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N A T I O N A L VOLUNTEER M O N T H
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id you know in the United States April is National Volunteer Month? April is dedicated to recognizing the importance of volunteering and honoring the significant contributions volunteers make by donating their time, resources and talents to worthy causes. Our communities, churches, schools, and our dental societies would cease to operate if not for the efforts of volunteers! In fact, most of you can probably list a few volunteer roles in which you currently serve. There are many mental and physical benefits related to volunteering. Studies show that volunteering • provides a sense of community, • helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety, • combats depression, • increases selfconfidence, and • provides a sense of purpose. With all the benefits associated with being a volunteer, one might think
people would be standing in line to sign up for the next dental society committee, council or leadership role, but that isn’t always the case. Many times our newer and younger members are intimidated by the more experienced members who’ve been involved in organized dentistry for years or, in some cases, they simply aren’t asked to get involved beyond attending a general meeting. Staying engaged through service-oriented volunteer roles is ranked as one of the top priorities for Generations Y (otherwise known as Millennials) and Z. They are anxious to impact the world in a positive way. While it’s important to keep proven and knowledgeable leaders active in our societies, it’s even more important to give our younger colleagues a chance to become involved. We are counting on the next generation to carry the torch! Allowing the newer dentists to step into leadership
168 Texas TexasDental DentalJournal Journal || Vol Vol139 139 || No. No.44
TDA President Debrah J. Worsham, DDS
positions also creates a built-in mentor program. They need the expertise of the proven leaders to help them as they navigate presiding over a local meeting, hosting an event, running a membership campaign, representing their society at the Capitol, or developing the society’s annual budget. Does your local component have a plan for engaging and recruiting new members into vital volunteer roles? If not, you need to get one and fast! The future of our profession depends on it. Please contact Lee Ann Johnson CAE, Director of Member Services at ljohnson@ tda.org for member recruitment and retention information. Ms Johnson and the TDA Member Services team is ready and willing to assist!
