As I write this, I'm worried about the future of TMAC. Recent events have made me question whether members are really invested in the organization and its future. One example: British Columbia is the second biggest TMAC chapter in the country with 77 members, yet it has been nearly impossible to find replacements for current chapter chairs Jane Mundy and Carla Mont when they finish their term in May. We have come to a point where questions like, "What happens if there is no one to lead the chapter? Do we fold it? Where would the B.C. chapter funds go?" These are questions I never thought would need to be posed. Fortunately, new member Catherine Roscoe Barr stepped up at the recent PD day, willing to be a co-chair. Another co-chair is still needed.

In Atlantic Canada, there was a similar scenario. Current provincial chapter chair Lola Augustine Brown had a serious health scare and was possibly facing surgery and an extended recovery period. Planning for such an event, Lola put out a call to all members for a possible replacement and the silence was deafening. Crisis averted when her health problems resolved themselves and Lola agreed to stay on as chapter chair.

I now also face a situation where I need to find a replacement for myself. Vice president Jo Matyas informed me that she would not be moving into the president's position this May. She feels that she is not the right person to lead TMAC into the next year. I respect her decision, but it has left TMAC without a successor for president. And based on what I see happening around me at the chapter level, I know that finding someone is going to be tougher than trying to get a comp airfare out of Air Canada.

Make no mistake about it. Volunteers are TMAC's life blood. We are a non-profit organization that leans heavily on its members to make the day-to-day functioning of TMAC happen. The professional development days don't happen magically by themselves. There's a team of volunteers behind it. The same is true of Ontario's Munch & Mingle events, member applications, compiling the handbook, serving on the national board and committees, researching new membership benefits, etc. To all those volunteers who have contributed to TMAC to date, I sincerely thank you for giving a sh*t to help out.

While it's true that we have a management company, TO Corp, to do some of the heavy lifting around conferences, bookkeeping, membership renewals/requalifications, etc., TMAC still needs volunteers. I fear that we've become complacent, believing that TO Corp will pick up the slack (and they will, if we pay them) or some other member will volunteer. It's no coincidence that our management fees from TO Corp have climbed significantly in the last eight years while member engagement seems to be waning. It's a trend the current board finds alarming and is trying to stop. But we need everyone's help to do that.

If you've been a TMAC member for a while and have never volunteered, why not? Seriously. If you're still a member, you recognize the value of TMAC and have enjoyed some of the perks of membership. I am not going to sugar coat this. You have a duty to give back and to invest in health of the organization. Pure and simple.

I didn't really understand that until I became part of the membership committee and then when I became part of the national board as vice president, media, I finally got it. There are many things that need to be done to keep the organization humming. When I'm no longer president, I will continue to volunteer and do my part. How about you?

How can you help? There are ways big and small. Contact me, or your chapter chair, and we'll show you how.

What TMAC needs right now:

• a B.C. chapter co-chair
• a president for 2014/2015
• members to run for election for the new board
• a volunteer committee chair, someone who can help find help where needed as needed for various tasks, like updating the editor's list and assisting various committees (communications, member benefits, membership...)
• help on the membership benefits committee (see Liz Campbell's message below)

Please step up and step in.

 - Michele Sponagle, TMAC national president 

Our keynote speaker, Tom Gierasimczuk, editor-in chief at BCBusiness magazine, talked about monetizing and marketing journalism, and new ways to build brands by collaboration with the PR industry. A panel discussion, The Ins and Outs of Instagram, featured professionals in the field, and we had two informative round tables. New member Catherine Roscoe-Barr is also a motivational/life coach. She focused on how to get the life you want, tools to navigate through life when you are pulled in a million different directions, balance and how to manage stress. Don't we all need some of that?

Last, but not least, we have our sponsors to thank for making this day possible: The Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver, Northern British Columbia Tourism, Bellstar Hotels & Resorts and Destination British Columbia.

And a big thanks to The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Tourism Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb and Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Tourism for last November's event where more than 60 attendees, including several SATW members, converged at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler for two days of education, networking and fun! Given that we have less than 80 members in our B.C. Chapter, this was a great turnout.

Thanks to the feedback from Survey Monkey sent out to our members a few months beforehand, the B.C. board was confident that we could attract a substantial number of attendees - many of whom expressed an interest in travelling beyond Vancouver. I've already been approached by several industry members interested in hosting a weekend on the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island or the Okanagan.

On the national scene, I recently put together a sponsorship document (some of it pilfered from national with thanks!) and shared it with our chapter chairs. The conference calls set up by Ontario's Elizabeth Kerr have been great, and a long time coming, for more sharing amongst our chapters.