A mum’s pride – stepping down as UKOUG President

In case you missed it I have resigned as UKOUG President.

I have had phenomenal feedback from members and usergroup leaders around the world and their main question is how do I feel?

So if you have ever heard me speak you will know I like analogies and this is one I am really glad to have the opportunity to share with you.

At the time I stepped down the London 2012 Olympics were in full swing and even more touching than the athletes achieving their ambitions was the reactions of their mums. Their tears of pride as National Anthem was played and the memories of all the sacrifices they made forgotten. There was also a series of commercials with the catch phrase ‘proud sponsor of mums’.

I KNOW how they felt. On August 10th my daughter was commissioned as an army officer finally finishing the journey she started at 15 when she came home from a school careers visit and said that was what she wanted. 

But lets wind the clock back 5 years ago to the day she left home for university.As a mum I didn’t want to let her go, I had nurtured her, helped her through good and bad times but she is her own person with a independence I have always admired. I am still here for her and over those 5 years we have grown even closer the relationship changing but the love is the same. And that is how I feel about UKOUG, I have not left, it is still very important to me and I am still an elected Council Member but I stand back and with pride look at how far we have come together and look forward to seeing how much further and how much more UKOUG can achieve.

I didn’t do anything on my own, and the UKOUG press release didn’t thank the other volunteers and the support from the members to achieve what we have, but it did rightly thank Fujitsu who have given me so much support as I carried out my roles within UKOUG.