If it weren't for the love of camaraderie and friendship, communities such as Harrisburg, where we enjoy those in plenty, wouldn't be worth half so much to us.
We are blessed with the opportunity to practice those virtues in many ways -- such as sharing meals with one another, engaging with friends in arts and culture or team sports, and observing courtesies with strangers.
The most important virtue is the principle upon which civic duty is founded -- to serve our community and be an active part of the leadership team.
Harrisburg Young Professionals, recently having celebrated its 10th anniversary and still growing, is a tribute by our generation to that duty, to help make Harrisburg a better place to live, work and play.
Our generation was raised in the expectation of accomplishing great things. We were taught and motivated to serve others and lift up our friends, especially in times of need.
At last count, our colleagues on HYP's board and leadership committee were serving at more than 90 other midstate organizations. Our colleagues are not "professional volunteers" either.
We have a board filled with lawyers, bankers, entrepreneurs, educators, advocates, real estate developers, marketers and various other professionals.
There are family responsibilities, too, of course. This group of twenty and thirty something leaders gives a whole new meaning to the word "busy."
In 2008 hundreds of HYP'sters came out to our regular socials to meet their friends and make new ones.
They competed in our co-ed sports league, attended our mock presidential debates, mentored Harrisburg University students, attended movie nights and book clubs, visited events at local art galleries, toured homes in downtown Harrisburg, landscaped the Forster Street corridor and served food to the homeless and indigent.
In addition to all of this, our members helped HYP by volunteering to administer our programs and events, not to mention launching a new Web site and logo.
Why do we do it?
The genius of it all is that the energy spent on behalf of our idealism only further fuels the idealism itself -- the more friends we involve, the more friends we attract.
HYP has helped to attract many "friends" to downtown Harrisburg over the last 10 years -- hundreds of new members, new businesses and new institutions of higher learning, such as Harrisburg University, HACC Midtown and Messiah College.
We are a group of "doers" who grew tired of hearing "There's nothing to do around here." We have shown that there is lots to do, but there's still so much more left to accomplish.
And so, may the expectations that have driven us up to today, for the sake of the community that stands to benefit from it, continue to inspire the best from all of us.
As Henrik Ibsen once said, "A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm."
NICOLE BORDA is president of Harrisburg Young Professionals.
RALPH VARTAN is vice president.
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