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I wanted to use this month's check-in to talk about something important: YOU.
See, our 2019 priorities -- for staff and board alike -- all, in essence, revolve around MODS as a community. We've set out to offer great events (e.g. Beat the Skeeters' revival), better user experience (e.g. new website), improved communication (e.g. Communications Working Group, whose impressive recommendations you will soon see, if you haven't already), etc. -- all things that we're hoping improve your experience with MODS, in recognition of the fact that our community is at the core of not just why we exist, but also of why MODS matters to so many.
the current board has been working hard at improving how we organize ourselves and how we make decisions. Our Policy & Governance Committee has been on fire (!!!) with efforts to shore up "how we do things". (Think, for example: role descriptions for all board positions. We have those now, whereas we didn't before.) I know that doesn't sound exciting, but here's where the rubber meets the road: without a clear, shared understanding of how the organization makes decisions, who does what, etc., every time a board member steps down -- routine & inevitable, given the volunteer nature of the commitment -- we end up set back, having to re-learn for the new group how things work. Worse still is when we forget what we learned a few years ago and have to reinvent things, which gets in the way of building new and improved things.
we had a good conversation at a recent board meeting about our philosophy related to programming, financial accessibility etc. It's a plain fact that MODS stands alone, in our peer group of disc-sport organizations across the country, as it relates to the breadth of our programming AND the scarcity of our staff resources. I don't say that to pat anyone on the back -- really, there's a chance that this model isn't sustainable in the long run.
I say it moreso to point out that as an organization, we've historically tried to keep costs low, breadth of programming high and -- here's the trick -- make up for lack of staff resources with a really strong base of dedicated volunteers.
1 - 2019 is about community. I hope you feel some degree of positive change in the (thrower's) wind, like I/board/staff do.
2 - We've been working hard to make it easier for us to welcome new/returning volunteers into the fold.
3 - Volunteers -- which is a boring way to say "people who care enough to give their time and energy" -- are, in a lot of ways, the lifeblood of our community.
Whether you want more of the same or more of something better, you -- by way of your involvement -- are the best person to make it happen. And if you do, everyone who gives, has given or will give of their time to MODS' community will be really happy and thankful to have you. (Reach out to me, any of my awesome peers on the current board or MODS' staff and we'd be happy to point you to ways you might choose to lend a hand. Thanks!) -Yacine