[CyberTOPS] Election ?

[Royal & Linda Coan]

In one of the chapters we have been in, they offer all officers to have their
annual dues paid for the year. I don't know if this would help members take a
office or if your chapter can afford it. If they don't complete their year
they must repaid the chapter the dues the chapter paid for them.
 
Dreams Come
True In Tops
Pounds Away,
     Royal and Linda Coan, 
 
Tops #AR 585,
FARMINGTON

**You are the STAR of your GOAL**
________________________________
From: "Hampton, Tommie"
<tommie-hampton at utulsa.edu>
To: Tom Seman <tom_seman at prodigy.net>; cybertops
<cybertops at cybertops.net>
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 2:31:11 PM
Subject:
[CyberTOPS] Election ?

Tom's msg of a Chapter in panic mode reminds me of the
upcoming
elections and that most members in our Chapter do not want to take
any
of the offices or be WRs.  

First Tom -- I know you will get back in
leeway by the time you need to
do so!

Second -- thanks to those who do step
up for their Chapters by doing
programs and serving as officers, weight
recorders, committee members,
etc.  

If only 3 members step forward to
volunteer -- does that automatically
disband your Chapter?  

How is everyone
doing on getting members to volunteer to run for the
upcoming elections?

We
have about 20 members and our avg attendance is about 12-14.  

Everyone I
check with says they cannot be there every week.  My answer
is who can.  I
missed more meetings than ever in 2008 as my Mother was
very sick for a couple
of months during the summer.

Our current Leader just had surgery plus her
husband has been ill and
will be having more surgery.  She doesn't want to
take any office.  (I'm
hoping she will change her mind.)

Our current Weight
Recorder's husband has cancer, and she doesn't want
any added stress of any
kind right now.  She stepped up this summer when
our Weight Recorder changed
jobs and had to work later hours.  She keeps
apologizing to me, and I keep
telling her that I understand.  I really
do know some just cannot serve.

Our
youngest member is our current Co-Leader and is willing to do any or
all jobs
that we need her to do.  Last year when no one would take
Secretary, she
agreed to do both jobs.  We were told that with 20
members we needed 6
different members.  We finally got someone to let us
use her name on the
form.  We have several members who will do the
minutes each week if the
official secretary isn't there, they just don't
want the official title of
Secretary?  Duh?  

The older members mostly feel like they've held all the
offices and
others who have not held office need to step up and serve.  I can
realize that some of the older members, who have health issues, might
not be
able to serve now.

Everyone I approach has an excuse of some kind.  What do
you do on
election night if only 3 people offer to take jobs?  Does that mean
you
have to disband the Chapter?  We worried about it last year, and this
year
I'm even more worried.  (Yes, I worry too much!)

I just wondered if anyone
else is in the same situation and what anyone
would suggest to get the members
to volunteer.  I've been sending
"group" e-mails to those members who have
e-mails.  I try to speak with
someone each week to see if they would be
interested in any of the
offices and WRs.  I've been helping in the Weight
Room, and it's hard to
get to speak to very many.  I have to quit asking once
there is a line.

Our Leader has been having to do most of the programs since
no one will
even hardly ever volunteer to do a program.  (Yes -- I'm one of
those.
I do no speaking parts.)

Even with that current program problem, we do
have one member who is
considering running for Leader.  We keep talking to
her.  She has not
committed to running yet -- but she has not yet said NO
either!

Counting her, the current Co-Leader, and me.  We have three willing
to
serve.  And one of us will not take a job with any speaking parts... ME.
And due to my Mother's problems, I had actually asked to not take an
office
this year.  But unless some step up, I will. (I was originally
drafted by the
Treasurer who wanted to be Weight Recorder -- and now I
don't even remember
what year that was -- we had two other members step
up to be Treasurer during
the years but then each handed it back within
a month or so.) 

I'm thinking
no one will show up election night for fear they will be
drafted.  I'm praying
for them to all show up and having two members
wanting each job.  How
wonderful those Chapters must be to have so many
willing to serve!  I can see
the problems in hurt feelings when someone
may not get elected, but right now
it would seem to be a nice problem to
have.

TOPS Love -- Tommie Sue 
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 12:55 PM

Well the
snow melted, there was no storms,wind or freezing rain, the
temperature was in
the high 50's (almost mild). Mary and I got back from
a
funeral of a friend
and I found a frantic call from one of my chapters,
"we're
going to disband,
nobody wants to do anything, people aren't coming" So
again
I was EXcused from
our meeting. I called the Co-Leader arranged for an
alternate program and off
I went to save a "wayward" chapter!!!!!
I have not weighed in this year,
between vacation, other chapters,
weather
etc.    I'm also in trouble, I know
I'm over leeway.... I do need some
help
somewhere.. I recently put in for my
10 year TOPS necklace and now I'm
in big
trouble.. Darn.... I need a kick in
the rear...

Have a great week everyone..
I Care
Tom a KOPS in Ohio
#OH 2147,
Oberlin
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