PUTTING AN UNCOMMON EFFORT INTO A COMMON TASK

February 2004 editorial of the General-The LOMs Official Publication

“Who is my neighbor?”

One of the most common problems faced by any LOM is sustaining a certain number of Jaycees as its Chapter membership base. Time and again, most LOMs get caught in a vicious cycle of recruiting young professionals and entrepreneurs, screening them, letting them undergo the OTS as well as other basic Jaycee seminars, letting them handle small projects, and presto!, the LOM has a new batch of Jaycees. But usually because of a very tight Chapter calendar, most of these new Jaycees are left on their own to discover and appreciate the organization and its promise of opportunities.

However, most LOM officers tend to forget that running an organization that is voluntary in nature requires a deeper understanding of human nature and behavior, and the dynamics of the organization, as well. Or maybe on hindsight, it is just that most of the officers and even us, members, get too engrossed with the various chapter activities, more so with the fellowship that every Jaycee function brings. The more serious Jaycees, on the other hand, are too pre-occupied with monitoring their respective pet projects to ensure that come Area Conference, National Convention, ASPAC, or even World Congress, such projects would garner recognition in the bidbook competitions. Or maybe, we animatedly get caught up by the exciting world of Jaycee politics.

Many would say though, that any member’s active participation and intense involvement in the LOM affairs largely depend on the LOM President’s charisma, his vision for the chapter, and his relentless drive to achieve something for himself, in particular, and for the LOM, in general.

We have to be reminded that the President is not the Organization. While he may lead the chapter, direct every officer to do a certain task, provide motivation to every member, any president can only do so much. We must remind ourselves that it is the general membership and not the president that determines any LOM’s organizational culture and atmosphere. It is the general membership that can make or break any chapter because it is the one that ultimately decides on crucial issues