I had never heard of the Honorable Order of the Blue Goose, International. I did not know such an organization existed. Yet when I received an invitation to visit with and join a local chapter, I felt oddly drawn towards the concept. You see, the Blue Goose is a fraternal organization for insurance related professionals. It has been in existence since 1906, getting its start in the state of Wisconsin. It has 4,000 members.
The groups particular nomenclature is a bit folksy and takes some getting used to. There is the Grand Nest, which for all ostensible purposes appears to refer to the groups headquarters and related leadership. Each state organization is a “Pond”, and every local group is a “Puddle”. Members, naturally, are “Ganders”.
I received my invitation to join a start up Puddle here in Sarasota through LinkedIn. It came from Gail Krinsky, an industry professional based in the Ft. Myers area. My attraction to the concept was based on the goals of the group, which are to establish networking opportunities among people with common industry interests, while working to improve the community through support of a designated charitable organization. I have been very active in business networks in the past, and continue to work extensively with a civic group locally, so the concept of doing this with people aligned by industry appealed to me.
The Sarasota Puddle is small, more of a damp spot at the moment than an actual puddle. It really is just getting started. Still, I have found the members to be warm, the atmosphere friendly, and the beer to be cold and refreshing. This particular groups chosen charitable endeavor is an organization called FELT, which stands for “Feeding Empty Little Tummies”. I think, with the strong presence of various insurance entities in our area, it has a good chance to become a vibrant organization. In short, I think this Blue Goose can fly.
Locally we meet the 4th Thursday of every month, from 5:30 to 7:00 at the Polo Grille in Lakewood Ranch.
If you are located on the Florida gulf coast, and work in an insurance related field, you are more than welcome to join us and see if it is a concept for you. Take a gander at playing in our puddle. We would love to see you. After all, you can help us give this goose some juice.