by Charles Hendricks | Jun 12, 2015 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, community, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership, Local Leaders, Office Culture, Rotary
The 10th annual Harrisonburg All-American Soap Box Derby is this Saturday, June 13th, 2015. Please come out and cheer these racers on as they chase their dreams down East Washington Street. The Harrisonburg All-American Soap Box Derby is sponsored by Rockingham Rotary Club and brings science, technology, and math lessons to young racers ranging in ages from 7 – 21.
The Soap Box Derby is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to build knowledge and character, and to create meaningful experiences through collaboration and fair and honest competition. The core values learned from this event include – leadership, family engagement, honesty, integrity, perseverance, innovation, entrepreneurship, teamwork, collaboration, and sportsmanship.
There are three classes of racers – stock, super stock, and masters. The winners of each division from Harrisonburg will have the opportunity to move on to Akron, Ohio. Soap Box Derby champions from around the world come together in Akron each year to compete in the First Energy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship at the world-famous Derby Downs Track.
by Charles Hendricks | Mar 20, 2015 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, community, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership, Local Leaders, Office Culture, Rotary
Harrisonburg Soap Box Derby Car Build Clinic
There are many new activities coming to the SVBA Home and Garden Show this year. One of the most unique is a build clinic to help kids get their skills down for the upcoming Harrisonburg Soap Box Derby. Matt Findley will lead the clinic and he is a great leader and teacher. The kids participating in the event will have a great time for sure.
The Soap Box Derby is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to build knowledge and character, and to create meaningful experiences through collaboration and fair and honest competition. The build clinic will be April 11th at the Rockingham County Fair Grounds from 10 am – noon.
The Core Values of the Soap Box Derby are:
• Youth Education and Leadership Development
• Family Engagement and Enrichment
• Honesty, Integrity and Perseverance
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Mentoring
• Volunteerism
• Commitment to Community
This year the Rockingham Rotary Club is also hosting a movie about the Soap Box Derby that is free for kids to attend. On April 19 starting at 2pm the movie, 25 Hill, will play at Court Square Theater. 25 Hill stars Corbin Bernsen telling the story of a child who lost his dad in the war in Afghanistan, a man who lost his son in the 9/11 attacks, and how they both found personal redemption while building and racing a Soap Box Derby Car.
by Charles Hendricks | Jul 4, 2014 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, community, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership, Local Leaders, Office Culture, Rotary
Valley Business Keynote
The Second Annual Valley Business Keynote event will take place on Thursday, July 24, 2014, from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at James Madison University’s Festival Conference Center. The Valley Business Keynote is open to the public and is a cooperative initiative of the area Rotary clubs, The Association of Young Professionals and the HR Chamber of Commerce. Lunch will be provided at no charge to members and guests of the sponsoring organizations.
July 24 | 11am-1pm
JMU Festival Center Ballroom
1301 Carrier Drive | Harrisonburg
This year’s Valley Business Keynote will feature Mark Fernandes, the Chief Leadership Officer with Luck Companies in Goochland, Virginia. Mark is a dynamic speaker who has spoken to business leaders around the world, and was recently named as a “Top 100 Thought Leader in Trustworthy Business” for 2014.
For more information and to RSVP, visit: http://www.valleybusinesskeynote.com.
by Charles Hendricks | Jun 22, 2014 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, community, Local Leaders, Rotary, team
The Annual Harrisonburg Soap Box Derby took place earlier in June. This event teaches kids workmanship, sportsmanship, and community service. This event is sponsored by the Rockingham Rotary. It is spearheaded by Farm Credit’s Matt Findley who puts countless hours into the event along with most of his family. This derby just completed the ninth year with 30+ kids participating and going on to the national competition. We were thrilled to be one of the many volunteers this year and hope to see twice as many kids involved next year.
by Charles Hendricks | Jul 6, 2012 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, Harrisonburg Architect
As we stand at the edge and look towards the future, I wonder if we will start to build bridges or continue to erode the banks. As we continue to borrow against our future, our children’s future, we are damaging the fabric needed for success. We fight for things that benefit ourselves right now without thinking through the issues in a holistic manner. We throw insults and accusations at those in leadership to discredit them often simply because they are not on our ‘team’. We shove people in a category because they have voiced an opinion about one issue, at one time, concerning one matter. We are ripping away the power of thoughtful discussion and compromise. We are tearing down the pathways to unity and power all in the name of money, taxes, ‘freedom’. As we stand at the edge I wonder if you will reach out your hand to help me up or continue on your way without looking back.
