WheelinJR said:
Can anyone give any idea of how much time committment is involved?
However much you can allocate. For event planning, we figured out (through research with other Chapters) that the sooner you plan, the better it can go. We weren't working our butts off at the last second for the last NWFest, which is probably why *I* felt it didn't do very well. We had a great turnout and all, but picking the date and putting it out there well in advance REALLY helped with reducing stress.
I digress. It's all conducive with how much time you want to spend and how many support BOD folks you have. Mark has done a great job keeping the books in line and letting me know our status. Treasurer really just needs to report quarterly and keep track of funds. Secretary (his other job) is also a Recorder, so our meeting discussions and planning has been written down. I personally found it nice to live only a 'few' miles from him, so while we were doing other personal stuff, we were able to discuss it. I think that great communication between the BOD can help make it easier. A quick PM to say, 'Hey, can I call ya tonight?' can really help out. Write down what ya talk about and store it for posterity.
I really didn't get to do as much as I would have liked, but I tried to do some things where I could. Most of it was thinking of things away from the 'net or other folks...and sending PMs when I got the chance. We got the For Sale forum up and running, and I brainstormed a fair way to let the local vendors announce themselves in it. I felt like it took a lot of the pissing matches away. Mark and I had personal issues that we both dealt with, but I didn't think that my time with
was sacrificed badly enough to let someone else handle things. My issue (custody battle, those who have been through them understand where I'm coming from) DRAINED me of time, mental fortitude, and of course, finances. I thank everyone (in the know) who helped us out during that time.
Overall, it was a great learning experience and now that I'm caught up with stuff, I can enjoy some time 'away'. I've gotten back into the roots of why I got involved in this motorsport, so I'm laying low for a while. I wish those coming in the best of luck, and promise you that while it's not a huge time consumer, it's still a very warm spotlight and there's no shortage of hecklers.