip to the point where the house was unlivable for the kids.  Therefore, we were told that Mooseheart plans to move us into Oregon Home, but they will move all of the kids out.  After we have a chance to clean it up, they will put a new group of high schoolers in there.  Jeny was very happy with this news, because we could now get our feet wet withouth sasting any of the the critical first days with our residents. (more…)

“It was another pleasant day with our trainer, Mary Harding.  For lunch we attended the monthly picnic at the fieldhouse.  Mary told us we would be introduced to the whole community, with a simple save to the crowd, called the ‘new employee wave.’

“We took a tour of the clothing store and learned about ordering clothes and how to send the home’s linens to the cleaners. (more…)

“Training consisted of visiting all of the main structures here, including the House of God, Moose International, Central Kitchen, Hortaculture Department, Residential Living, etc.

“I got a call from my family to supposedly cheer us up.  (more…)

[This was the last entry] 

“Yesterday, I got another call from the principal as Sandburg Jr. High.  She asked me to come in for an interview for a science position.  I couldn’t believe it.  I really wanted that opportunity, but I had already committed myself to Mooseheart.  I don’t know if the idea of traditional teaching sounds better to me now, or if it is just because I am emotionally attached to Sandburg.  I remember Mr. Sample and Mr. Fowler, who I really looked up to. (more…)

Jenny has packed 72 boxes thus far.  I started to pack my first box, which contained old files, and thought my time would be better spent purging those materials.  I came across a document that I wrote in May 1999, when I was trying to decide if I wanted to return to Mooseheart after my Masters Degree, or work at Cornell University.  I had a third choice, which was to start my Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration, as I was already accepted to three schools, Iowa State, Indiana U., and University of Georgia.  But of the three paths in front of me at the time, that was the first one I decided not to pursue. 

As everyone knows, I chose Cornell over Mooseheart, which I know was the right choice at the time.  However, it was just two years later, that I came back to the Heart of the Moose.  It must have just kept calling me…   thump thump…   thump thump…  thump thump…

Anyway, back to the point of this post, click through to read my comparison notes regarding this decision. (more…)