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{{Words of Wisdom
{{Words of Wisdom
| wisdom  = Your first days are about understanding how things work — not fixing everything.
| wisdom  =
| success = You should have a basic understanding of:
Your first days are about understanding how things work—not fixing everything.
* How new members are [[Welcoming New Members|welcomed]] and communicated with 
 
* Who is responsible for what locally 
Focus on learning the role, meeting key people, and understanding existing processes.
* What tools and systems are used 
| success =
* What [[Membership Officer - Recurring tasks|recurring tasks]] exist 
 
* Who your key points of contact are
* You understand how new members are welcomed.
** See: [[Membership Officer - Working with Other Roles]]
* You know who to contact when questions arise.
| best    =
* You can access the tools and information needed to perform the role.
| pitfalls =
  | pitfalls =
* Trying to fix everything immediately
* Trying to fix everything immediately.
* Assuming previous volunteers did things “wrong”
* Overcommitting before understanding the role.
* Overcommitting early
* Making changes before learning why current processes exist.
* Not asking questions
* Not asking questions.
}}
  }}
== Purpose ==
== Purpose ==
To provide a checklist to help you get oriented, build connections, and identify essential tasks.
 
Provide a checklist to help you get oriented, build connections, and identify essential tasks.


== First Steps ==
== First Steps ==
Line 22: Line 23:
=== Understand Your Role ===
=== Understand Your Role ===


* ☐ Review your role page (e.g., [[Membership Officer]]) and its [[Membership Officer - Role Overview|Role Overview]]
☐ Review your role page (e.g., [[Membership Officer]]) and its [[Membership Officer - Role Overview|Role Overview]]


=== Connect with Key People ===
=== Connect with Key People ===


* ☐  Schedule a [[Membership Officer - Handoff]], if the previous Membership Office is available
☐ Schedule a [[Membership Officer - Handoff]], if the previous Membership Officer is available
** ☐  If there isn't a handoff, find out if and how new members are initially contacted
 
☐ If there is no handoff, learn how new members are currently welcomed and contacted
 
==== Local Leadership ====
 
☐ Meet with local leadership
 
☐ Ask the LocSec to have ''[membership@localgroup.us.mensa.org](mailto:membership@localgroup.us.mensa.org)'' redirected to your email address
 
☐ Understand the geographic area served by your Local Group
 
☐ Attend your first ExComm meeting
 
☐ Discuss expectations for [[New Member Events]]
 
☐ Understand how local leadership participates in welcoming and engaging new members
 
==== Area Coordinators ====
 
☐ If your Local Group has Area Coordinators, introduce yourself and learn how they support member engagement
 
See: [[Membership Officer - Working with Area Coordinators]]
 
==== Local Group Communications ====


* [[Membership Officer - Working with Local Leadership]]
☐ Contact the Newsletter Editor and learn submission deadlines, formats, and expectations
** ☐ Ask the LocSec to have ''membership@localgroup.us.mensa.org'' redirected to your email address
** ☐ Understand the geographic area of your Local Group
** ☐ Attend your first ExComm meeting
** ☐ Ask how what type and how often local leadership would like [[New Member Events|new member events]] to occur
** ☐ Ask if local leadership reaches out to new members as well as the [[Membership Officer]] doing so


* [[Membership Officer - Working with Area Coordinators]]
☐ Identify other communication channels used by the Local Group and learn who manages them
** ☐ If your Local Group has Area Coordinators, send an email introducing yourself to each one
* [[Membership Officer - Working with Local Group Communications]]
** ☐ Contact the Newsletter Editor to clarify submission deadlines and the preferred method and format for content submission
** ☐ Contact other communication contacts in your Local Group '''to discuss NEED TO COMPLETE THIS'''
* National Office Membership Staff
** ☐ Understand [[National Office Staff Contacts|who to contact]] at the National Office
** ☐ Read the [[National Office - Initial emails|initial emails]] sent by the American Mensa, Ltd (AML) to new members


=== Access the Membership Tools Available on the National Website ===
See: [[Membership Officer - Working with Local Group Communications]]


* Ensure your credentials allow you to access:
==== National Office ====
** [[Local Group Reports|☐ Local Group Reports]]
** [[Email My Members Tool|☐ Email My Members Tool]]
** ☐ [[Mensa Connect]] Membership Officer Community
* ☐ Ensure you can search the [[Member Directory]]


=== Access Chapter Tools ===
☐ Review [[National Office Staff Contacts]]


