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30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself

Here are some of what I got from talking to Mr Abiola Olaifa yesterday. I have just posted 10. I will post another 10 Later. File limits will not allow me to post all 30 in a go. That was my first conversation with him. Now, I am sure he got something from me too. I am sharing this because it is good to know.

Together we can learn from one another.

  1. Start spending time with the right people. – These are the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways.  They are the ones who make you feel more alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be, unconditionally.
  2. Start facing your problems head on. – It isn’t your problems that define you, but how you react to them and recover from them.  Problems will not disappear unless you take action.  Do what you can, when you can, and acknowledge what you’ve done.  It’s all about taking baby steps in the right direction, inch by inch.  These inches count, they add up to yards and miles in the long run.
  3. Start being honest with yourself about everything. – Be honest about what’s right, as well as what needs to be changed.  Be honest about what you want to achieve and who you want to become.  Be honest with every aspect of your life, always.  Because you are the one person you can forever count on.  Search your soul, for the truth, so that you truly know who you are.  Once you do, you’ll have a better understanding of where you are now and how you got here, and you’ll be better equipped to identify where you want to go and how to get there.  Read The Road Less Traveled.
  4. Start making your own happiness a priority. – Your needs matter.  If you don’t value yourself, look out for yourself, and stick up for yourself, you’re sabotaging yourself.  Remember, it IS possible to take care of your own needs while simultaneously caring for those around you.  And once your needs are met, you will likely be far more capable of helping those who need you most.
  5. Start being yourself, genuinely and proudly. – Trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are.  Be yourself.  Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else.  Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on your terms.  Above all, be true to YOU, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.
  6. Start noticing and living in the present. – Right now is a miracle.  Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you.  Right now is life.  So stop thinking about how great things will be in the future.  Stop dwelling on what did or didn’t happen in the past.  Learn to be in the ‘here and now’ and experience life as it’s happening.  Appreciate the world for the beauty that it holds, right now.
  7. Start valuing the lessons your mistakes teach you. – Mistakes are okay; they’re the stepping stones of progress.  If you’re not failing from time to time, you’re not trying hard enough and you’re not learning.  Take risks, stumble, fall, and then get up and try again.  Appreciate that you are pushing yourself, learning, growing and improving.  Significant achievements are almost invariably realized at the end of a long road of failures.  One of the ‘mistakes’ you fear might just be the link to your greatest achievement yet.
  8. Start being more polite to yourself. – If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend?  The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others.  You must love who you are or no one else will.
  9. Start enjoying the things you already have. – The problem with many of us is that we think we’ll be happy when we reach a certain level in life – a level we see others operating at – your boss with her corner office, that friend of a friend who owns a mansion on the beach, etc.  Unfortunately, it takes awhile before you get there, and when you get there you’ll likely have a new destination in mind.  You’ll end up spending your whole life working toward something new without ever stopping to enjoy the things you have now.  So take a quiet moment every morning when you first awake to appreciate where you are and what you already have.
  10. Start creating your own happiness. – If you are waiting for someone else to make you happy, you’re missing out.  Smile because you can.  Choose happiness.  Be the change you want to see in the world.  Be happy with who you are now, and let your positivity inspire your journey into tomorrow.  Happiness is often found when and where you decide to seek it.  If you look for happiness within the opportunities you have, you will eventually find it.  But if you constantly look for something else, unfortunately, you’ll find that too.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.

A Call To Serve

“When you are tasty, it is too late to think about digging a well,” Japanese Proverb

One Path

A young but earnest Zen student approached his teacher, and asked the Zen Master:

“If I work very hard and diligent how long will it take for me to find Zen?”

The Master thought about this, then replied, “Ten years.”

The student then said, “But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast — How long then?”

Replied the Master, “Well, twenty years.”

“But, if I really, really work at it.  How long then?” asked the student.

“Thirty years,” replied the Master.

“But, I do not understand,” said the disappointed student.  “At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer.  Why do you say that?”

Replied the Master,” When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.”  

A Call To Serve

It is good to see great old boys in the train of BIFOBA, UK Chapter.  We gave a call to serve and you have responded positively.  I am happy you have taken the decision to be a part of this journey that takes us to greater heights.  It is equally delightful to be associated with all the great achievers that have graced the last two meetings.

