Leading
the Way
by
Linda E. Kelley, PLS
I have
been a member of NALS for many years, have belonged to
two separate chapters, and have served as Membership
Chair and President for multiple terms. At present,
I am a member of the Virginia Beach Legal Staff Association
(VBLSA), have served as Vice President and Membership
Chair for the two preceding years, and am in my first
term as President. VBLSA was fortunate to win two awards
at our state level (VALS), one for most new members and
the other for most retained members.
Polls taken of our members indicate they come to meetings for the programs, continuing
legal education, and networking. Because meetings held without a speaker
are not well attended, the success of VBLSA is dependent upon good speakers and
programs.
VBLSA held a Leadership Retreat in July and was attended by the officers and
most committee chairs. Many things were discussed and decisions were made
to implement several features to pique the interest of our members.
A mentoring
program has been put into place whereby a “seasoned” member
will be assigned to a new member and will assist that
member with questions about the Association and help
her to become comfortable in the chapter. This
mentoring will extend to visitors as well. The
mentor will call the visitor after the meeting and personally
invite her to the next meeting.
Have you gone to a chapter meeting, seen the same person
again and again, but you do not know or cannot recall
the person’s name? A resolution of this problem
was the formation of a Picture Directory to be used only
within the chapter. Digital pictures are taken of
each member and inserted in our current directory. Now,
when one has that “senior” moment or cannot
place the face, it will be only a matter of flipping open
the Directory to match the name to the face. People
like to be recognized by name and this is a great tool
for that purpose.
Along
with the recognition idea came the Member Spotlight. A
member is selected and interviewed. The article,
along with the member’s photograph, is included
in the newsletter sent to members the week prior to the
regular monthly meeting.
One
of the most exciting ideas resulting from the Leadership
Retreat was the creation of a Young Members Section of
VBLSA. This section includes members who are 35
years old or younger. The priorities and goals
of older members frequently do not coincide with
the goals and aspirations of those members who are between
20 and 35 years of age. The Section Chair and a
number of the officers plan to participate in job fairs,
where students of all ages are likely to attend. Targeting
the younger members, including students from high schools
and colleges, is a great way to build a chapter and is
tapping some valuable resources. While older members
provide experience and guidance, younger members supply
energy, innovation, and freshness.
A procedure
in place that has been used for years may have valid
reasons for functioning in the same manner. However,
some procedures are outdated and need a new approach. The
slogan, “It’s always been done that way” needs
to be thrown out. It should be replaced with, “We
are open to new ideas.”