Every decision we make has an impact. You can choose to support those looking to build community or those looking to build themselves. What do you want our future to look like? What do you want to pass down to our children? Will you stand up for those making decisions that do not benefit you today, but rather benefit us in the long run? Will you make changes to your lifestyle today that reduces air and water pollution in the future? Will you change your shopping patterns to support your neighbors even though it may cost you more cash today? Will you stop spreading hate so that your children can experience a world that puts respect, conversation, and community as a top priority?
I don’t have the answers and I struggle to make the right changes myself. I am always looking for a better way, but often fall short. We are standing at the edge of an ecological disaster, a financial meltdown, an energy nightmare. We are facing serious climate change issues, over fishing, agricultural deprivation of soil, polluting chemical companies, ozone layer deprivation, waste disposal problems, energy production issues, energy grid failures, overpopulation, food shortages, water pollution, poor fiscal policy, political lobby groups, and communication failures just to name a few. How can we ever overcome all these challenges? How can we get past the political maneuvering of those with money and power and make a real change in our community? We only have one option that can provide success – we have to come together, as a community, as a nation, and as a family and work towards a positive future. We need to stop fighting for power and instead work to help each other.
“The encouraging thing is that every time you meet a situation, though you may think at the time it is an impossibility and you go through the tortures of the damned, once you have met it and lived through it you find that forever after you are freer than you ever were before. If you can live through that you can live through anything. You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, `I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ The danger lies in refusing to face the fear, in not daring to come to grips with it. If you fail anywhere along the line, it will take away your confidence. You must make yourself succeed every time. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt
You Learn By Living (1960)
by Charles Hendricks | Jun 16, 2012 | architecture, Charles Hendricks
Life of a father
Many look at our plight as a fairy tale of watching television, burping, yelling for our team, and mowing the yard. However, there is more to the story than you have seen in the news. There are more trials and tribulations to being a father than any other role in the world. The FATHER is more than a stereotype of football fanatic, grill loving, trash taker outer. The FATHER is the glue that makes all things possible. Here is a look at dads on this Happy Father’s Day.
Father, or Dad as some people prefer, is the person that makes all other things possible. Without Dad nobody leave the seat up to give that cold surprise in the middle of the night that wakes you up early so you can get more done. This is a role only a father can fill to the utmost potential!
Dad is the person that is called in when there is a spider that needs a special friend to take them on a trip outside. Of course Dad probably does not want to touch the spider either, but he braves the 8 legs and disposes of the spider carefully.
Dad is the person that avoids climbing on the roof so you can have that vegetated roof you always wanted and did not know to ask for. Without his not cleaning out the gutters that seed pod would have never seen the potential of growing in the gutter. Those weeds would not have sprouted roots and flowered.
Dad is the person that brings the tickles in the morning when the little ones are having trouble getting up. There is nobody else fully qualified to get the belly button with slobbery vigor.
Dad is the one person available at all times for that afternoon nap that someone needs to take. That couch was purchased and paid for with money that took time to earn, delivered with the sweat of the delivery men hired so dad would not have to carry it, and it just sits there. Dad gives it potential and purpose making the efforts and money used worthwhile.
Dad does not mow the grass more often so when it gets done it looks that much better. If it was mowed weekly you would never get to experience it looking terrible. Without Dad procrastinating you would not get to experience the full beauty of a neat trimmed lawn compared to the unkept experience it has every other week.
Without Dad, who would finish that half eaten ice cream, donuts, or hamburger? Dad is the ultimate environmentalist helping reduce food waste one meal at a time.
Dads were created to give kids something to climb on, jump on, and bounce on. Dads were created to give others a higher sense of accomplishment.
Dads give purpose to kids. Dads give motivation for others to get better, always looking for ways to set a baseline standard that others can surpass to give them the feeling of success. If a Dad was to get up and do all the work, follow all the rules, and always behave, then others would feel inadequate.
As a Father, I pride myself in my ability to give my kids a sense of accomplishment. I hope your father’s day can be just as beneficial to those around you and that you take an extra long nap, grill a few extra burgers, and watch many hours of the game.
Happy Father’s Day!
This year’s Valley Business Keynote will feature Mark Fernandes, the Chief Leadership Officer with Luck Companies in Goochland, Virginia. Mark is a dynamic speaker who has spoken to business leaders around the world, and was recently named as a “Top 100 Thought Leader in Trustworthy Business” for 2014.
