Building Our Club Community
Posted by Lori Messer
Lori's theme for her year as Club President
Traditionally each new Club president has identified his or her theme for the year. RI President Ray Klinginsmith identified his theme as: BUILDING COMMUNITIES BRIDGING CONTINENTS
As I approached my year, I thought and thought about what my theme should be. The truth is, I love Klinginsmith's theme. It is perfect for me, so rather than bring in a new element I would like to build on his. Let me explain.
Some of you will recall that my background is actually not as much in education (as my classification says) but rather in health and community development so I assume that the phrase building community means that we create a healthy community.
What is a healthy community? The WHO defines it as one that is continually creating and improving its physical and social environments and expanding community resources that enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential.
The key message in this definition is that it is a process not a status. For my year, I want us to consider our club as an aspiring healthy community. I want to focus on the processes behind what we do and improve them to make us even more successful.
I want to work with your Board, building on Betty's work, to make our meetings more dynamic and productive, to develop comprehensive job descriptions for each position and to ensure that we succeed in the second year of our strategic plan.
I want to work with Roger to have programs that not only complement our work but inform, involve, motivate and increase the opportunities for fellowship and fun among us.
I want to work with Jeannette to bridge to community groups so that we have a better mutual understanding, they know how to approach us for help and we have more opportunities for hands-on service and focused fundraising.
I want to work with Kel to increase our membership and to effectively involve our members in such a way that each one of us has the opportunity to make a real difference.
I want to work with Mark to increase our support for TRF more in quantity but rather in quality. I'd like to see our club get the citation for everyone contributing.
I'd also like to work with Mark and his team to build an auction manual that we can rely on each year rather than trusting our fading memories. For years we've relied on Neil to keep it all in his head. It's a lot easier to spread the work and to ask someone to take on a task when you have a job description to hand them and so respectful to take the time to document all the wonderful resources developed by our members that have volunteered before them.
I want to work with Stu to deconstruct some of the Treasurer's job so that it's not so onerous.
I want to work with John and Jeannette and all of you to better use technology software and hardware to help us work smarter and as a dynamic vehicle to take us where we want to go.
I am so grateful to have Betty's wise counsel and experience, Deb's infectious energy and zeal and Fern's diligence and support to see me through the year.
Many of you know that I would much rather be doing more exciting things like brain-storming and visioning than doing these kinds of exacting, tedious and time consuming tasks. But folks, these are the same kind of processes that make your own businesses successful. Doesn't our volunteer environment deserve just as much rigor? These resources will not only give us the structure to build capacity but will strengthen and invigorate our club so that we can make a difference and give "service above self" without burning ourselves out.
As I approached my year, I thought and thought about what my theme should be. The truth is, I love Klinginsmith's theme. It is perfect for me, so rather than bring in a new element I would like to build on his. Let me explain.
Some of you will recall that my background is actually not as much in education (as my classification says) but rather in health and community development so I assume that the phrase building community means that we create a healthy community.
What is a healthy community? The WHO defines it as one that is continually creating and improving its physical and social environments and expanding community resources that enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential.
The key message in this definition is that it is a process not a status. For my year, I want us to consider our club as an aspiring healthy community. I want to focus on the processes behind what we do and improve them to make us even more successful.
I want to work with your Board, building on Betty's work, to make our meetings more dynamic and productive, to develop comprehensive job descriptions for each position and to ensure that we succeed in the second year of our strategic plan.
I want to work with Roger to have programs that not only complement our work but inform, involve, motivate and increase the opportunities for fellowship and fun among us.
I want to work with Jeannette to bridge to community groups so that we have a better mutual understanding, they know how to approach us for help and we have more opportunities for hands-on service and focused fundraising.
I want to work with Kel to increase our membership and to effectively involve our members in such a way that each one of us has the opportunity to make a real difference.
I want to work with Mark to increase our support for TRF more in quantity but rather in quality. I'd like to see our club get the citation for everyone contributing.
I'd also like to work with Mark and his team to build an auction manual that we can rely on each year rather than trusting our fading memories. For years we've relied on Neil to keep it all in his head. It's a lot easier to spread the work and to ask someone to take on a task when you have a job description to hand them and so respectful to take the time to document all the wonderful resources developed by our members that have volunteered before them.
I want to work with Stu to deconstruct some of the Treasurer's job so that it's not so onerous.
I want to work with John and Jeannette and all of you to better use technology software and hardware to help us work smarter and as a dynamic vehicle to take us where we want to go.
I am so grateful to have Betty's wise counsel and experience, Deb's infectious energy and zeal and Fern's diligence and support to see me through the year.
Many of you know that I would much rather be doing more exciting things like brain-storming and visioning than doing these kinds of exacting, tedious and time consuming tasks. But folks, these are the same kind of processes that make your own businesses successful. Doesn't our volunteer environment deserve just as much rigor? These resources will not only give us the structure to build capacity but will strengthen and invigorate our club so that we can make a difference and give "service above self" without burning ourselves out.