Odd Little Duck
"I was called an 'odd duck' at one time. It was intended as an insult, but I took it as a compliment; I do see things differently, notice things others miss, and bring those items to the conversation so we can see things from different angles and take all of those into consideration. After all, you have to be odd to be number one."
Odd Little Duck Story
Mrs. Gateman started her career as a teacher and loved the Usborne books. Being a farmer's wife, she had the Farmyard Tales in her classroom, and her students loved Poppy and Sam, but their favourite was the lovable Little Yellow Duck, which you had to spot on every page. The students brought rubber ducks to school and started hiding them around the classroom. Hence, the love of "little yellow ducks" started.
As her career progressed, Mrs. Gateman added the Dr. Seuss quote, "You have to be ODD to be NUMBER ONE," to her classroom. She believed in celebrating her students' differences rather than trying to make them all the same. She encouraged her kids to embrace what made them different, and standing out was not a bad thing.
One day, when a colleague disagreed with her and wanted to slight her, he stated; You sure are an ODD LITTLE DUCK, aren't you? And so the O.L.D.(Odd Little Duck) club began. Now that she is 53, she chuckles even more at the acronym.
Mrs Gateman embraces the fact that she is an Odd Little Duck, that she thinks differently, and she sees things others overlook. She has used these skills in her speaking engagements, courses and when advising on the various boards she sits on.
For this AGM, she has even added a fun contest in the spirit of this. Around the centre, there are little 'blue' ducks. If you find one, feel free to keep it or rehide it. However, if you find one with a 6, 13, or 67 on it, see Mrs. Gateman or one of her team members, show them, and receive a special item to remember the weekend by. Have fun and celebrate your differences while finding your inner 'odd little duck'.
