THE TASSEL

As a board member of our local school, I am blessed to have one of the best seats in the house for graduation.  This year was no exception.  As I began walking on the freshly mowed grass still saturated with morning dew, I became an emotional rollercoaster. Was it the fact that between my toes, fresh grass was now stuck, and I was wearing my favorite new shoes?  Was it the familiar music of “Pomp and Circumstance" that was connecting my emotional memories to my own graduation?

While both of these may have contributed, I was simply overwhelmed thinking how blessed I was to have a front row seat and witness these seniors, some of which had been on the Pelham Banking Company’s Youth Advisory Board for four years, graduate.  I thought about the role Pelham Banking Company had played as I watched hundreds of parents, grandparents, friends respectfully stand as their loved ones’ names were called. These young men and women proceeded across the stage to receive their diploma and I literally wept.  The opposite emotional ride came when I recalled a recent article I read that stated some critic of financial education claim that financial behavior ‘rarely changes” as a result of financial education.

Is this true?  I mean these young people and I had recently “cash mobbed” a local restaurant to show community support for goodness sakes.  I had taught some of these students in the 5^th grade how to operate a lemonade stand, balance a budget in high school and while in kindergarten many had their first visit to the bank to learn about Safe Deposit Boxes.  Was all of our efforts in vain? 

Just as these thoughts were running through my mind, it happened. One of my “favorite” seniors, announced “seniors turn your tassels” and it was like a wink from above.  I realize just as each one individually turned their own tassel, each will ultimately make their own financial decisions, every one of them held this prized possession in their hands.  The tassel made of top quality silk and threads placed upon their heads has a historical background of by simply possessing such fine materials indicates you're wealthy and influential and the turning indicates you are ready for what lies ahead.

Yes, Pelham Banking Company, just like everyone else, had guided them to this moment. I left smiling knowing the tassel was now in their hands and the grass under their feet was indeed green and still between my toes.