I will like to thank everyone who has responded to this call; this is the greatest decision we have all made. Let’s settle down in the train and drive our lives to the next level.  Our only goal is to succeed together and success we will achieve once we believe.  Lorii Myers said; “when the awareness of what is achievable brushes your life, the journey has begun.”  Let’s begin this great journey to move our alma mata and our lives forward.

We left the school many years ago, we have gone, seen the world, built an edifice on the foundation laid by Birch Freeman, and we have become professionals in many of the various human endeavours.  I am particularly versed by the level of the intellect this great school has produced, from Lawyers to Doctors, Engineers to Accountants, IT Savvy to Scholars, Business professionals to Financial Experts and many more. It is give back time; let’s bless the school that has blessed us.

Let’s share ideas, rub minds to achieve success together and share in the joy of life.  Please everyone needs to come to the meeting with an idea each that will set us on our path to success.

Do not miss the next BIFOBA, UK Chapter meeting, it promises to be explosive.  I will leave you with the words of Woody Allen; it says; “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”  See you there

Meeting Place

Emukay Africana

91, Camberwell Road,

London, SE5 0EZ

Tel:             0207 277 4977      

Date: Sunday 27th May 2012

Time: 6pm – 8pm

Amended Electoral Processes For Bifoba Uk Chapter

SECTION 11: TENURE, ELECTION, AND REMOVAL FROM OFFICE OF AN ELECTED OFFICER.

11.1 Nomination of candidates into elective posts of the Association shall be taken at the September meeting preceding the January Meeting or as appropriate before elections will be held.

11.2 All bonafide members of the Association have the right to vote and be voted for subject however to the provisions of Section 5 (3) (a) (c) above.

11.3 An Electoral Committee of three (3) bonafide members shall be appointed by the house as appropriate to conduct a general election as and when deemed required and subsequently as section 11.1.

11.4 All candidates for Elected Executive offices shall acknowledge acceptance of nominations before the house and may make a very brief presentation to the general House.

11.5 A member can only contest one elective post at a particular time.

11.6 Should candidates be nominated for more than one elective posts, such member shall have the opportunity to stipulate preferred post of choice to the electoral committee who shall make recommendations to the general house in regards.

11.7 Should a member receive majority nominations for an elective post and other nominees confirm non-interest in particular post, the electoral committee shall deem such candidate returned to the post un-opposed.

11.8  Any member nominated for a position may swap the position with another nominated member as long as the two parties agree to the swap and the electoral committee can verify such arrangement.

11.9 Should Elections fail to hold as at when due, the Affairs of BIFOBA will be run by the Trustees at the expiration of the term of the executive and the

Trustees must conduct an Election within 60 Days to elect a new executive.

11.10   Tenure

The Tenure of the executive will be Two years from the AGM in which they

were inaugurated. In the case of a mid-term election to replace an officer

whose office has been declared Vacant , the newly elected officer will

serve out the term of the officer who he is replacing and may re-contest if

qualified.

11.11   The Electoral Committee shall:

 a. Comprise of 3 members of the house duly appointed by the house.

b. Organise and supervise all elections and by-elections with utmost good faith.

c. Exercise its duties independently without any influence from any quarters, but subject to this constitution.

d. Receive the nomination of candidate for the elections and determine the eligibility or otherwise of any candidate.

e. Voting shall be by show or hands of a method agreed to by electoral Committee.

f. To be elected as an officer, the candidate must win (fifty one) 51% of the total votes of the members present at the election otherwise a runoff election shall be conducted between the best two candidates for that office.

g. The Electoral Committee shall not be a standing Committee.

11.12 An Office Shall Become Vacant if:

a. The holder tenders his written resignation. Such a letter shall be debated and accepted by members at the next General meeting.

b. The holder is removed from office for gross violations of this constitution or found guilty of fraud or embezzlement of funds.

c. The holder is found one way or the other to be incapable of performing the functions of his office.

11. 13 To remove an elected officer, the following procedure must be followed:

a. A written complaint is made to the Executive Committee and a copy submitted to the officer concerned who will have 30 days to respond in writing. After his response the Executive Committee will conduct an inquiry into the matter and make their recommendation to the general meeting which may remove or retain the officer by a simple majority vote.

b. An officer against whom an allegation has been made in writing and served the complaint will be deemed to have resigned his office if he fails to respond within the stipulated thirty (30) days.

c. The electoral committee constituted by members present at the general meeting will have the next general meeting to fill the vacancy by election. Provided however, that the President shall have the power to appoint a temporary officer to fill the vacancy pending elections. Such appointee shall be eligible to contest the election.

