As a member you should have three goals:
- To make yourself the best member of your chapter.
- To make your chapter the best chapter in Jaycees International.
- As a dedicated member, to help your chapter make your community the
best local community in the world.
In achieving these goals, you do not have specific or constitutional
duties as officers and Board members do, but you do have very real
responsibilities. A few are listed below.
To Be Active
Many organizations exist for the "joiner," the person who only
wants to add another membership card to his/her collection. Jaycees
membership is different; it offers so much to its members: skill training,
personal development, community recognition, and the satisfaction of being
deeply involved in programs of lasting benefit to others. However, these
benefits are only available to the active member, the one who attends all
meetings and who works hard on all assigned projects.
To Be Committed
There is no such person as a "good, half-hearted" Jaycees
member. The JCI movement has a philosophy; it has goals and purposes; it
has soul. It requires a commitment to its ideals from its members, it
demands dedication to hard work, and it calls for a deep understanding of
the problems of people. If you can make this commitment, you will be an
invaluable member of your chapter.
To Be A Contributor
There are many member of Jaycees who are bursting with good ideas, who are
sound thinkers and who could play a useful role in the decision-making
process. However, they are often silent at meetings, perhaps because of
shyness or maybe they are afraid their ideas will be ridiculed. Too often
the really good ideas come out after the decision has been made. Your
chapter needs your contribution. Acquire the skill of speaking in public,
think out ideas thoroughly, and present a reasoned argument in support of
your views.
Be prepared to listen to opposition and accept any good points that are
made. Aim at being a member who is listened to and whose ideas are valued.
To Be Efficient
Efficiency is one of the keys to advancement. It is important that,
whatever task you have, you understand what you have to do, you
participate fully with others involved and you do your bit to the best of
your ability. Do not be afraid to ask if you do not understand. Do not
hesitate to seek help if you feel this is necessary. There is no position
in the Jaycees movement that is more important than any other, and each
member is one link in the human chain of achievement. The organization
needs the floor member who does what he or she has to do
conscientiously-it does not need those who shirk responsibility and cause
failure.
To Be Dependable
The member who can be counted on at all times, the one on whom others can
depend, is the member who will go right to the top. Many good projects
fail because only one person let the team down. Most Jaycees activities
require teamwork, and it is up to you to pull your weight and do what is
expected of you. At the same time, do not become so enthusiastic that you
undertake more than you have the time to do. Having too much to do is as
bad as doing nothing at all. The result is the same.
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Recommendations
Learn
It is important that you learn as much as you can about the organization
you have joined, for only then will you be able to participate fully.
Learn the history of your chapter, your National Organization and Jaycees;
find out all you can about recent activities and projects. Knowing what
has been done in the past will not only give you ideas but will help you
learn from the experience of others and recognize pitfalls to avoid. Study
the constitution of your chapter, its structure and organization. Attend
as many regional, national and international meetings as you can; you will
learn not only what is happening at those levels but also from the
experiences you will share with the many fellow members whom you will
meet. Above all, use every opportunity to learn new skills and extend
those skills you already have.
Utilize
Your chapter is a training organization, and you will benefit immeasurably
by taking advantage of the courses in personal development, leadership,
management and skill training that will be offered. However, you must use
the skills that you acquire. For example, after you learn the techniques
of chairmanship, organize a project to teach leaders of voluntary
organizations how to conduct good meetings. You will get even more
training and utilize your skills best by working on as great a variety of
projects as possible, for it is by doing that we learn best. The Jaycees
movement is unique in that it permits its members the luxury of learning
from mistakes, so do not be afraid of tackling something new. Even if you
are not completely successful, you will find it of lasting personal
benefit when you apply what you have learned in the Jaycees to your work
and personal life.
Organize
Being a Jaycees member is not entirely a spare-time activity, for being an
active member of a good chapter can be very demanding of your time and
your talents. You must so organize your time that you give adequate
attention to your family, your job and your Jaycees career while
neglecting none of these. It is wise to involve your family and your
employer or business associates in your Jaycees activities; they will see
the good work you are doing and the benefits you are gaining, and will
then give you full support.
Move On
Because of its great demands, your period of active Jaycees life may be
relatively short. When you know what it is all about, assess the time that
you will be able to give to Jaycees and set your personal goal, whether
it's to be Chapter President, National President, or JCI President. Plan
your steps on the road to achievement, and then, putting all that you
learn into practice, shoot for the stars. However, always remember that
the end of your Jaycees career should just be the beginning-the start of
your personal service to your community and your nation. Be a good Jaycees
member today, and you can be an outstanding leader tomorrow.
Summary
When you transform problems into challenges that you overcome; when you
set objectives for yourself that you achieve; and when you merge the
talents you now have with the skills you will acquire, you will attain
personal growth that will give you a new dimension, a new outlook, a new
way of life. Consider the words of Thomas Wolfe:
"If a man has talent and does not use it, he has failed;
If he has talent and uses only half of it, he has partially failed;
If he has talent and learns to use the whole of it, he has gloriously
succeeded,
and knows a satisfaction and triumph few will ever know.
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