“Bucket Man” visits St. Paul School

From the Catholic Times
Saginaw, MI – March 11, 2005

Merrill Lundgren, also known as “The Bucket Man”, recently worked with St. Paul Catholic School students in grades 4-8 on how to be the most popular students in their class.
The secret, he told them, is to be a “bucket filler”, not a “bucket dipper”. A bucket filler is a person who says positive things to others and takes time to listen to them. The bucket dippers, on the other hand, take away the good feelings a person has by their words or actions. Lundgren guided the students through the first of three assignments – to write a letter to one of their parents expressing their positive feelings along with specific examples about why their mom or dad meant so much to them.
The feedback from parents was gratifying.
“The bucket filling experience meant a great deal. It made me happy and made me feel like I am doing a good job as a parent,” Ann Dunn, wrote of her son’s letter. “It gave me encouragement and hope.”
The second assignment was to write as bucket-filling letter to a classmate. This was another positive experience.
“I never thought you felt that way about me, I just thought I was a lump on a chair,” one student wrote.
The final assignment will allow students to anonymously identify bucket-dipping in the form of words or actions. In this way, teachers will have a tool with which to identify and work with bullies.
Lundgren, 85, has been a motivational speaker for 26 years since retiring at age 59 from his job as senior vice president of a life insurance company. He has brought his bucket-filling presentation to numerous students in Livingston, Genesee and Shiawassee counties. His appearance was funded with a grant from Catholic Charities’ Family Mini-Grant Program.