Thursday, 5 February 2009
Community
I love the town I live in. It is a great place to raise a family and we have wonderful friends and neighbors. Community involvement is something else I love. My husband and I both feel it's important to do our part and help our town be a better place. He serves on the board of directors at the local handicap association and I serve on the public library general board, the cultural arts society, and the elementary school council. All this keeps us very busy, and sometimes I wonder if all the time spent is worth it.
On the other hand, all these organizations are vital to the well-being of our community in their own way. At so many annual meetings, when these boards want to elect new officers, no one shows up. So the board continues on, leaving many members feeling different levels of burnout, but unwilling to see the organization die because of lack of involvement.
It's truly a balancing act, and I have to constantly examine my commitment level in my head every time a new task comes up. But I am able to work on so many different things because I've learned to say 'no' to the things I know I really can't handle. Meanwhile, I do what I can for these organizations because I want my family to have access to the benefits they provide. If all the volunteers quit, what kind of communities would we live in?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
True thoughts, Stephanie. You're right. We all need to do our part.
Good blog.
Nichole
Wow, I"m very impressed. I need to do better.
I'm also on the board for a statewide organization and I know how you feel. I especially get irritated when people don't show up for meetings and then have the nerve to complain about how the organization is run. Its why we burn out so quickly. Great post.
Hugs
Good post. Why is it that whenever something goes wrong on a community level, everyone's involved. But when things are good, silenc? And apathy?
Good things to think about. Thank you for sharing.
The complainers bother me the most. Around here, when things are good, every one is silent, and the busy few help keep things good. (and it always seems like it's the same people on every committee). When things are rough, people complain but then say they are too busy to be involved. Who's not busy these days.
Of course, not everyone can be on boards, but everyone can find some way to contribute whether small or large.
Sorry I went on a bit of a rant there. :) Thanks for all the comments.
Post a Comment