the Y - after a day to think about the re-branding

After having some time to consider everything that was presented over the past several days to the media/public, I have decided that changing the YMCA logo and "identity" or "brand" is a minor part of a larger plan.  The shame is, the new logo is where the attention is going.  Of more importance is the study conducted by YMCA of the USA.  In the remarks given at the press conference and in the press release, the real change in the Y (more accurately a refocusing of what the Y has always been good at) is the focus of mission.

The Y Community Snapshot Study - which I have not seen in its entirety - is the report being held in clenched fists to prove the urgency and need for change.  Numbers abound.  66 percent of people think the current quality of life in their communities is worse than last year.  Respondents reported that they were concerned the most about chronic issues involving crime, violence, and public safety.  They also identified access to quality healthcare, poverty, negative youth behaviors, and declining values as concerns.  (They apparently don't care about or were not polled about global warming, terrorism, or American troops serving in foreign countries)


I am always skeptical when people start throwing around numbers.  The Community Snapshot does help support the renewed focus of the Y mission.  A mission that should be intuitively obvious and not need the justification of a study.  Regardless of the percent of people involved in their community, it is never a bad thing to increase that number.  Does it really matter if only 30% of the people surveyed (vice the actual percent of 41) believe youth violence and bullying are a problem?  The numbers are nice to have, but they are not needed.

Three bullet points or phrases are being hammered into the psyche of the Y

• For Youth Development
• For Healthy Living
• For Social Responsibility

The Y has been involved in youth development and healthy living for decades.  The newest push is the third item - Social Responsibility; not an area that has been actively talked about or "pushed".  My inner cynic is saying "Social Responsibility is the new code word for Volunteer at the Y so they don'e have to pay someone to do something that someone else might do for free".  Experience has shown that the programs run by the "volunteers" are the ones that seem to prosper and work best.  The Milton Y "TGIF" and "Jive" programs were huge successes when they were managed by a group of local parents who wanted quality social activities for their children.  When the children of these parents grew up and the parents left the program in the hands of the "employees", the programs dwindled into non-existence.  

So, yes, I do see the need to refocus the energies of the program.  I believe that problems are best solved at the lowest level possible.  Ys will be able to tailor their programs to meet the needs of the community.  The best way for the community to get what it needs from the Y is to have a strong involvement from the people in the community.  If that is the result of the "Re-Branding", it will be worth doing.

(http://www.ymca.net/news-media/y-community-snapshot.pdf)