The second week of October annually is Jaycee Week, it’s the week where we as Jaycees celebrate the founding of our organization in 1915 by Henry Giessenbier Jr. Ironically this month marks my 14th year as a member. So what better time of the year than now to share with you why I Jaycee? I joined the Jaycees to help make my community a better place. But I stay a Jaycee because it gives me the opportunity to be a Young Active Citizen, who can create positive change within my community.
We join the Jaycees so that we can grow as individuals, expand ourselves personally, and to help humanity. Part of growing ourselves is taking advantage of all the opportunities that we’re presented with in life. Your membership to our great organization allows you many opportunities to do things that you can only dreamed of. You can drive positive change in your community and around the world. You can help build a park for neighborhood kids, you help fight diseases around the world, and you can meet world leaders and discuss your thoughts on global issues.
The Jaycees as you all know by now is more than just a community service organization. Since the founding in 1915 it has held true to its primary purpose of building young leaders to tackle the challenges of tomorrow. In 2013 I will be servicing you as your State Membership Development vice President; the Member Development area encompasses four key components and all them vital. First Recruit since our organization is based on membership requirements it’s important that we replace those that no longer meet our requirements to be members.
When I interviewed with Coyote a discussion came up of passion and I said my passion at work was turning data into insight for my coworkers. During my presentation about myself to our Executive team and my coworkers I realized what my true passion is… it’s to help people. Every job I’ve had involved helping people and at Coyote it’s no different I’m just using my technical skills to help our coworkers and our customers; outside work I love to volunteer with the Jaycees because we help people and make an impact with the work we do around the world.
On September 8th my campaign to serve the Illinois Jaycees members as their 2013 Membership Development Vice President came to end with me being elected. It’s true competing for the time of our members has gotten tougher each year our chapter, region, and state boards have gotten stretched too thin, burned out quickly, not adequately trained and weaker. As a result our members have suffered. Next year I want to focus on shaping the future of our organization.
Every wonder why some people have amazing looking Facebook profiles or 1000s of followers? In this 30 minute session we will discuss how to use facebook, google+, twitter the simple and easy way to communicate with your friends, family, and followers. This course is led me Richard Lewis a veteran user of social media sites and Chairman of the US Jaycees National Technology Advisory Committee. Come out next month on August 7th at 7:00PM.
Great News Everyone, I talked to Anthony Colletti today via email. He’s in Brussels Belgium at the JCI World Congress and said that were *#3 in the
WORLD* for JCI organizations in raising money for Nothing But Nets !!!!! just think how much more we can achieve by the end of the year. For every $10 we raise we save a life from Malaria donate at http://bit.ly/ut25Oh
Richard Lewis
2011 Website Program Manager – United States Jaycees
What an awesome GA we had this past weekend!!! Saturday during Lunch Anthony Colletti spoke about how close we are the our 2011 Nothing But Nets goal and our chapters STEPPED UP big time…to the tune of $1051.00 in pledges and donations. A big thanks goes out to all those chapters Mount Prospect, Gurnee/Lindenhurst, Bolingbrook, Chatham, Woodstock, Lombard, and Woodridge. Once we receive all the checks we will be only $289 away from our goal !
Last friday was exciting I announced my candidacy for 2012 Area One Vice President of the Illinois Jaycees. I believe that we can grow our area with outstanding Training held locally, We can use the Knowledge of our members and our networks to strengthen our area, and We can retain our members through all the Opportunities our organization have to offer. Like my page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Voteforrichard and follow my campaign.
As Jaycee members we have a long history of driving change in our communities across the country and all through our grassroots skills and efforts. For example, when a group of young business men in the Los Angeles area were dissatisfied with their representation in congress they sought out a candidate and came across a young who was a Jaycee their first reaction was here is a young man who has been through the best training in the world.
