August 14, 2015
Dear Everyone:
ARMA has been keeping me busy (big surprise) of late.
Back in May we made the “nominations” for positions on the Board of
Directors. In all honesty,
the Board positions just tend to switch around between the usual
conscientious individuals; Secretary one term, Treasurer the next, and
so on. There is actually a
rule that doesn’t allow people to be a “Board Member for Life”, except
for the Treasurer and Secretary positions.
The idea is to “let someone else have a try” at being President,
Vice President and various Directors.
The truth is, it’s not that easy to find anybody willing to
serve.
When our previous President went scampering off to
Idaho with her
husband and many, many sled dogs, I became de facto President because I
was the Vice President. That
meant we didn’t have a Vice President.
But another person, “Irene”, who had actually been the Chapter
President in the past, volunteered…and we were saved.
Unfortunately, “Irene” can’t afford to be a member anymore.
She had been paying for her membership and monthly dinners out of
her own pocket after her employer decided to “save money”, but could no
longer manage it. So now
she’s a “Friend of ARMA”, which costs nothing, but doesn’t allow her to
be a Board member. So she
can’t be Vice President, or anything else.
So we decided to make our Membership Director, “Drusilla”, Vice
President. That meant we
wouldn’t have a Membership Director until we could find another willing
victim. In reality, all the
Director does is field the occasional question from prospective members
and send emails to people who join or look like they’re about to jump
ship.
I figured I could “fill in” for Membership in the meantime.
I know what you’re thinking:
Trying to do it all yourself, aren’t you?
No, but “somebody has to do it” until…
At least we had all the major bases covered.
But then, in June, at the last meeting of the fiscal year, “Giselle”,
our Programs Director and sort-of-Hospitality Director told us that her
boss was changing her job and she would no longer be “in
Records
Management”. I assured her
that “once you get into Records Management, you never get out” and that
she would take all of the accumulated knowledge with her.
And Best Wishes in her new job.
No idea if it constituted a promotion or anything.
Now we’re out two Directors, Membership and Programs.
Technically, we’re also out a Hospitality Director, but our Treasurer
has always considered that a “branch” of her duties and here’s hoping
she doesn’t get promoted, dropped or anything else.
Hospitality generally means finding a venue for meetings and
we’ve been using the same restaurant for years.
As long as they stay open, we’re covered.
So far.
Then, this past Monday, we got an email from our new Vice President,
“Drusilla”. Any message that
begins with, “It is with a heavy heart…” is bad news.
She’s dropping out of ARMA, for now.
Too busy with work and family and so on.
Of course.
I once pointed out to someone that working in ARMA can be like having a
Second Job. He countered:
“No. It’s like having
an UNPAID Second Job.” True.
So now we have no Vice President.
Again.
Enter “Clancy”, a former Chapter President and now very, very busy with
the entire Pacific Region, all atwitter that we “can’t have a Chapter if
the four major Board positions aren’t filled.”
A “fact” that he conveniently forgot back when I was suddenly
pushed into the presidency.
Then he checked the rules and informed us that a Chapter that doesn’t
have a “full Board” would be put “on watch” for a year to see if it was
about to “go dormant”. So we
have a little breathing room.
He also suggested “wooing” (his words) people from
Pacific Gas
and Electric, affectionately known as “PG&E”.
PG&E, you may recall,
blew up a neighborhood in
San Bruno a few years
ago, and has been in related lawsuits ever since.
They’re stock “excuse”:
Blame it all on “poor records management”.
Now they are “actively” participating in ARMA, which means a lot
of members in the various local Chapters.
But when I did a bit of research I noticed that while we have several
members in our Chapter, few of them have ever attended a monthly
meeting. And attending the
meetings is a “requirement” to being a Board Member.
So instead I sent an email out to all of the Chapter Members announcing
that our Vice President had become “lost, stolen or strayed” and was
anyone interested in volunteering?
And was very surprised to hear from “Godfrey”.
“Godfrey” is a member/employee of a “local” consulting firm and,
some years ago, was actually a Chapter Board member until health issues
precluded his further participation.
I confess I had completely forgotten about “Godfrey”.
Sure, he was a member; but each of the employees of this firm
belong to more than one local Chapter.
The firm has people who live in
Southern California,
Santa Clara,
San Francisco and
Sacramento.
The San Francisco and Sacramento people also belong to the
Mount
Diablo Chapter. Sometimes
they even show up at one of our meetings.
As far as they’re concerned, it’s just a part of their job.
But “Godfrey”, who I’m happy to report is feeling much better,
thank you, is now ready to assume the mantle of leadership once again.
Hallelujah!!! The
rest of the Board has indicated through email that appointing “Godfrey”
to Vice President will happen at the next meeting, which will be a
Planning Session in two weeks.
We still need Membership and Programs, but the immediate crisis has been
averted. Resume breathing.
Love, as always,
Pete
| Previous | Next |