There is a wonderful quote by David Brooks about personal success that can very easily define the approach we as owners (yes, members of Handbell Musicians of America) must believe as we move toward a new year and an ever-changing organization: “Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so.” Or as handbell musicians: Almost every successful organization begins with two beliefs: the future can be better than the present, and we have the power to make it so.
It is simple to be a member of this amazing organization. Pay your dues and absorb the knowledge, the energy, and the benefits. It’s as simple as that. But if that’s all you do, I really believe that you’re missing something important—an intangible something that you won’t get simply by paying dues and absorbing. Membership is most meaningful when you make connection with others, and together, you resolve to make the organization better. Together, we have the power to make our future better than the present.
Activate Your Ownership – Vote
Next spring, Handbell Musicians of America will be selecting new members for its Board of Directors. Every member of our organization will have the privilege to vote for a president-elect and three new at-large members. It’s a simple, online process, and your involvement will make a huge difference for our organization and its future. Activate your ownership by helping us select these board members. It may surprise you to know that less than 10% of our membership voted in the last election. Take this seriously. Vote for people you think will have the vision and wisdom to make our future better than the present.
Activate Your Ownership – Participate
There are so many different ways you can be involved in the working of the Guild: share your ideas and concerns with area leadership and the national board; volunteer to be on an organizing team for an event; mentor a new handbell ringer or director; try the other side of the table for a change; attend seminar for the first time or the tenth time; arrange a piece for your choir; go to lunch with a handbell friend. When you make connections and resolve to make our organization better, you also become better. Random acts of handbell kindness will help activate your ownership.
Activate Your Ownership – Support
Most of us are incredibly busy people (and handbell ringers/directors always seem to be busier than most). What defines me as a person is generally what I support. I am a husband and a father; a member of the Columbia Multisport Club, seven-time national club triathlon champions; a member of the American Choral Directors Association; a member of the Columbia Handbell Ensemble; a member of the Odyssey Chamber Music Series Board of Directors; a member of First Baptist Church, Columbia, MO; an alumnus of William Jewell College; an Alice Parker Fellow; a member of Handbell Musicians of America. What do most of these have in common? As an owner, they need support. It could be a gift of time, energies, or talents, or it could be in the manner of a monetary donation.
As the year ends, I hope you will consider sharing your gifts with those organizations that help define who you are. If Handbell Musicians of America is one of the groups for which you can make a donation of time, energies, or talents, terrific! If it is an organization you would like to support financially, that’s terrific, too. We would value your support.
Financial gifts can be made in many fashions: join our Legacy Society to make the Guild a beneficiary of your estate; add a few extra dollars to your membership; contribute to the “I’m In Because I Ring” campaign; or just offer an end-of-year contribution.
One thing you need to know is that all gifts, no matter the size, work together to help our future become better than our present. When we work together, we have the power to make it so. Martin Luther King put it this way: “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”
I’m looking forward to moving forward with you as co-owners of this organization. I’d love to hear how you support Handbell Musicians of America; please contact me at [email protected].
Ed Rollins [email protected]
Ed Rollins President |
