When this year’s Board came into office, we had a course set for the journey ahead of us. Although our route changed, our destination remained the same: provide our Membership with a rewarding experience. We remained true to our vision in providing our Membership opportunities to form new and lasting friendships and provide avenues for Community involvement. The course was a little rocky at times, but through digital platforms like Facetime and ZOOM we were successful in providing an avenue for our Membership to remain engaged with our interest groups, Community Outreach Programs and more importantly each other.
One positive outcome from these challenging times is that Newcomers found avenues to offer support to our Community by initiating the student desk program, helping spread Holiday joy through our “We Believe in Estes Park” efforts and assisting Trail Ridge Quilters with their online sales. COVID may have stopped us from being able to engage in activities as a group, but it did not stop us from being able to continue as an Organization supporting our Members and the Community.
The next phase of our journey is the upcoming election of officers for the 2021/2022 term and identifying organizers for our interest groups. Interestingly, it takes about 50 people to support our organization. There are administrators, planners, accountants, writers and tech wizards. There are those who seek out local cuisines, entertainment, and guest speakers from our Community. There are those who organize hikes, book clubs, quilters, photography groups and games. There are even those organize special outings and opportunities to serve within our Community.
There are several steps to the election process.
The first step is the appointment of a Nominating Committee consisting of five active Members within the Club. Those serving in this role are:
- Drew Webb
- Barb Prentiss
- Barry Power
- Judy Shipman
- Donna Bryson
The next step is where the nominating committee prepares a slate of nominees interested in serving as officers for the next year. Additionally, the nominating committee will create an inventory of skills and interests of those within our Membership who are willing to support our interest groups.
Once the Nominating Committee has completed their work, the slate of nominees will be announced, and an election will be held at the April General Membership Meeting. I am sure that you are asking “will Newcomers actually have a Membership Meeting?” The answer is yes. The Board will continue to monitor the restrictions imposed by COVID and make a determination as to if the meeting will be held in-person or via ZOOM. Once the election takes place, the newly elected officers will take office on June 1st. Please watch your email and our website for details on how we will conduct the General Membership meeting.
If you would like to learn more about leading one of our many Interest Groups, please reach out to our VP of Activities at activities@estesparknewcomers.org. Or if you would like to learn more about a leadership position on the Board, please reach out to the Nominating Committee at nominating@estesparknewcomers.org
As President of this Club, I have found serving on this Board to be an enriching and rewarding experience with memories that will last a lifetime. If becoming more involved in this Club is of interest to you, then I encourage you to join us on this amazing journey.
Debbi