News & Views

Bob Tracy - Newsletter Chairman

Posted Mar 30, 2011

For those of you who have not heard of my status at this time, I would like to take this opportunity to let you know that I have submitted my paper work for retirement effective March 1st, 2011.

Confucius once said “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” After 42 years in this industry I feel the same way. Yes there were some jobs that I like to do better than others (especially as an apprentice) but on the whole I truly did love the sheet metal industry and the challenging work that you encounter.  The people you meet in this industry are interesting, helpful and wonderful people to be around.  Yes there were a few Porcupines along the way but I like to remember the others and the fond memories that they bring to mind when I reflect over my time spent in this industry.

Being a part of SMACNA has been a high light of my career since it provided a medium for me to give back to the industry some appreciation for what it has provided for my wonderful family and me.

Working with the members of SMACNA and Local No. 2 allows me to come in contact with some of the bright and talented members coming up and who will soon be an integral part of both organizations. This contact is refreshing to me and allows me to share some of what I have learned and experienced during my time in the trade with them. I think each and every one of us has at one time or another has seen a young person come into the industry and said “I saw something of myself in them when I was their age” I have a tendency to gravitate to those individuals and want to help them if I can.

I can remember when I was trying to pull myself up by the boot straps (as we used to say) and thought it would be nice to have a helpful tug from time to time. I was fortunate that late in my second year of apprenticeship I worked with some Foremen (two especially come to mind) who thought teaching and mentoring were valuable tools if the trade was to keep up with the changes that were afoot at that time. I am convinced that mentoring is what allowed me to have the successes and longevity in my career. I believe that mentoring will give new workers help to be all they can be. I encourage all of us when we see someone who has talent and the desire to achieve to share their knowledge, experiences and some life learning’s with them.

If we don’t we could be missing out on some valuable talented individuals that will go
somewhere else.

I have offered to SMACNA to stay involved with the committees that I am part of to help
complete some of the objectives and goals we have we have set to accomplish. SMACNA has taken me up on the offer and I will continue to work with those committees to achieve those goals or until I am no longer a benefit to the committees or SMACNA.

I appreciate them letting me continue since that means that I will stay in tune with the industry and be able to stay in contact with the people I have been around all this time, I had a conversation with a younger person just the other day. He was lamenting the fact that He would like to find a job that he liked and wanted to go to every day.

I thought immediately of the Confucius saying that I started out this article with. I told him of my experience and view on the construction industry. That the feeling you get when you step back and see what you have accomplished each day and the pride you feel when you have done a good job. The fulfillment you have when you go by projects and buildings you were part of or involved with and say with great pleasure “ I worked on that or was a part of the team who built that facility” and soon you can go almost any where in town and say I was a part of the construction of that.

He did not say anything for a while, but then did say “I never looked at it that way before”, I hope it helps him.

Please do not forget or pass up the opportunity to mentor, it is critical to our future and success.

SMACNA has not told me if I will continue with this section of the Newsletter or not.  If not, thank you for allowing me to provide you with these articles over the years.  If I do continue I will be here next quarter with an article I read on Changes in the 2011 workplace.

Until that time or place, I am here for you.