Helen Rothwell talks
about her experience on the branch executive over the past year.
A year ago, I was looking at options to become more involved
in children’s literature. I knew about the work of the Children’s Book Council
of Tasmania because I’d been involved in the Book Week activities through my
school and taken a keen interest in the talks by the Book Awards judge. I had
also entered my school in the primary division of the southern Readers’ Cup
competition for two years in a row.
I had not considered becoming a member of the Tasmanian
branch executive or committee as I had always imagined that such positions
would be very time consuming or akin to having a second job. Already having a
full time teaching position, I was unable to invest large amounts of time on a
committee or executive as teaching, well for me, requires extra work after
hours.
After discussing my concerns with the lovely Patsy Jones,
the Treasurer, it seemed as though the time demands would not be as onerous as
I had imagined, and subsequently I was nominated and voted into the position of
vice-president for 2015.
Well it has been a fantastic year. I have been warmly
welcomed into the branch and felt supported every step of the way. I have put
the time into the position that I could afford to and have never felt pressure
when I have been unable to attend an event due to other commitments. Basically,
I have been able to give to the branch in a way that was sustainable for my
lifestyle and enjoyed the benefit of feeling I am feeding positive energy into
supporting children’s literature.
This year has been a huge year for the branch as we have
hosted a number of events to celebrate the life and writings of Nan Chauncy in
recognition of the 70th anniversary of the CBCA as a national
organisation. I’ve met so many new people who all have the same goal of
coordinating and enjoying activities that endorse and promote books for
children and young adults.
My area of particular interest has been the webpage and
social media (in particular, Facebook). There really is not a set amount of
work that the organisation needs to undertake in one particular year but rather
the group decides how many events they would like to stage or support other
organisations’ events.
I look back over the past year and compare my time as
vice-president to other organisations I have been involved with over the years
and found the most noticeable difference is that when I have been involved with
other organisations, if I had an idea then people would nod their heads and
then I would be left to do all of the work. At the CBCA Tasmanian branch,
people gather to work with each other to make things happen. No one sits on the
fence letting someone else work alone.
It is rare to be able to guarantee an experience another
person can look forward to but I can attest to you having an enriching
experience if you join with the amazing, dedicated and passionate people at the
CBCA Tasmanian branch.
So, please consider nominating for one of the positions that
will be vacated on Tuesday, 17th November; President,
Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Merchandise Manager, Newsletter Editor,
Minutes Secretary, Website Liaison Officer or volunteer your services to the
committee. The details of the AGM are on our website: www.cbcatas.org
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