Chief of Staff/Extension: Reflections and Resolutions – Improving the Member Experience and Auxiliary

Reflections and Resolutions – Improving the Member Experience and Auxiliary

With all the hustle and bustle surrounding the holiday season, I encourage you to take a few minutes to reflect and acknowledge the continued needs of our Auxiliary, our members and those we serve.

Take a few minutes and ask yourself:

Did I improve my member experience and make my Auxiliary better in 2017? 

• Did I frequently attend my local Auxiliary meeting?
• Did I participate in any Auxiliary sponsored activities?
• Did I volunteer to chair an event or be a committee member?
• Have I been a mentor – a trusted friend and guide?
• Did I seek out opportunities to enhance my knowledge and skills offered through the Auxiliary?
• Did I support community efforts through volunteerism?
• Was I recognized or did I recognize a member by saying “good job” and/or “thank you”?
• “Just One” – Did I sign up one new member?
• Did I offer to pay dues for a member facing a challenging time in their life?
• Did I make a difference in the life of a child, elderly and/or veteran?

What can I do to make my membership experience and Auxiliary better?  This is a powerful question that I ask you to reflect upon and to place on your Auxiliary resolution list for 2018.

Some suggestions to think about:

• Sign up for MALTA.
• Review and use materials available within the Program and Publicity Resources on the website.
• Visit the Auxiliary blog frequently for ideas to promote the programs.
• Engage in the “Just One” membership campaign.
• Study Strengthening Auxiliaries – 30 ways to Recruit, Retain and Mentor Members and then develop a plan of your own.
• Volunteer to be a mentor.
• Become more familiar with the current Bylaws, Booklet of Instructions and Ritual.
• Venture out of your comfort zone to explore a program you’ve not been involved with before.
• Show respect to your fellow Auxiliary members.
• Attend a District and/or Department meeting.
• Volunteer to represent your Auxiliary at a community event.
• Seek a new way to educate youth in patriotism and scholarship opportunities available through the VFW and Auxiliary.
• Attract public interest in legislative initiatives affecting our veterans.
• Find new ways to support and assist the VFW in the common goal of serving veterans, their families and our community.
• Assure a positive attitude and open mind will be carried with you when engaged in Auxiliary meeting and activities.
• Be kind and helpful to everyone.

As we reflect on the wonders of turning the calendar page over each year, we look to January 1 as a new beginning. It can be a reason to let go of troubling baggage, a reason to renew your energy, and it can be a time to make resolutions.

May you have a beautiful holiday season with your family and friends and create lots of lasting happy memories.

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A Recipe for a Happy New Year! 

Anonymous

Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time.

Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.

Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, prayer, meditation, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing—don’t do it), and one well-selected resolution.

Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.