We need you to keep the Community Council vibrant and alive.

As president of the council these past two years, I have come to deeply understand why our island needs this grassroots citizens’ forum.

But my term ends November 29, and I am not running for re-election to the board. It is time for you to bring your energy and new ideas to take the Vashon-Maury Community Council to the next level by running for a board position.

As chair, I have done my best to follow our guidelines to welcome and hear all points of view, and conduct the meetings in a professional, respectful and courteous manner. We strive to hold a space where people can speak freely and are committed to listening to each other. The ideal meeting is one where islanders are intent on learning with, and from, each other about the real issues that we need to address, and then work together on ways to address those issues.

You can help leverage all that has been put in place so far. Our bylaws and standing rules are synchronized with the new Washington state laws for nonprofits. Our beautifully designed website (v-mcc.org) is full of relevant information. Our mailing list has nearly 1,100 interested islanders, and we now have over 700 voting members. We have learned how to run large hybrid meetings.

We have advisory committees that research key island issues and report their findings and recommendations to the board. Two of the best known include the Affordable Housing Committee and the Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Activity Advisory Committee. There are more that could be formed, such as a Transportation Committee, or a Land Use Committee.

We are holding elections for the new board this fall. If meaning and purpose is an important need for you, this will meet it.

What will be your commitment? Five to seven hours a week to read, understand, and participate to help our island address key issues. If you choose to be an officer (president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, or corresponding secretary) the time commitment will be more like seven to 10 hours a week, sometimes more.

With the huge numbers of islanders participating, it is a bigger volunteer commitment than it has been in the past. You will serve with 11 other committed board members, and many volunteers. The workload can be shared, and improvements can be made in how we do the work.

I have learned and gained much from my time on the board. I have learned to run hybrid meetings, how to update a Wix website, the ins-and-outs of the King County Comprehensive Plan. I have learned how to run a meeting using the Democratic Rules of Order, instead of the complicated and ancient Robert’s Rules of Order.

When I signed on to help get the community council up and running again back in January 2020, I committed that this would be my only volunteer work. Now it’s your turn.

Contact me to learn more this month. On October 7, we will send out information on the candidates we have so far. You will introduce yourself to the members at our October 17 meeting. Online voting will begin a few days later.

If you are elected, you will take office December 1, for a two-year term along with the other board members. Contact dianeemerson@yahoo.com for a self-nomination form.

Don’t complain about how things could be better. Do something. Do this: Run for a board seat on the Vashon-Maury Community Council.

Diane Emerson is the outgoing president of the Vashon-Maury Community Council.