Why Does Uncle Sam Want You? News & Views President's Podium

by Mike Sharp Originally published in News & Views November, 1999 issue. Copyright 1999 STC-Philadelphia Metro Chapter. For permission to reprint this article, contact the Managing Editor.

To pay your taxes this year, of course. But also, do you remember that poster from World War II-the angry-looking old guy in the funny suit pointing his bony finger at whoever happened to be looking? Back then, our entire nation was at war. If we didn't enlist or get drafted into military service, we helped the war effort from home. Men, women, and children all contributed in some way, through contribution and sacrifice. Although WWII is past, your Philadelphia Metro chapter will soon need to find some members who can sacrifice some of their time to help run the chapter. In the next few months it will be time to prepare for the 2000 election of chapter officers and appointment of committee chairs. As you probably know, four of our offices are elected (president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary). The sitting president appoints the rest of the chapter leadership-the various committee chairs. When I first joined STC nine years ago, one person filled each of the elected positions of the chapter. One person also staffed each of the committees. Perhaps that person found some colleagues to help, but the leadership responsibility rested with the committee chair. There were meetings of the chapter leadership, usually two or three per year, which always drew some but not all of the staff. Sometime in the mid-90s the competition committee sprouted two people as co-chair, and it seemed to ease the burden of time and commitment to that job. In recent years, I have tried to replicate that idea with other positions in the chapter. In committees with a heavy workload, I have encouraged people to share the leadership so that it is a true team function. As the job of providing employment information grew more complex, we moved the function from one volunteer to three. Last year we tried the idea of having co-secretaries, which meant that one person was not saddled with attending every meeting of the chapter. All of these changes have resulted in easing the burden on the individual volunteer in the spirit of many hands making light work. The point of all this meandering of my memory is that soon you will have an opportunity to volunteer for a piece of the chapter leadership. In recent years we have tried to reduce the burden of time and energy required so that you can more easily fit it into a busy life. There are rewards to contributing your time and effort. Here are some that I have found in my experience with the chapter. Working with other STC members widens your professional network. You find that you have more colleagues to consult for advice and to help with job searches. You can find a chance to grow in an area that isn't present in your current job. For example, several members have increased their knowledge of working with the World Wide Web by helping with the chapter web site. You can add this experience to your resume. You can gain the satisfaction of contributing to the "quality of professional life for others." Has some issue always interested you but you never seem to be able to address it in your job? Perhaps you can turn it into a contribution to the chapter. The chapter vice presidency has become a spot from which you could mount your own campaign for such an interest. Although intangible, the rewards of volunteering just a little of your time and effort to the chapter are nevertheless quite real. As we move towards our next election, I encourage you to think about getting or staying involved with chapter leadership. Oh, and by the way-Uncle Sam still wants you to pay your taxes this year!

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Last updated: May 10, 2000 (mvh)