- The April Region meeting has been rescheduled to April 2oth.
- Deadline for submitting articles to the Region newsletter is MARCH 15th. Remember, members will receive $25 for each article you submit that gets published (one per issue). Gas? Membership dues? EC4WDA Northeast Region merchandise? Use it for whatever!
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I almost didn't sit to write today. It was one of those days where the creativity just didn't really materialize, but that got me thinking (funny how that works!)Our greatest asset, as an Association, is our membership. If you could add it up, there are hundreds of years of experience at our fingertips within our Region alone. Each member brings something special, something tangible to their club. It may not be apparent at first, or ever for that matter, but that member should never be discounted or forgotten.
As our calendar fills up and events start to appear on the horizon, our members will be asked to step up and lend a much needed hand. Many already have in regards to TrailFest and I'm greatly appreciative of that. Many more are ready to throw their hat in the ring and help out. Still, some may think that there's already enough help or that they won't have much to offer. Trust me when I say whatever help offered is a welcome gift. This year we'll need people to just sit at a booth handing out pamphlets, or selling raffle tickets someplace, or handing out pins or leaflets or sometimes even t-shirts. If you're not comfortable handling money or selling tickets, we'll still need help elsewhere. And there are times when we do have plenty of volunteers, believe it or not, but knowing somebody can count on you for help is a blessing.
YOU are a key component of this organization. YOU are the force that drives it forward. YOU MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN.
The topic of volunteering frequently comes up in club discussions. "How do we motivate volunteers?" or "How do we get people to volunteer?"
I don't profess to know myself, but here are some great tips I picked up in book somewhere*;
- ASK. Don't wait for help to come to you. Go ahead and ask for help directly.
- Keep the members up to speed on what is going on and encourage idea/responsibility sharing.
- Although the chances of having a definitive job description for most of our events is slim, try to lay out as much information about the task as can be done. Then listen for suggestions that could help save time, manpower, and possibly money.
- Publicize and acknowledge the work of the volunteers, even before the event is finished.
- Guilt won't work for long.
- Volunteers that are dissatisfied with the job most often feel underutilized.
Raise your hand. MAKE IT HAPPEN.
*Pick up "Marketing Nonprofit Programs and Services" by Douglas Herron.
