OSCAby Brenda Lee
Dr. Phil talks a lot about...well, everything...and most of the time I don’t listen. Every once in a while though he comes up with something that I do listen to. One is his concept of life-defining moments...that we all have 10 life-defining moments, either positive or negative, that changed us.
I know when one of mine was. It was Oct. 4, 1999 and I had just been elected to the Old Ottawa South Community Association (OSCA) board as a new member. Earlier that day my friend Anne Marie had called me and said, “They need two more board members. Let’s join! It will be fun”. I’ve both cursed and thanked her ever since.
I sat on the board for four years, took a break, and rejoined two years ago. There have been both positive and negative moments, but mostly positive. It has changed me in ways I could never have foreseen in 1999 as I wandered into the Firehall and raised my hand for nomination.
I started my own home daycare business a year before, and through both experiences I have grown from a rather shy and quiet young woman (except with my immediate friends and family) into a woman who is much more confident in herself and her abilities. I barely spoke those first few months on the board, but I slowly learned that I did have things to say that not only made sense, but also were appreciated and welcomed. I became sure of myself, my skills, and my opinions, and I learned that what I had to contribute was worthwhile. I also learned about our neighbourhood, our city, politics, policies, how decisions were made, the history of prior decisions, the history of OOS itself...and eventually what in the world "Robert's Rules of Order" were. I made friends. I met so many people I never would have otherwise, and I found myself immersed in our neighbourhood and connected to it in ways that I had never known possible.
Each board member joins for their own reasons: Some have young families and they want to be a part of ensuring the future of OOS not only for themselves, but for their children; some have specific issues they feel strongly about; some know they have an ability that is needed on the board; some join for curiousity to see how a board works and if they can help. No matter what the reason, they find themselves working with a group of neighbours who listen to each other and support each other’s projects, be it programming, special events, traffic, zoning, website, and so on, to offer advice, share knowledge, and strive towards a common goal. We may have differing opinions at times, but we are united in our quest of making Old Ottawa South the best it can be for ourselves, our families, our neighbours, and for future generations.
The 2010 OSCA Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on May 4 at Southminster Church, which is OSCA's temporary home while the Firehall is renovated. As always, any "member in good standing" can stand for election on that date, but traditionally a nominating committee has been struck to search out potentially interested members in advance. (A member in good standing is any OOS resident who joined OSCA at least 3 months prior to the AGM. You can register for membership here.)
Even if you are not a current member of the association, you can still volunteer and be actively involved with the Board of Directors, either as a committee member or as a provisional board member.
Keep an eye out for the next OSCAR issue and this website: each committee chair will present a brief description of their committee’s goals and duties.
Once again, you do not have to be a member of the association to join a committee, and many board members have joined the board after first working on a committee for a few years. This too is an important way to be involved in your community, and each committee is always open to new members at any time of the year.
If you are interested in volunteering with OSCA...if you think that this might be a chance for a life-defining moment...or if you just want to know what the heck “Robert's Rules of Order” are....
Please contact Deirdre McQuillan by phone at 613-247-4872.