originally posted on 1/7/2022 1:00:58 AM
2022 is an election year for ACE. It’s the time when the members get to decide who will lead the club for the next two years as president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. While just stepping up and volunteering is anxiety producing, accepting a nomination also allows a public judgment on whether you are the right person for the job. I still think of it as a public performance appraisal — which I had to endure to help ACE do better in areas in which I saw deficiencies.
While the first step — just volunteering — often takes people out of their comfort zone, running for an elected office requires reflecting on what you as an individual can do for the club. I know I had to wait until my biweekly job duties loosened up because I could never attend Coaster Con during a payroll week. But that was a personal restriction I could finally overcome to run for office four years ago (it’s called retirement).
The best emphasis, I think, for a potential candidate deciding to run for an office is not on what the office will do for them but instead on what they can do in the position to advance ACE’s mission of roller coaster appreciation. Focusing on the good of the club will allow the candidate to explain his or her qualifications for the job quickly and concisely. If there is something you think the club could do better, this is the time to stop speculating and make it happen.
By focusing on the club and doing what is good for ACE, the candidate who is successful will gain life-long friendships and teammates. In these days of the pandemic, it’s easy to feel detached from others. Simply volunteering for an ACE position is a great way to help cure loneliness. In an elected position, that factor is enhanced by the requirements to help lead the Executive Committee with your specific skill set and interests.
The only qualification for an elected position is spelled out in ACE’s bylaws: “to be nominated or elected, a member must be in good standing for a period of at least three consecutive years immediately prior to being nominated or elected.” There are some positions in which special skills are helpful, like a financial background for treasurer, but all of the elected positions are up for grabs. Even if you don’t want to run for office (I can’t say it often enough), just volunteering for ACE is a great way to meet new friends.
2022’s election will usher in a new Executive Committee in September. The nomination period begins in February, and I hope many of those reading think about volunteering or even running for office because ACE can use their help. I may be the current president, but I know I won’t be the last.
See you in a queue.
— Robert Ulrich, ACE President
rulrich@aceonline.org
#ACENews