I seem to be moving from leader and organizer to coordinator, both at home and with my girl scout troop. An organizer envisions a project, figures out what must happen, keeps track of the details, and makes sure it all gets done. An organizer delegates pieces perhaps, but retains control of the whole. A coordinator, on the other hand, takes someone else�s project, figures out what must happen, keeps track of the details, and cajoles the dreamer into getting it done, hoping all the while that the dreamer really wanted it done in the first place and still wants it done now. Unfortunately for me, I was born to be an organizer, not a coordinator.

I hated group work in school. I hated the additional effort and time it required to get other people to do what I believed needed to be done. I hated having to pretend that what someone else did was fine when it was not. I admit that it was good preparation for some parts of any job but it also was enough to teach me to find a job with as little group work as possible�and I have.

I keep trying to convert this coordinator thing into an organizer thing. I tell myself that coordination is my project. I tell myself that my long-term vision is to have all these girls dream their own dreams and become organizers themselves. That thought fools me for a while. But, as with legislation and sausages, no one should watch organizers being made, least of all another organizer.

Deep down, I suspect that some of my girls will never be organizers. Because they are sixth graders, however, I cannot be entirely sure who is who�although I have my suspicions. Heck, at sixth grade, they are not sure who is who either. Many are not even sure who they are.

But, despite my lack of talent at coordination, I�m plunging ahead. I guess it will be a learning experience�for me and for them. Let�s just hope that we don�t end up with a total lack of organization and a total lack of coordination as well.

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