* ☐ Ensure you can access chapter communication channels (e.g., Facebook, Meetup, Discord)
☐ Learn which National Office staff support Membership Officers
* ☐ Learn how to access the Local Group file repository, if the Local Group uses one


== What is Not Part of First Steps ==
☐ Read the [[National Office - Initial Emails]] sent to new members


* Redesigning systems  
=== Access Membership Tools ===
* Launching new programs
 
* Fixing long-standing issues
☐ Verify access to [[Local Group Reports]]
 
☐ Verify access to the [[Email My Members Tool]]
 
☐ Join the [[Mensa Connect]] Membership Officer Community
 
☐ Verify access to the [[Member Directory]]
 
=== Access Local Group Tools ===
 
☐ Verify access to Local Group communication channels (Facebook, Meetup, Discord, etc.)
 
☐ Learn how to access the Local Group file repository, if one exists
 
== What Is Not Part of First Steps ==
 
☐ Redesigning systems
 
☐ Launching new programs
 
☐ Fixing long-standing issues
 
The goal is to understand how things currently work before deciding whether changes are needed.


== If You Feel Overwhelmed ==
== If You Feel Overwhelmed ==
That’s normal.
 
That's normal.


Focus on:
Focus on:


* One task at a time
* One task at a time
* Asking for help
* Asking questions
* Learning existing processes
* Keeping things simple
* Keeping things simple


== Next Step ==
== Next Step ==
Once you feel oriented, move to:
Once you feel oriented, move to:


* [[Membership Officer - Next Steps]]
* [[Membership Officer - Next 30 Days]]


== Related ==
== Related ==


* [[Membership Officer]]
* [[Membership Officer - Role Overview]]
* [[Membership Officer - Next 30 Days]]
* [[Local Group Toolkit]]
* [[Local Group Toolkit]]
* [[Membership Officer]]

Revision as of 23:00, 1 June 2026

Words of Wisdom

Your first days are about understanding how things work—not fixing everything.

Focus on learning the role, meeting key people, and understanding existing processes.

What Success Looks Like

  • You understand how new members are welcomed.
  • You know who to contact when questions arise.
  • You can access the tools and information needed to perform the role.

Best Practices


Common Pitfalls

  • Trying to fix everything immediately.
  • Overcommitting before understanding the role.
  • Making changes before learning why current processes exist.
  • Not asking questions.

Purpose

Provide a checklist to help you get oriented, build connections, and identify essential tasks.

First Steps

Understand Your Role

☐ Review your role page (e.g., Membership Officer) and its Role Overview

Connect with Key People

☐ Schedule a Membership Officer - Handoff, if the previous Membership Officer is available

☐ If there is no handoff, learn how new members are currently welcomed and contacted

Local Leadership

☐ Meet with local leadership

☐ Ask the LocSec to have [membership@localgroup.us.mensa.org](mailto:membership@localgroup.us.mensa.org) redirected to your email address

☐ Understand the geographic area served by your Local Group

☐ Attend your first ExComm meeting

☐ Discuss expectations for New Member Events

☐ Understand how local leadership participates in welcoming and engaging new members

Area Coordinators

☐ If your Local Group has Area Coordinators, introduce yourself and learn how they support member engagement

See: Membership Officer - Working with Area Coordinators

Local Group Communications

☐ Contact the Newsletter Editor and learn submission deadlines, formats, and expectations

☐ Identify other communication channels used by the Local Group and learn who manages them

See: Membership Officer - Working with Local Group Communications

National Office

☐ Review National Office Staff Contacts

☐ Learn which National Office staff support Membership Officers

☐ Read the National Office - Initial Emails sent to new members

Access Membership Tools

☐ Verify access to Local Group Reports

☐ Verify access to the Email My Members Tool

☐ Join the Mensa Connect Membership Officer Community

☐ Verify access to the Member Directory

Access Local Group Tools

☐ Verify access to Local Group communication channels (Facebook, Meetup, Discord, etc.)

☐ Learn how to access the Local Group file repository, if one exists

What Is Not Part of First Steps

☐ Redesigning systems

☐ Launching new programs

☐ Fixing long-standing issues

The goal is to understand how things currently work before deciding whether changes are needed.

If You Feel Overwhelmed

That's normal.

Focus on:

  • One task at a time
  • Asking questions
  • Learning existing processes
  • Keeping things simple

Next Step

Once you feel oriented, move to:

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