Stephen VanDyke, CSI, CDT, NCARB
Volunteers. They’re the gas that fuels the Chapter’s engine. We’re luckier than most Chapters in the Region to have such a dedicated membership willing to volunteer their time to keep the Chapter vibrant. We’ve got a strong Board of Directors that has been consistently staffed with dedicated members planning the programs and managing the finances of the Chapter. We’ve seen steady increase in membership over the last several years, in a time when most Chapters around us are declining. And we’ve seen attendance in programs and events from members and guests we’ve not seen at programs before.
There’s a lot to do though, to keep the involvement in this Chapter worthwhile, and those of us on the Board could use some help in a few areas. If you enjoy what Worcester County CSI has to offer you, consider helping us out with any of these small tasks:
- Write a newsletter article. Sounds intimidating, like high school homework, but it really isn’t. We’re looking for short blurbs – a paragraph or two at the most. It could be about something you learned in another program you attended, a lesson you learned the hard way on a job, an interesting aspect of a project you’re working on – anything really. Content keeps the newsletter fresh, and since CSI is fundamentally about the exchange of information, consider exchanging some!
- Be our photographer. If you’ve been to an educational or social program, you know you’ve had a good time, but those who missed the event have no idea. We need to show folks what they’re missing, and the best way to do that is with some photos on the website and in the newsletter. You don’t even need to sign up for this – at the next event you attend, snap a few photos and email them over to the RSVP email address on the program flyer. We’ll take care of getting them in front of membership, and even give you photo credits!
- Reach the masses. So, we’re pretty much a bunch of old guys on the Board who have no understanding of social media. We had a great volunteer in Jackie Baum, who’s taken a new job in New York, so once again we’re disconnected. Would you be willing to twitterbook or facesnap from an event for us? Yeah, I did that on purpose. We’ve got Facebook and Twitter accounts which could use some traffic.
None of this has to be a full-time gig. With a membership of nearly 40, and only 11 events each year, we’d be in great shape if you could help out with one thing, one time per year. If you’re inclined to be a regular helper though, we’d sure welcome that!