Why Volunteer?

I have been volunteering with SIMA for nearly 10 years, and have said countless times that I have received more from them than I could ever give back.

By Mike Mason, CSP

Anyone who has been involved with an organization that relies on volunteers to do most of the heavy lifting knows that 10% of the people do 90% of the work. I am on the board of our local baseball and softball league. We have over 900 kids in the program, and there are about 25 people who do probably 95% of the work needed. I am also involved in our local chamber of commerce as well as other local associations and I can say with certainty that the 90-10 rule holds true there as well. 

What’s so great about SIMA is that the ratio is much different. I can’t tell you what percentage of the membership actively volunteers, but I can say for sure that it is closer to 20% than 10%. I have been volunteering with SIMA for nearly 10 years, and have said countless times that I have received more from them than I could ever give back.

Volunteering has given me many opportunities to network with a lot of great people across North America. Through these networking opportunities I have forged many great friendships, affording me the opportunity to grow and gain perspectives that I haven’t been able to locally. Don’t get me wrong, the local chamber as well as some local associations have contributed to the growth of our company as well as my personal growth, but not in the same way that SIMA has.    

Being able to share struggles as well as victories with other members has allowed me to deepen a lot of these friendships and contribute to my personal growth. Coupled with this has been the growth and betterment of our organization. We have been able to add service lines, improve efficiency, better train our staff, and improve the administrative functions because of these relationships. 

So, as we put the plows away and wrap up another winter season, I hope that you will consider getting more involved with SIMA in 2013. The friendships and knowledge you will gain could quite possibly be what makes the 2013-14 winter season your best yet. 

SIMA’s annual call for volunteers is open now through May 15^th. Visit www.sima.org/volunteerinterest to fill out a short form if you are interested in joining a committee for the 2013-14 season. Visit here to find out more about the committees – Outreach, Editorial, Symposium, and Education. Thank you to all of our current volunteers, and we look forward to working with our members in the next year!

Mike Mason, CSP is the Chair of the SIMA Board of Directors, and the Vice President and COO of The Lawn Pro in Louisville, KY.