From blkeagle@MIDWEST.NET Sun Dec 29 16:43:52 1996

Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 19:28:02 -0600

From: "MAJ Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle)"

<blkeagle@MIDWEST.NET>

To: Multiple recipients of list SCOUTS-L <SCOUTS-L@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU>

Subject: Re: Organizing Materials

I KNOW that Jessica is wanting (waiting) for me to answer this particular posting!! (Blackeagle Services, to which Jessica is trying to run and take care of herself and her mother in my physical abscense, is an information management small business)

John Van Blarcom asked a great question about information management:

>What is the best way to organize the mounds of materials I'm being

>swamped with as cubmaster? I am using a combination of boxes and bins.

Pick a day where you can dedicate the majority of the day toward completing this organizational goal. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to organize some materials over a period of time, especially if you don't write down (and most folks don't) the WAY you did it!!

Next, separate the materials into four distinct groupings:

EVERYDAY STUFF: This is the stuff like my four-pound binder that sits on the shelf in my barracks room, alongside the patch binder and the Geoworks binder and the small binder that has Public Affairs information. I use different colored binders for different stuff, and in the front of each binder there's a page which tells (most times *sour face*...I haven't updated the pages, which I (and you) should do when you add or take away something from that binder) what's in there. This *alone* cuts the time factor downward when you need to find something quickly, because you don't have to flip through each binder "looking for something".

WEEKLY STUFF: This is the stuff like my Commissioner's Workbook binder (the green one, Jessica, sitting in the stereo cabinet that I'm using as a bookshelf) and "Die Deutsche Buch" (the Germany Book) which is maintained downstairs on the desk near the living room. Other "weekly stuff" include meeting notes, directory of leaders, etc. Place this material in a DIFFERENT LOCATION than your everyday stuff. This prevents you from lumping everything together and allows you to "go into the zone" when you get ready for it (for instance, when I "do the commissioner thing", I know that I have to change uniform shirts (in the closet) and then get the Commissioner book from the "shelf").

MONTHLY STUFF: Roundtable stuff, stuff from the Council office, newsletters, "Scouting", "Boy's Life" and other stuff that you read and review, gleem information from, and then store it somewhere to use DURING THAT MONTH or which you anticipate using THAT MONTH. Place this in a box or in one of those cardboard "magazine boxes" that you can label with the month and topic (I have three sets: computer stuff, Scouting stuff, military stuff). These go on a bookcase, where you can get access to them and be reminded that they are there for your usage. When you are frequently reminded of things, you'll do them or get frustrated that they are still there, reminding you that you have to do it (like the overflowing garbage cans).

YEARLY STUFF: This is stuff that you feel that you will want to use within the coming year (or within three years). Professional organizers say that you should re-look your yearly stuff every three years and throw away up to 60 percent of what you have stored; I disagree (with the experience to back it up!) and say that if you have not TOUCHED it within five years, toss it. When you touch something, I'm told, there are receptors in your brain that remembers what you've touched and somehow, while you are looking for something else, your brain works like your hard drive and starts searching for all images of "Scouting books" for instance. This explains how come we can always find stuff that we're NOT looking for easier than we can the item or thing we're intently looking tearing the room up) for....and we state "THAT'S where it is!!" even before knowing what exactly it is we suddenly remembered!! The yearly stuff goes best in a box, labeled with the year and placed in a closet or other location relatively free from wetness, small children, children and significant others looking for "empty boxes", and sight. Don't forget to document what you have IN that box somewhere so that when you start looking, you can go immediately to Box 1994 or "Box E".

There are several themes running through this posting:

*binders. Binders are better on paper than boxes or folders. Neater and can be carried with minimal loss of paper. Staple, glue or tape smaller pieces to larger pages. Don't be concerned about size of binders....like your hard drive, if you find large binders, you'll find enough paper and books to fill it and then some.

Resist the urge to get a larger binder when they fill....instead look at what you have in there and start doing some thinning instead.

*notes. Note everything. I use a database to find postings that I've saved onto diskettes but Jessica will tell you, I didn't label the diskettes. Bad move, Mr. Infoman!! Good thing I *did* label the diskettes electronically however, or I would NEVER be able to find anything. Have an index handy...in one of your EVERYDAY binders, so that you know WHAT you have and WHERE it is. It's also a great and handy hint for important papers in the event of an emergency.

*backup. I have paper products that would be the envy of several recyclable places!! I also have electronic and microfilmed stuff stored away too, just in case later on little Kailey discovers fire and torches the room by mistake. I've also invested in several bookcases which while makes the organization better also eats up space.

*process. Go through your stuff periodically and discover some really neat stuff. Don't forget to touch and look...your body works much better than the BEST of the personal computers out there, and with a high degree of accuracy. At the same time, don't concern yourself with stuff that you'll never get any use from....don't be afraid to throw stuff away and "start over" with other, newer stuff (I do, but I do miss the older stuff and end up getting more old stuff anyway).

*separate. Separate the daily stuff from the weekly stuff from the yearly stuff. Separate the locations of your weekly stuff from each other so you are forced to remember what it is for and why it is important. Separate the boxes for your yearly stuff from the magazine boxes for the monthly stuff. Make an "index page" in the front of each binder you use so that you can glance and see the contents before you start riffling through.

*recycle. We have a lot of paper in this world, and we all need to do as much as we can to reduce the amount we use, reuse the resources we have and recycle it when we no longer have a usage for it. Whether or not you get "money back" for your efforts, you need to take your paper to someplace where they can shred it and turn it back into more paper...therefore conserving the beautiful trees which we use for teaching respect and recreation of the land.

Hope this all helps!!

Settummanque!

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(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle)

http://www.vhm.com/~uscardnl/

(Brigade) Signal Officer, TF 21, 21st Theater Army Area Command

Kaiserslautern, Federal Republic of Germany

"everything I say is "on the record"; speaking ONLY for myself unless indicated"

personal inquiries via blkeagle@midwest.net or kyblkeagle@aol.com

professional inquiries via waltonm%po2.hq@taacom.kaiserslautern.army.mil

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