November 2, 2024
by Ed Maurer
The idea of the farm team goes back to the 19th century when small farming communities supported minor league baseball teams. Players were trained and gained experience with the idea that they would move up the ladder when they were ready. For this little story I use the farm team as a metaphor and see farm team opportunities at boards of directors of water and sanitation districts, education, or even city councils and at management boards of NGOs. Many of them welcome younger players!
Many of the positions on these boards are held by long-timers who would give up their seats if qualified young players would be willing to step up to the plate. While I don’t have figures to prove it, I would guess that the average age of board members is steadily rising, because, in the top league, the mean age of members of Congress of the United States has steadily risen over time (2009 – 2023), from 57.2 to 58.4 years in the House and from 63.1 to 64 years in the Senate. (from statista)
Here's my heartfelt invitation to the under 50 crowd: If you have an interest in civic affairs and take your role as a citizen seriously, take the time and attend a meeting of your water board, the OC Parks Commission, your school board, or the Sierra Club, and see whether this may be something for you. And if you decide you’d like to get involved, let me know and I’ll get you connected to some people that can provide coaching and training.