  Well its Tuesday and it is about half way throughout the Masters in Management in Co-operatives and Credit Unions (from now on called MMCCU) Orientation session.
What I thought would be some classes and some recreation is turning out to be quite intense. Now don't get me wrong we do have fun and wine and dine sometimes but it is also quite intense. There is so much that we cover and so much we have learned. Not to mention I am coming home with about 20 lbs of books/binders/video tapes and the like. Today we are learning how to use the WebCT software that we will use to communicate with each other, and later this afternoon we are going on a tour to see some successful co-ops in the area.
Tomorrow its team building and the whale tour. On the weekend we got a chance to discuss with 3 successful CEOs of various large/small co-ops about their businesses it was so cool. This is definitely something I love doing, and I am definitely down the right path. As well my thinking on operation of co-ops is shifting, and I am seeing the inherent flaws that we have in our co-operative but I hope that I will be there to help out.
I will also be realigning my personal goals to be more in-line (they are there already just a few more tweaks). The other thing is we have a great mix of people the class is about 15 people, of all ages (although I am the youngest). But the good thing is that the diversity within us is what will strengthen the group. We have people from large associations/co-operatives, some from small local co-ops. As well we have people from both Canada and the States as well as from across many sectors, farmers/insurance/food/housing/fisheries.
So I am really energized for what we will accomplish. The other neat thing is as part of the program there is a field trip, this will occur in October 2005 and we will be going to Spain to visit the urlLink Mondragon Co-operatives in the Basque region of Spain. For this I am excited ... weeee ... Anyhow coffee break is almost over and the folk are trickling back. I was hoping to post a picture but I may not get the chance. 