11. 14 RUN OFF AND DISPUTED RESULTS IN AN ELECTION

a. A member having failed to win an election and suspect fraud in the voting process can request a recount of the votes once or inspect ballots if used. The result of the recount is final.

b. A member having failed to win an election but believes that some members who voted did not satisfy Section 5.3 part C of this Constitution can appeal to the Board of Trustees to have the votes of such members invalidated. The Council shall use the remaining valid votes to decide the winner.

c. The results of any election cannot be disputed by a member who did not contest the office in whose results are being disputed. Only loosing members of an elected office can dispute the results of the office they are contesting for.

Birch Freeman High School Old Boys Association, Uk Chapter. The Minute Of Meeting Held On 28/10/2012 At Kc Bar, London.

Presents:

  1. Mr Gbenga Haastrup         
  2. Mr Remi  Bademosi
  3. Kola Odunlami
  4. Femi Akinlotan
  5. Sola Joseph
  6. Daniel Okoturo
  7. Wole Shodipo
  8. Emmanuel Warrie
  9. Abiola Olaifa via Skype

 The meeting started at 6.00 pm with the opening prayer said by Mr. Daniel Okoturo, this was followed by the singing of the first and last stanza of the school hymn.  Next was the introduction of members present.

The following members sent apologies for their inability to attend the meeting:

Mr. Herbert Eke,

Mr Steve Shotonwa

Mr Olayinka Oduwole

and Mr. Tope Fowora.

The minute of last meeting was read and there was no observation raised. Therefore the motion for adoption was called and this was moved by Mr. Gbenga Haastrup and seconded by Mr. Theo Odunlami.

AGENDA

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE  

1.) Format of Meeting: The meeting started by deciding the format the minutes need to take, after comparing the 3 available formats, the format by the Interim Publicity Secretary was chosen.

2.) Membership Drive: It was agreed by the house to continue in the direction agreed from the last meeting.

3.)  87th Set Member Party: The party was attended by Mr Sola Joseph and the interim general secretary Mr Emmanuel Warrie. The members of the 87th set were informed about the activities and objectives of the UK Chapter and were encouraged to join the chapter’s meetings.  The secretary of the 87 Set promised to inform other members and invite them to the meetings.

SOCIALS

The house agreed on the need to have a social get-together to allow members to relax and bond. It was agreed that The November 2012 meeting would be the last for the year and this would be the coming together of members for social relaxation.  25/11/2012 was agreed for the event. The interim welfare secretary was asked to work on modalities with other members to make the day a success at a moderate cost.

GENERAL MATTERS

1.) The Interim president informed the house of the following invitations and asked for those interested in attending;

  1. Igbobi College Dinner – 09/11/2012
  2. Regan Girls School Dinner – 16/11/2012

2.) Sola Joseph was given the Arsenal football ticket from the Sport Day Event.

3.)  Mr Bright (former chemistry teacher) at Birch Freeman High School, Surulere invited members to his church for a special service.

4.)  The house expects to receive feedback from members who attends the various events in the January 2013 meeting and feedback expected about the postal address for the chapter.

HOUSE SURVEY: Dada – 2, Momah – 2, Solarin – 2, Soremekun  -2

The motion to close the meeting was moved by Mr Remi Bademosi and seconded by Femi Akinlotan. This was followed by the singing of last stanza of the school hymn and the closing prayer was taken by Mr Wole Shodipo

Signed,

Emmanuel Warrie

Interim General Secretary (IGS)

Birch Freeman High School Old Boys Association, Uk Chapter. The Minute Of Meeting Held On 30/09/2012 At Kc Bar, London.

BIRCH FREEMAN HIGH SCHOOL OLD BOYS ASSOCIATION, UK CHAPTER.

THE MINUTE OF MEETING HELD ON 30/09/2012 AT KC BAR, LONDON.

Presents:

  1. Olayinka Oduwole 
  2. Remi Bademosi
  3. Kola Odunlami
  4. Femi Akinlotan
  5. Sola Joseph
  6. Daniel Okoturo
  7. Wole Shodipo
  8. Emmanuel Warrie

 The meeting started at 6.00 pm with the opening prayer said by Mr. Wole Shodipo, this was followed by the singing of the first and last stanza of the school hymn.  Next was the introduction of members present.

