[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 60-01, January - March, 2006 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

Planning — a key to success

By Chuck Alexander, Ontario District President

For all of the chapter officers that attended the new and improved COTS in January, one word kept coming up in all of the classes and that word is planning.

You will see this word throughout 2006 as I wish to focus on planning as a means to the success for your chapter this year.

We all know how important it is to have a really great chapter meeting and it all comes down to planning.  Here is what I mean.

• The men who set up the risers have to plan to have them up before the members arrive to ensure the meeting starts on time.  
• The director plans the music that he wants to teach, review and sing.  
• The V. P. program plans to keep the activities that night on time, mixing business and singing in the appropriate quantities.  
• The V. P. music and performance plans with his team, music selection and show performances.
• Even the man who makes the coffee has to plan when to put it on to ensure that it is ready by break time.
• When it comes to a chapter’s administrative success, your chapter president has to plan along with the board the aims and objectives of the chapter for the year and beyond.  
• The secretary has to plan when he files his reports and the treasurer, when to collect the dues and pay the accounts.
• The V. P. of marketing and P. R. plan when he wants the chapter to get aboard for the selling of show advertisements and when to file stories with your local papers.  
• Your bulletin editor is always planning ahead and is calling for your stories.

The success of each chapter is dependent on your officers and their plans.  As members, we have to plan time to do some practicing on our own (yes, I am referring to learning the notes and words to the songs we sing).

It all comes down to planning.  

I wish each and every chapter every success in 2006.     k