The Wednesday Wellness threads are meant to encourage users to ask for and provide advice and motivation to improve their lives. It isn't intended as a 'containment thread' and any content which could go here could instead be posted in its own thread. You could post:
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Requests for advice and / or encouragement. On basically any topic and for any scale of problem.
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Advice. This can be in response to a request for advice or just something that you think could be generally useful for many people here.
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So I've made a lot of headway into my local neighborhood. Next month, I'm set to join the board of my neighborhood organization. I'm replacing a member who has too many commitments. (Note: this neighborhood does not have an HOA, so membership is voluntary.) I'm also the volunteer webmaster, so thankfully I get to structure how our online real estate looks and feels.
My goals as a board member are twofold:
Out of curiosity: what would be some good reasons to join a group that reviews building permits, holds open meetings with bureaucrats and local elected officials, and serves cheap chicken dinners to dues-paying members?
Hell of a selling proposition, I know.
Better yet, what more would we need to do to make it worth leaving your residence on a Thursday night? Y'know, instead of being here on The Motte with you fine folk? 🙂
You alluded to this, but I'll make it more explicit. I'd split that point into two pieces:
1a) Provide valuable services to the members.
1b) Create effective rhetoric to persuade people to join.
Right now, it sounds like the valuable services you provide are: a) political/bureaucratic organization, and b) a social club. That's a small niche, and wouldn't be attractive to many people. I'm not sure if you could attract a substantial fraction of your neighbors without branching out into new activities.
I and another new member are well aware that the status quo is not attractive. I am probing the other board members to find out where their curiosities & passions are. They used to have tables at city-permitted events, but that dropped off years ago.
One thing I'm thinking of is using the speaker as a platform to reach out to people further down on the career pyramid. As an example, in April we'll be having the city's parking manager presenting. This could be useful for people working as traffic control, as valets, as meter maids, et cetera. We have local nonprofits literally training people off the street for these entry-level positions a mile away from our meeting location. This is a working class neighborhood, and this could attract those whose aspirations aren't yet smothered.
The intended message: "He started from the bottom, now he's here. You can learn from his example. We're capable of bringing in Top Guys. You want access? We make it happen." This can increase the range of speakers in the neighborhood beyond just civil servants and new arrivals.
This is just one example. There are more, but I'll wait for another time to add them.
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Why did you join the org?
Other people might want to join for the same reasons as you.
If you can't think of a good reason why you joined then why not just leave the org and let other people handle it?
I joined because I bought a house in the neighborhood. I'm not from here, and this is probably the best I can do as far as what I can afford. (Six years later, I'm priced out of buying in this neighborhood. There's nowhere cheaper to move to within an hour's drive.) Might as well figure out how to help make where I'm at the best that it can be.
I once lived in an apartment complex that would have occasional events where you could have snacks and meet with the neighbors. It was a good way for people in the complex to meet others and socialize.
Maybe if you proposed an informal event that had food and games (yard/board) where the main purpose was getting to know your neighbors there would be some interest. There seems to be demand for this type of thing. People like to know their neighbors but need someone else to take initiative and come up with a reason for people to meet.
Then at this event you could briefly talk about the neighborhood org and also ask people if they have ideas for future events and would be interested in helping organize the next one.
ETA: If I was invited to an event where the main purpose was to get me to join an neighborhood org I would probably decline because that could lead to work and commitments that I'd prefer to avoid. It sounds like a ploy to get me to do unpaid work. However, if someone was organizing an event to meet the neighbors I'd be much more enthusiastic because that sounds casual and fun. Then if I was vibing with the neighbors at the casual event and someone brought up the neighborhood org I'd be much more inclined to help out with it.
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