February 15, 2014
By Rachel Cerelli
Membership and Chapter Coordinator

rachel cerelliEvery year your Chapter holds elections for its executive board of directors. The roles these members are elected into are 100 per cent voluntary. The members of the executive fulfil their positions to help members and the industry as a whole.

So what exactly does the chapter executive board of directors do? Here are a few of the tasks.
  • Participate in monthly executive meetings. This could include creating a strategic plan to coordinate the Chapter’s monthly educational meetings, annual events (golf tournaments, barbecues, squash, holiday socials, MTO events) and community projects.Participate in monthly executive meetings. This could include creating a strategic plan to coordinate the Chapter’s monthly educational meetings, annual events (golf tournaments, barbecues, squash, holiday socials, MTO events) and community projects.
  • Attend as many monthly educational meetings as possible.
  • Connect home office with Chapter members to ensure the everyone is up to date.
  • Recruit new members.
  • Coordinate Chapter community greening projects — access the community’s needs and give back by providing an area with green space.
Many involved on chapter boards say they actually get back more from their volunteer work than they give of themselves. The other benefit of volunteering is networking, which is made possible by simply being a part of a community and a chapter.

To those entertaining the ideas of joining a Chapter board, but perhaps are a little intimidated…we get it. The staff at home office are willing to help give you one-on-one training, have you attend a board meeting to review the activities before joining, will supply you with a how-to manual, which will answer many questions that arise.

Elections for the Board of Directors will take place in the coming months across the province. If you want to get involved, contact me so I can pass the information on to the respective Chapter Board of Directors.  

Even if you are not interested in becoming a member of the board, you still have a say on who runs your Chapter, plans your educational meetings and makes the decisions for the community projects, by simply attending the elections meeting and voting.

To find out when your Chapter is hosting elections, visit www.horttrades.com/chapter.

“Originally, I became involved with the Chapter to take advantage of the  networking opportunities, but I’ve stayed in it for over ten years, because personally I get a lot out of the community initiatives our Chapter involves itself in,” says Jay Rivait, secretary of the Windsor Chapter.
Rachel Cerelli may be contacted at rachel@landscapeontario.com.