The end of any term of service can be bittersweet. While we are often glad to be relieved of the responsibilities of a particular office, we are also often sad to give up the joys and accomplishments we experienced during that period of service.
As I come to the end of two years of service as your thirty-seventh president, I am consoled by my motto that it is better to be a Has Been than a Never Was. I also take great comfort in the fact that I will be succeeded as president by a totally capable and dedicated volunteer, Helen Shaffer.
AMSOV has been truly fortunate. Since 1937, volunteers have stepped up to the plate, first to chair an AMSOV Conference, then to take on the mantle of the presidency. However, with more and more women working outside the home for pay, it has become increasingly difficult to find volunteers who have the time, ability and courage to take on the presidency. More than one of our member groups is struggling with this issue.
So what can we do to create a long-term solution?
First we must remember that everything is based on relationship. People decide to donate to and volunteer for organizations where they feel some type of personal connection with someone involved with that organization. Therefore, we need to make it our business to welcome every person who shows the least bit of interest in our orchestra and our volunteer group.
Second, it is vital to remember one of my mottos that I wrote about in a prior newsletter, namely that the first time you forget to thank someone may be the last time you see that person. There are innumerable worthy causes to which people can donate their time and money. They will continue to work for us as long as they feel appreciated and honored for what they do and contribute.
Combining these two factors, it is my belief that the most important job a president or chair has is to acknowledge every single thing someone does for the organization, and every time that person shows up at a meeting or event. When I became president of my sisterhood many years ago, my dear late mother's advice was to stand at the door at every event and personally welcome everyone who came in the door. That was good advice then and it's good advice now.
Third, we need to develop our leaders over a period of years. I have always maintained that every president has the obligation to bring in the person who will be his or her successor eight years down the road. That means first involving and training someone in committee work, then perhaps as a committee chair, then Board member, then officer, then president. People who come up through a leadership development system learn the skills and gain the confidence necessary to move on to the highest levels of leadership.
It is only through a concerted and systematic effort that we can ensure the on-going strength and viability of our volunteer organizations.
It truly has been my honor and pleasure to serve as your president. As each year comes and goes, may you and your orchestra volunteer groups go from strength to strength.
