Volunteers of Magnolia
It’s our own Cheryl Kennedy, Magnolia Point Women’s Club member, and resident media maven and local entrepreneur. And yes, she really is this much fun…a lot!
Why Join?
Really, why?
Not because it’s easy, not because it’s glamorous, but because somebody has to hang the decorations, haul the branches, and look pretty funny doing it, and it might as well be done with a smile!
Volunteering, is a team sport but nobody trains for it. Nobody stretches beforehand. You simply arrive with a pair of gloves and forty minutes later you’re ankle-deep in limbs and branches, helping bring this year’s crop of the neighborhood’s unique reindeer to life.
Committees
We have ’em: Access Control, Architechtural Review, Communications, Landscape & Irrigation, Rules Enforcement, Strategic Planning, and Roads, Drainage & Waterways. Some expand for the holidays; others are ad hoc, as the need arises. One thing they all share: there’s always something to do!
Sometimes, it’s no blueprints, no crew of specialists, just two neighbors, a leased vacuum truck, and the accumulated know-how of having done this sort of thing before. The job doesn’t ask for a degree in hydraulics; it asks for someone willing to get down at ground level, take a good look, and figure out what the pipe is actually telling them. That’s most of Roads, Drainage and Waterways work, really; careful observation, a bit of trial and error, and the steady confidence that comes from having fixed the last three of these, no problemo.
‘Sleeves Up!’
‘Magnolia Sleeves Up’ is an initiative to recognize the contributions of Magnolia Point’s volunteers; you’ll see the symbol is on our ‘Committee News’ pages. Volunteering is a critical component of community association activities, and successes, nationwide. Common among most are these types of ‘HOA’ duties, Board membership, Committee Chairs and volunteers, and Communications. We have 57 volunteers in these roles.
Magnolia SLEEVES UP! Now, the Women’s Club. The MPWC is the juggernaut of Magnolia Point volunteering, with all hands on deck for the annual Holiday Arts & Craft Fair, and the Luminaria Event, and other annual activities. And, there’s the Executive Board, Committee Directors and subcommittee chairs In total MPWC fields 136 volunteers.
Finally, there are the ad-hoc volunteers that pitch in each year to make a success of ‘Reindeer Rock’ and community-wide holiday lights and decorations, easily 30 more in those ranks.
Total Magnolia Point volunteers: 250.
In and among our volunteers, there are some that are on the job all year, others pitch in with seasonal or holiday efforts. We make no distinction for the purposes of this report: all hands are welcome, and all are needed. And, we need more.
Using 2,000 as the approximate minimum number of adults that live here, which many would say is low, and the median national average of HOA volunteers of 20% for a community like ours, we should have about 400 volunteers. Obviously, there’s room for improvement.
Volunteering is best understood from the perspective of your place in this life, your progress along life’s path. There are three of those, to our minds: the Young, the Poised, and the Older.
The Young – Of course you have no time! It takes every waking moment, and then some, to manage a household with school-aged children. We’ve all been there. And they look to you for so much, for strength, security, wisdom and limitless love. But your example speaks volumes to their inquiring, growing minds.
The Poised – Your households are emptier than you can remember, and at times, quieter than you’d like. Careers are more fully expressed, and there’s more time, and the means, to spend with your ‘other’ and friends, on things you’ve had to forgo for so long. And a chance to show yourself what you’ve managed to become and share that with others.
The Older – Surprise! It arrived before you’d expected, it seems. Your time is your own, and while there are new demands on your time from the large and growing family that has spread out across the landscape, and for many, the country. Now the time has arrived for all your experience and wisdom to count right here in the place you call home.
What can you do? Roll up those sleeves!
We recommend you start with any of our Committees that may interest you. Contact the Chair of that committee, and let them know of your interest. Our Committees and members can be found at: https://www.magpt.com/p/Committee-Members-Directory. You will also find a link to an application for Committee membership.
In the meantime, here’s a podcast we know you’ll enjoy: Click Here
From The Magnolia News – October 2024