The following members sent apologies for their inability to attend the meeting:

Mr. Herbert Eke,

Mr. Kunle Afuwape and

Mr. Tope Fowora.

The minute of last meeting was read and observations were made from the minute; among which Mr, Femi Akinlotan noted that the minutes should have stated interim executives and not executives.  No other observation was raised, therefore the motion for adoption was called and this was moved by Mr. Kola Odunlami and seconded by Mr. Olayinka Oduwole.

AGENDA

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE  

The house resolved that the members present should continue to spread the news/information around and members who have not been seen for some time or seemed to have stopped coming for meetings needs to be contacted and urged to come back.  There is need for the set of Wole Shodipo to come on board in our meetings and members’ attending the set meeting has been mandated to spread the news and sensitise them about the UK Chapters aim and the need to join our meetings.  Wole will inform the chapter when next they have their meeting.

 PROJECT FOR THE SCHOOL

The house deliberated on various projects for the school but it was reiterated that members should bond well with one another first before any project  can be undertaken by the chapter. The project will be undertaken solely by the chapter.

The following are some of the projects suggested;

1.         Books for the school.

2.         Laboratory equipment for the science labs.

3.         Stationery for the school.

4.         Auto card for technical.

5.         Computers and many more.

GENERAL MATTERS:

Mr. Kola Odunlami suggested to the house that minutes should be ready on time, properly typed out and copies need to be distributed to members at the meetings.  Also there is need for each minute to be archived for easy access to members and on the website for easy regular update.  The various ways these can be achieved was deliberated upon and the house concluded that the suggestion given by Mr Femi Akinlotan will be the right course.  Mr Akinlotan had suggested that the Interim General Secretary and the Interim Publicity Secretary should work together to get the minutes ready on time and ensure they are stored properly.

All the previous minutes should be posted and stored on BIFOBA UK website; all interim executives should work together but without interference from one another in carrying out their roles.

Website for the chapter was also discussed and the house agreed that we continue to use the one in use for now, while we look at the possibility of setting up the chapter’s fully owned one and the chapter can seek assistance from others like the USA.

 Feedback from Mr. Remi Bademosi on postal address and bank account for the association. The chapter can open a P. O. Box address just by getting and filling the necessary forms and making all payments. The details needed for opening the associations bank account are; Copies of previous minutes, postal address and 3 members who will be signatories to the account.

 The Interim Welfare Secretary requested for the forwarding addresses of the two former UK Chapter members who have relocated to Nigeria in order to send them good will messages either in the form of a letter or card on behalf of the association.

FINANCE:               

Voluntary contributions                              £75:00

Less amount for refreshments                    £31:00

Balance                                                          £44:00

The motion to close the meeting was moved by Mr. Femi Akinlotan and seconded by Mr. Remi Bademosi,

 This was followed by the singing of the last stanza of the school hymn. 

The closing prayer was taken by Mr. Wole Shodipo.

The next meeting is agreed to be at same venue, time is 6:00pm and date is 28/10/2012.   

Signed,

Emmanuel Warrie

Interim Secretary

Nigeria: One Death Too Many

Rest In Peace.

To all souls lost in the Dana Air Crash and others.

One death is a tragedy, a million death is a statistics. (Josef Stalin, 1879 – 1953)

I am particularly saddened by the Dana Airways plane crash in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday the 3rd of June 2012. I received the news of the crash on Sunday evening with total shock, I was worried and upset. This should not happen again, no not again, not now and not ever. I tried to convince myself no one had died. How could anyone die on a day a paedophile just slammed his car yet again into a church in the northern part of Nigeria killing God knows how many people and a cargo flight crashed in Ghana only a day earlier killing 10 people.

Click to continue

Nigerian Schools Sports & Family Fun Day

Let’s gear up for this years NSSFF Carnival weekend taking place on the 24th of August 2013.

The event is designed for Nigerian Schools old boys and girls and their family to have a fun filled day. More details to be communicated shortly.

Up BIFOBA

Up School.

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A successful UK meeting in aid of the yearly forward planning took place on the 6th January 2013. Ladi Lewis; Vice President, National Chapter, Lagos, on a visit to England was in attendance.