Football Shaped My View of the World

Today, I want to share my journey of becoming the custodian of my company's history.

Growing up in Texas, football was everything.? Life revolved around those Friday Night Lights.? In fact, football in Texas is even bigger than the movies you see.? Football is everything in Texas.

The fact that our history classes in high school were taught by the football coach implied to all students that history had a role well beneath the role of football in our town.? History classes involved reading a chapter in the textbook during class, while the coach went back to the locker room, and the following day being tested on what General led the battle, how many lives were lost, and who won the war.? History, to me, only occurred in a textbook and it wasn’t relatable. History wasn’t real and it certainly wasn’t important.

Fast forward a few years after college, and I found myself moving to a part of the country that is steeped in history – a short distance from Gettysburg to a town whose most important claim to fame is being where the Declaration of Independence was drafted – York, PA.? Suddenly, history became real!? It was no longer just facts from a textbook.? The history of this country came from the very ground that I was standing on. America was born here!

Fast forward again to a few decades later and I found myself in the role of “historian” for McConkey Insurance & Benefits and was asked to put together a short presentation for my fellow owners. ?The task was to research and give a ten-minute presentation on the company’s past.? Naively, I thought this assignment was going to be a breeze.? My plan was to get on the Internet, and Google a bit so I could have this report put together in an hour or so.? Was I ever wrong?? There is just not a lot of documentation about a man who started a company in 1890 in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania.?

Being the stubborn person that I am, I dug my heels into this project.? I presented my report, but to this day, I still continue to flesh out the history of this company.

My initial steps involved gathering fragmented pieces of our history – old documents, photographs, and anecdotes from long-serving colleagues. It was a journey back in time, uncovering the evolution of our company from its humble beginnings to its current standing.

I discovered this company was built on many of the core values that shape us today.? While we no longer sell many fire policies to the local farmers, we do work hard to protect and safeguard those in our ever-expanding community.? Like Senator Edwin Knight McConkey, our founder, we value taking care of our clients and taking pride in our work.

Becoming the company historian wasn't just about documenting the past but about instilling a sense of pride and continuity within the organization. I love sharing the history of our company while onboarding new employees.? That connection between our team and the history we share will take us into the future. Understanding where we came from empowers us to shape a more purposeful future.

As I continue to unearth hidden gems from our past, I am reminded that every organization has a story worth telling. By embracing the role of a historian, we not only honor our roots but also pave the way for a future built on a foundation of knowledge, resilience, and shared experiences.

Who would have thought the girl who grew up thinking that history was only a story told in textbooks, would become the one responsible for telling the McConkey story?? Life can take you on a strange journey.

Here's to preserving the past and shaping an even brighter future together!? What does the history of your company look like?

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