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Join IWIL | Committees
| SIGs |
Members Only
IWIL Special Interest Groups
What would this organization be like if we all had the same interests? You
know that is not going to happen with IWIL's membership variety. There is
a very active part of the organization that provides opportunities to explore
or expand your interest in one or more areas. These Special Interest Groups
(SIGs) make it possible to develop closer relationships while at the same
time having some "me" time.
IWIL's Special Interest Groups change as the members' interests change, but generally include topics such as gourmet cooking and dining, watercolor, hiking, gardening, scrapbooking, reading,
writing, and more. If there is not one that suits your interest then we want you
to put a group together. It's not formal, just fun. We'll help you get it started
and you can publicize it at meetings, through email, and in newsletters, plus get
it placed on the web site.
Our Vice President handles new group coordination but the members of the
group itself choose how it operates. Try photography, travel, canoeing,
weaving, public speaking, stand up comedy - just make us proud of you as
an IWIL member!
Special Interest Group Information
Book Club
Most of us lead such busy lives between work and home responsibilities that
it is hard to find the time to get together with friends. But, if we have
a regular appointment, like a monthly book club meeting, we'll tend to keep
our commitment out of a sense of obligation and gradually begin to look
forward to it. So, if reading is a treat for you, you will want to join
this group. Over the last 18 months, we have grown from just a couple of
us getting together to a group of 4 or 5 per month. In addition to reading
16 books together, we had fun building the award winning "Fire &
Ice" centerpiece for the Holiday Social. Last month we took a field
trip to the Bluestern Bakery in Elkhart and toured the museum, art gallery
and shops. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Marianne Jackson at 498-8962. You can also check out the list of books we have read recently.
Festival of Trees
2009 will be our second year to participate in the Festival of Trees, and we will use last year’s experience to help us decorate another beautiful tree this year! Last year, we were thrilled that our tree was in the top class. Trees in this category are sold for several thousand dollars! The IWIL membership can be very proud of the part we played in helping to raise money for this charity event.
Our initial committee meeting was held on June 18th, and we have a general idea of our decorating theme for this year. Super Set-up Weekend is scheduled for November 7th and November 8th. The Festival of Trees will be held November 21-November 29 at the Orr Building. Please contact Jo Deen Roley if you are interested in helping our committee.
Gardening
Contact JoAnn Abrams at jabrams@rmc-bignc.com or 546-2249.
Golf
The Golf SIG meets on Monday evenings during golf season at Pasfield Golf
Course. Tee-time is 5:35pm. If you are a golfer or want to improve your
golf game, come out and join us. It is pay as you go. We always head to
an eating establishment after our game to enjoy each other's company.
For more information contact Sharon Thornton Knop at 496-3050, or Mallorie Teubner at 720-0729.
Gourmet
The Gourmet SIG is a fantastic group that gathers once a month, well we try
to get together once a month. The location always changes as members rotate
and volunteer to host the next gathering in their home and everyone brings
a dish along with their recipe to share with the group. Mr. Webster defines
"gourmet" as a connoisseur of fine food and drink. Well, in our
group, any and all food is fine food, even if it was purchased at the local
deli or bakery. While everyone tries to make something "homemade"
sometimes it's just not possible with the time constraints we juggle within
our lives. Our groups is more about talking, laughing, sharing stories,
gaining new friendships, and EATING. Please consider joining this group,
it's a terrific way to get to know your fellow IWIL members. For additional
information, please contact Susan Fulks at 483-2774.
Hiking
The Hiking SIG gets together on various hikes throughout the year. As would be expected, multi-tasking is a must. So, most of our hikes are combined with antiquing, shopping, sightseeing, dining, and other fun things in and around central Illinois. We also share news about other organizations' upcoming hikes and natural world educational opportunities. For more information, contact Viv Bennett at viv8976@comcast.net or 622-8976.
Scrapbooking
Share stories, laughs, pictures, and even supplies with our Scrapbook SIG. We get active in the cold winter months from January through April. We meet at Scrapbook Your Story for their midnight crops starting at 6 p.m. through midnight (or whatever time you'd need to leave). We also get together for other scrapbooking events. For more information, please contact Viv Bennett at viv8976@comcast.net or 622-8976.
SIG Purposes:
- Increase networking opportunities.
- Increase active leadership and leadership development opportunities for members.
- Strengthen IWIL relationships in shared personal interests.
- Broaden membership retention activities.
Directives:
- Must be based upon hobbies or other non-revenue generating activity.
- IWIL Board of Directors must approve SIG before it becomes active and associated with IWIL.
- SIG members are responsible for any expenses they incur.
- SIG leaders cannot start a SIG to directly increase sales within a business
(makeovers, investments, clothing sales, book sales.)
- A SIG should have a 3 member minimum; guests are welcomed.
- SIG leaders define their own role and involvement.
Tips for Successful SIG Leadership:
- Pick something you enjoy or want to learn more about.
- Do something you'd do normally and sharing it is natural.
- Communicate with the Vice President and your SIG members regularly
and listen to ideas.
- Incorporate SIG news in IWIL communiqués.
- Call or email people to generate interest; personal invitations often get people involved.
- Relax and enjoy this; let it succeed on its own.
- Be flexible.
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