A Gift of Time and Talent
By Brian J. Wagner
NAPS President
Season’s greetings and best wishes to you and your family for a happy holiday season. The holidays are for a time of giving, whether that includes an actual gift or gifting by volunteering your time and talent to help others or an organization. What if there was a way you could gift your time and talent for NAPS this holiday season, but defer the giving until August 2020? Here’s the scoop!
In 2020, NAPS will host its 67th National Convention at the beautiful Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, TX, Aug. 17-21. Before the start of the convention, a small number of delegates will arrive to serve on various national convention committees. If you plan to attend, consider gifting your time and talents to serve on one of the nine committees. You can make your committee request now, but deliver later. Consider it a holiday layaway.
Volunteering to serve on a national committee supports the business of NAPS, which makes NAPS a stronger organization to better serve our 27,000-plus members. This is a gift that keeps on giving. If selected to serve, a delegate will fellowship with many NAPS members, play a critical role in the operation of a national convention, experience NAPS from a different viewpoint and provide input to promote and enhance the welfare and livelihoods of NAPS members and their respective families. There is no stress, holiday or otherwise, when requesting consideration to serve on a national convention committee. The process is very simple.
First, NAPS is all about building our committee bench by expanding the opportunity to serve. This makes our association stronger and members more actively engaged and efficient for years to come. Therefore, just as at our 2018 national convention, approximately 20 percent or more of national convention committee members will be serving for the first time. To clarify, this means that delegates who have attended a national convention before or for the first time and never have served on a national committee will have a greater chance to serve.
Second, convention delegates no longer are required to have their respective branch president nominate them to serve on a national committee. A member may simply self-nominate themselves. This is done in two ways. First, a delegate may submit a self-nomination committee request form. Go to the NAPS website to download, print, complete and mail the form to NAPS Headquarters.
The second way—and new for 2020—is to request committee consideration online. Please note: All national convention committee requests must be received at NAPS Headquarters by midnight, March 31. NAPS will not accept committee requests via email or fax—only those that are mailed or submitted through our new online system.
When completing a self-nomination form, delegates may request consideration for up to three committees. Designate preferences with a number one, two or three next to the committee for which you want to be considered, with one being top choice. However, if selected, a delegate will serve on only one committee, but it may not be the member’s first choice.
Also, in the October 2019 issue of The Postal Supervisor, NAPS published the duties and responsibilities of each national convention committee, including the number of members that will be required for each committee. This provides delegates insight on what to expect when serving on a committee, including when certain committee members need to arrive at the Gaylord Texan Resort to be ready for their first committee meeting.
Third, after the committee submission deadline closes on March 31, committee selections will be made and delegates notified no later than April 20 whether they were selected or not. Those selected need to ensure they have registered for the national convention and have their submitted delegate credential. Newly selected committee members, if they haven’t already done so, need to ensure they have confirmed their Gaylord Texan Resort room reservation and made their final travel arrangements.
Fourth, if selected to serve, delegates will be required to arrive on either Friday or Saturday, Aug. 14 or 15, 2020, respectively, before the start of their respective committee’s first scheduled meeting on either Aug. 15 or 16. In mid-July, additional committee information will be forthcoming to those selected, including specific committee meeting times and room locations at the Gaylord Texan Resort.
Here is hoping the holiday spirit moves many 2020 convention delegates to consider sharing their gift of time and talent by requesting to serve on a national committee this August. If selected to serve, your gift to NAPS will be priceless, as well as your national convention committee experience. I also hope the holiday spirit moves members to volunteer their time and talent this 2019 holiday season or any season during the year to help those less fortunate.
Now, I am fortunate to be moved by the holiday spirit to volunteer my December ice-cream-flavor-of-the-month recommendation—sugar cookie dough!
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