Garrrett, Kim and Scott Tinkham
Twenty years ago my husband Scott and I moved to Wise County, Texas. Scott came to Texas from upstate New York and professes ‘that he got here as quick as he could’. I was a ‘service brat’ and ended up in the Lone Star State where my father was born and raised. We met in Fort Worth, married and settled down. When we first moved to Boyd there were still huge oak trees in the middle of town dividing Highway 114. We bought some land, began our good life and started with our very own ‘Wise Youth’ in 1988 when our son Garrett was born.
As Garrett grew so did our love of the community. In an area where football is King, Garrett opted to play ice hockey like his father. We realized at that time that he was probably the only hockey player in the county. So, like most proud parents, we were concerned that he wouldn’t get to experience the recognition from his peers like so many other high school athletes. So we decided, although it may be a little late for our son, that when the time was right we would come up with a way to recognize the positive activities of as many local young people as possible. In 2003 we sold our transportation company in Dallas and the first thoughts of this new magazine began to take shape.
We wanted to recognize the various experiences of our young people. Their interest in school clubs, photography, journalism, martial arts, rodeo, music, motocross, paintball, 4-H, FFA, scouting, volunteering, sports, working and more. You name it; if kids were involved in a positive way we wanted to recognize it ... (even a stray hockey player or two if there were any more out there).Understanding that when kids recognize their own potential in the accomplishments of others it can motivate them to do the same: our purpose was simple. Make a positive difference in the lives of youth through recognition. Our Mission is Recognition!
Wise Youth Today hit the stands for the first time in May of 2004. The choice of naming the magazine Wise Youth Today took on many meanings for us. We wanted to represent the past, the future and the present in the magazine. It helped us to focus on the wisdom that is gained from the past, the importance of planning for future generations and the necessity of making a difference in the here and now. Although a magazine such as Wise Youth Today could recognize youth in any population segment we chose to focus on the rural community.
Since that first issue, many folks have called, emailed and even stopped us as we were filling the distribution racks to express their interest and support in our magazine. Wise Youth Today has a controlled distribution of 5,000 with a growing readership of over 20,000 per month. Many parents, grandparents and even our advertising partners have joined us by uploading their kid’s pictures through our website link for future publication.
We believe that companies must look to reach success by meeting the standards of a triple bottom line. The first bottom line, for the longevity of the company, must be that of a healthy profit. The second bottom line must be about social and ethical responsibility. The third bottom line should be to strive and attain positive change for our future generations. Each must be met without sacrificing the others.
All great companies have great purpose and this is where our story begins ...