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labrat_wr 9 years, 11 months ago.
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If you have “gone the distance” in the election phase (gotten nominated, answered the candidate questions, maybe attended a few events and gone on social media to connect with the voters), chances are you were elected to the WGA Board of Directors and now have a two-year term to serve.
CAN YOU GO THE DISTANCE?
After the novelty of getting elected wears off and the work starts, will you be able to maintain your enthusiasm and degree of participation for the whole duration of your term? Will you continue to be an active BOD member, shouldering your share of the duties of the job, contributing to the well-being of the organization, connecting with the general membership? How will you come to the end of your term? Will it end (with apologies to T.S. Eliot) with a bang or with a whimper?
Can I go the distance? Absolutely! I took a little time to think things over before accepting the nomination. After careful decision, I accepted only after I could honestly say that I have the time, and desire to devote my time and energy to the WGA. For me, I do not like doing things half way, if I’m in, I’m all in.
~ **~ All posts are my opinion and do not in any way reflect the opinion of the WGA Board of Directors ~**~
After receiving the nomination and thinking this over, the decision wasn’t too difficult. I was attending several WGA events over the last three years and decided I could contribute at least two years of my time and energy to “give back” to the WGA. Another reason for saying yes, was my location in the Lake Superior Northwoods Biome. My location may give a “statewide” perspective to the Board of Directors. That perspective was discussed at bit at the WGA Chili Feed last Saturday at Waukesha with some of the cachers I visited with. For example, to be able to find 10-20 caches “Up North” is at least over a 50 mile one- way drive, as compared to traveling 5 miles to get the same number of “city” caches. Definitely the number of cachers and cache hiders is concentrated in the city areas compared to rural areas. Not saying I would like to see the Northwoods concentrated with caches every .10 of a mile, but I’m trying to provide perspective that caching takes a bit of time and mileage that those of us “Up North” face when caching. I am also saying I am committed to make the drive and very willing to drive to serve on the Board of Directors. Perhaps by being on the BOD I can directly recruit more cachers to join the WGA and put out more caches “in da woods!” eh? (I’m almost a Yooper, you know being at Washburn, WI which is only 50 miles from Ironwood, MI and Da UP, eh?)
I’d Rather Be Lost Geocaching, Than Found At Home!
Someone nominated me for the BOD because they thought I was capable of going the distance and had what it takes to get there. The decision to accept did not come easily, but after careful consideration I welcomed the challenge. I am willing to do whatever it takes, as long as it’s legal and moral (in my eyes), to keep the board strong and encourage enthusiasm about the WGA whether I am a BOD or just a member.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
-Henry David Thoreau
I believe I can “go the distance”. I thought it over carefully before deciding to accept the nomination. I wanted to make sure that I could fulfill my obligations. I am a firm believer in what ever you do always try to do your best and that is what I will do if elected.
I have been on the board for two terms now. Have I always been as fully engaged as I should have been? No, life gets in the way sometimes. That being said, I have attended nearly event that the WGA has held. I have been to every yearly board meeting without fail. So I feel that I will indeed go the distance, and I believe I have proven that through my actions.
As I am staring down the barrel of a potential 4th term on the BOD, I can answer honestly that the puppy love phase of being on the board of directors has been over for some time for me but when it came to accepting the nomination for another shot, it didn’t take me too long to know that I still have some fire burning that makes me want to be a part of this group yet again.
Can I go the distance again, I believe so. As mentioned before, sometimes life gets in the way but the friendships built in the WGA are strong and geocaching gives me a refuge to visit when things get stressed. Sometimes the organization of the WGA events gets a bit difficult and being able to reach out to the membership for volunteers can be of great assistance. The 9 member board of directors doesn’t have to do it all but we do have to organize. That does make it hard to go the distance sometimes but when we step back and review what we accomplished, it is worth the work.Disclaimer : Always answering to a higher power.
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