Guest Editor – James Hartman (LT 31)

My 19-year-old nephew who just moved here to go to TCC was looking to score a free meal from his Uncle, and it just so happened that our LT 31 Happy Hour was family friendly last month. So, as we are leaving he turns to me and says “Uncle James is this like an old person’s fraternity?” (remember he’s 19 so don’t be offended, everyone is old to him). As the thought of anyone seeing me as a “frat” boy made me chuckle a little, it also made me realize that even a young man could see that we were a group of people that shared something more than just professional interest or family friendships. But I didn’t know how to answer as I was never in a fraternity, so I Googled it. And according to Wikipedia, it looks like LT is a fraternity of sorts – “The only true distinction between a fraternity and any other form of social organization is the implication that the members freely associate as equals for a mutually beneficial purpose rather than because of a religious, governmental, commercial, or familial bond, although there are fraternities dedicated to each of these field.”

The more I read this definition, and the more I thought about it, belonging to the Best Class Ever, LT 31 #followthis, made me a LT Frat Boy. I built personal and professional relationships that will last a lifetime with people I would otherwise never meet, experienced Tallahassee in ways I couldn’t have imagined and gained confidence that Tallahassee was the right place for me and my family to be. And since I am not what you would call a social butterfly, belonging to something like this is huge for me, and something I would never have the opportunity to do again.

Or so I thought at the time. Until after graduation, when I was added to the secret email list and learned of LT 2.0. Another chance to not only spend time with my LT 31 Frat brothers and sisters, but meet other members of LT…of course I’m in. Each one has been just as awesome as I thought it would be.

I have only missed one LT 2.0 since graduation, and I am a proud co-sponsor of the upcoming Fall LT 2.0 Day, O.M. Gadsden, being held on October 21, 2016. We’re going outside Tallahassee to visit Gadsden County- take a look at all it has to offer, and how that fits in to life in Leon County. We’re traveling to farms, a casino, an art museum, and a brewery, with a wide range of panelist discussing issues like marijuana, gaming law, business incentives, and human services. If you haven’t registered yet, stop reading this article and go to www.leadershiptallahassee.com and get registered, I’ll wait.

See wasn’t that easy. Can’t wait to see you all on the 21st so we can re-live those frat days!

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