Thoughts upon the retirement of R. Bean

Rodney Bean is retiring today after 11 years as Executive Director of the Yellow Springs Senior Citizens. He and I are about the same age. We are technically not Baby Boomers, as we were born just before the end of WWII. We are, however, ex officio boomers, as we have lived virtually all our lives with them and have been subjected to the same cultural influences.

Presumably, the person who will be hired to replace Rodney, if that is at all possible, will be an official boomer. In just a short time, that person will be dealing with a very different kind of senior citizen and, most likely, a very different kind of board. It's a shame Rodney will be foregoing that experience.

As I turned 65, I sought the counsel of the very capable staff of the Home Assistance Program (HAP) at the Senior Center to choose the right Medicare option for me. As she assisted me, Social Worker Caroline Mullin noted that this year's crop of 65-year-olds was very different from the folks she had been used to dealing with.

"That's because we are really the first of the baby-boomers," I said.

That, along with Rodney's retirement, brings to mind a sea change that is about to sweep over the Senior Center. When and if the baby boomers start to come into fold, there is likely to be a clash of ideals. I remember my aging father lamenting the way my generation does things, as opposed to his "greatest generation," as politicians my age, such as Bill Clinton, rose to power. Imagine the Senior Citizens board room as the rock generation starts to roll in. Trying times may lay ahead.

Rodney did a great job of guiding the Senior Citizens as they rose from a social organization to a socially responsible organization, all the while navigating the hazardous waters of a board and membership with strong and diverse opinions on how things should be done. Watch out! Those waters are likely to get even choppier.

We are fortunate to have the Senior Center. With an aging population in Yellow Springs, it fills a need in providing an array of senior services you would not expect to find in a small town. We are lucky to have had Rodney to bring the organization to the point where it could do that in an increasingly complex environment, financial and otherwise. He has kept the organization relevant.

The Senior Citizens are going to miss Rodney Bean's leadership. Good luck to his successor!