Does your club have a mission?

I think that one of the things that contributes to the success, or lack thereof, of a non-profit organization—and that includes amateur radio clubs—is its sense of mission. A mission gives an organization a sense of purpose. In the case of an amateur radio club, it tells members what to expect and guides its officers in making decisions about the club. It also informs those who are not members or officers what to expect from the club.

Here’s one that I ran across the other day while wandering around the Internet:

The Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association mission is to:

• Provide health and safety communication services for emergencies and disasters on Cape Ann and in other areas when requested.
• Provide health, safety and coordination services for community events.
• Maintain disaster and emergency readiness by conducting regular simulation drills and participating in national disaster simulations.
• Educate and train new amateur radio operators and to maintain a well-tuned disaster team.
• Conduct FCC testing for new licenses and those wishing to upgrade.
• Provide educational services and demonstrations to local area schools and community organizations such as the Boy Scouts.
• Conduct public demonstrations and educational events.
• Assist public utilities, such as the Mass Electric Company, in finding radio frequency interferences that could potentially harm or hinder emergency communication activities.
• Create a positive, supportive environment for our members that promotes camaraderie and fellowship.

This was on the home page of the CAARA’s website. Right up front, they tell you exactly what they are all about.

Your club’s mission statement may be quite different from the CAARA’s. For example, if the main mission of your club is to operate a repeater system, then you might want to put that first. If your club doesn’t really take part in emergency communications activities, then you may not mention that in your mission statement.

Whatever  your club’s mission, I would encourage you to carefully consider it, then write it down, and then post it to your website. It will help you focus your efforts and make good decisions about which club activities to pursue and which to let go. In the end, it will make your club a more successful club.