I started reading the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin not too long ago. He and several fellow thinkers formed the Junto. Now, I have only begun reading of the doings of the Junto, but the idea of forming a group of like minded people for the purpose of coming up with new ideas and mutual inspiration really excites a similar hope for my own life and business. You should give thanks to the Junto for ideas that helped develop things like public lending libraries to give the average man the same academic resources as the rich elite.

I actually started reading Franklin's autobiography after it was mentioned in an article I read from a site which is usually dedicated to computer and technical questions. The article talked about Franklin's Junto and mastermind groups. I am guessing the word "mastermind groups" is a politically correct invention to try to get around using Junto or Junta, which has a modern association to totalitarian regimes.

To get back to a more core meaning to Junto, Franklin said, "I had form'd most of my ingenious acquainance into a club of mutual improvement." The board I have tried to convene is for just that purpose. I might even say I have used the "board of accountability" as an excuse to be able to bring together these collegues. The board of accountability is our opportunity to bring together quality professionals which will naturally bring forth fresh ideas.

I very much wish this could be face to face and local, but to gain a breadth of experience, the board is e-mail based. That is not all bad, but we certainly loose some of the personal interaction that can be so helpful. Still an internet-based group is much better than nothing at all.