Throughout this summer, there has been these 1–day to 2-week periods (a fortnight) where I’m been hunkering done and attempting to get things “done.”

Without know of it, I’ve been aligned to the manifesto of the cult of done.

This originated here.  (The two folks who put it together did so in 20 minutes because they only had 20 minutes to get it done.)

To lead does not have to be about what we used to call “fire-fighting…” which is reactive problem solving.

Leadership can have a focus on doing, learning and adapting. The core idea in this manifesto, is the focus on doing, rather than first waiting to figure out what’s right.

I used to have a co-worker that would often invoke the  mantra of Larry the Cable Guy: “Get R Done.” And there is a slew of those who will readily evaluate by “What have you done for me lately?”

But, I’ve got to say. . . I’m becoming a fan of “Done!”

ª  Just as Baltimore / this site has been doing, Arlington has been producing weekly videos in support of the year for priests.

ª  Later this month Richmond will be hosting the Virginia Youth Workers Training Conference

Friends in the Old Dominion State, are there any more blogs or websites of which we should be aware?

National Catholic Reporter takes a look at Young Catholics who accept the Church as she is.

JERSEY CITY, NJ –  Young people are arguably the most studied, analyzed and coveted group in the Catholic Church.

While the stories of the eight or so people gathered around the table at Our Lady of Czestochowa hardly constitute a scientific sampling of opinion, it is reasonable to suggest that neither are they an aberrant sample. If they are at all indicative of what is occurring among twenty- and thirty-somethings, church leaders might take heart for the institution’s future.

The group at Our Lady of Czestochowa in many ways were reflective of some of the findings in recent studies. In American Catholics Today: New Realities of Their Faith and Their Church, the results of a study conducted by four prominent Catholic sociologists, young adult Catholics are described as different from previous generations in their attitude toward both civil and religious authorities. “They have been taught to think for themselves” and “to take responsibility for their own relationship with God.”

While a “sizeable minority” of young Catholics, estimated at about 20 percent, are deeply religious, attending Mass and confession regularly and thinking of themselves as “orthodox,” most are less rigid in their observance. “As long as they believe in God, Jesus’ Incarnation and Resurrection, and Mary as the Mother of God and as long as they do whatever they can to love their neighbor, they do not feel obliged to attend Mass every week, go to Confession every year or even marry in the church,” according to American Catholics. Read more here.

There has ben a fair amount of ArchBalt coverage this summer, and, sorry, we’re not going to apologize for an active summer.  This story also broke here.

An archdiocesan document released earlier this month, labeled Technology Procedural Recommendations, seeks to answer lingering questions for teachers, religious educators, youth ministers and volunteers about proper virtual communication boundaries. Co-authored by Scott Miller and Kristin Witte, staff members of the archdiocese’s Division of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, the 30-page document tackles nearly every technological communication tool, from cell phone text messaging to e-mail. “The common perception is that there’s a dichotomy between the real world and the virtual world and that one is less public,” Miller said. “That’s not true.”  See more here.

In all our touring of the States of Youth Ministry and our postings including licence plates, congratulations to the Green Mountain State for the boring-est licence plate of them all!

ª   Burlington is familiar to us in Maryland as well see them at both the March for Life and Mount 2000.

Vermonters, all other websites or blogs for us to watch?

This blog posting from Steven Demaio has been passed around the bloggosphere. In it, he suggests three basic rules for leading, even when you are not in a position of authority:

1. Let your enthusiasm for the work be contagious. If what really drives you is the core of the challenge itself — and you let other people see that — most of them will be drawn toward your goal organically.

2. Demonstrate excellence without being cocky or solicitous of approval. If people sense that a leader is seeking validation, the best she can hope for is muted applause. Needy leaders are rarely inspiring.

3. Don’t be overinvested in outcomes. Subordinates the importance of outcomes while leading quietly.

Read it all  here.

ª   Matthew Boerke, diocesan director of Salt Lake City, offers an e-newsletter that is both informative and chatty.

So, folks in the Beehive State, what’s the buzz?  Are we missing any other Utah websites or blogs?

In week eight of our celebration of the Year for Priests, Archbishop O’Brien adds to a series of public service spots that he does in the ArchBalt and  describes this as a time for all of us to consider the contributions of our priests.  See it here.

Resources on Saint John Mary Vianney, patron of parish priests, can be found here.  

Meanwhile, check and see how our neighbors in Arlington and Military Services USA are celebrating

When this summer seemed like it was going to be a quieter time, we planned to do some promotional videos for the Youth Contact meeting,  You have seen parodies of the e-trade baby and Finding Nemo.

When this summer seemed like it was going to be a quieter time, I agreed to do a tech training for the formation staff at St. Margaret’s parish, covering podcasts, youtubing, downloading video, and video production / editing.

Somewhere in the middle of last Tuesday, in the middle of what was not a quiet time any longer, we killed two birds with one stone.  Even in these busy times, I always feel like Somebody’s watching over me.

I’m taking an extended weekend break. Friday off, and Monday too. I’ll be doing the same over Labor Day weekend, and we’ll shut down the blog during that break.

What do I hope to accomplish?  Don’t know and, frankly, don’t care.  If I only vegetate over the entire four-day span, that will be time well spent. Ecclesiastes 3 starts off with “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.” Then there is all the “A time to …’s” but that wraps up with “I recognized that there is nothing better than to be glad and to do well during life.” 

I’m spending the weekend being glad.

ª Brownsville has a listing of services

ª El Paso had a slam Jam tournament this summer.  It looks as if that means volleyball.

ª We know from the diocesan calendar in Larado that there is a Youth Spectacular going on in a week or so in  (but the Laredo youth ministry page does not seem to indicate so.)

ª San Angelo, also had a difficult to find youth ministry page, but they did have this links page.

ª At San Antonio, you can check out the mandates expected of youth leaders.

Whew!  That’s our three day tour of the State of Texas! So, any blogs or other websites that we might be missing from the Lone Star State?