The Individual Member
To fulfill its Mission, [[JCI]] counts on hundreds of thousands of members across the world. Each individual member is a pillar on which the Mission of the organizations rests. Each member is the most valuable asset of the organization, and you have a significant role to
play in the success of the organization.
The ultimate goal of [[JCI]] is to offer individuals the opportunity to create positive change in their communities. By doing so, the individuals also improve themselves. Your [[JCI]] membership will bring you great personal development. It can be the means to the total development of your personality, and new horizons will open to you. As a member, you will learn to do so much more than you would in other associations.
In the prime time of your life, grasp the opportunity to become a person with real and varied skills ,and most importantly, become an active citizen who will contribute to creating positive change in your community.
Thank you for your interest in JCI Curepipe. Please fill in the form below, and a JCI Curepipe representative will get in contact with you shortly.
RESPONSIBILITIES
JCI members share a common set of values. A [[JCI]] member must strive to be a true reflection of the JCI Values.
As a JCI member, you should have three goals:
- To be the best member possible of your Local Organization
- To make your Local Organization the best in [[JCI]]
- As a dedicated member, to help your Local Organization make your community the best local community in the world.
In achieving these goals, you do not have specific or constitutional duties as officers and Board members do, but you do have very real responsibilities. A few are listed below:
Be Active
Membership in JCI is different from most other organisations. [[JCI]] membership offers so much to its members: skill training, personal development, community recognition and the satisfaction of being deeply involved in programs with lasting benefit to the community. However, these benefits are only available to the active members, those who attend meetings and who work hard on all assigned projects.
Be Committed
There is no such person as a “good, half-hearted” JCI member. The JCI movement has a philosophy, goals and purposes expressed in the [[JCI]] Mission. It requires a commitment to [[JCI]] ideals, it demands dedication to hard work, and it calls for a deep understanding of the problems of people. If you can make this commitment, you will be an invaluable member of your Local Organization.
Be a Contributor
There are many members of [[JCI]] who are bursting with good ideas, who are sound thinkers and who can contribute to the decision-making process. However, they are often silent at meetings, perhaps because of shyness or fear their ideas will be ridiculed. Too often the really good ideas come out after the decision has been made. Your Local Organization needs your contribution. Acquire the skill of speaking in public, think out ideas thoroughly, and present a reasoned argument in support of your views. Be prepared to listen to opposition, and accept any good points that are made. Aim to be a member who is listened to and whose ideas are valued.
Be Efficient
Efficiency is one of the keys to advancement. It is important that, whatever task you have, you understand what you have to do, you participate fully with other members and you do your part to the best of your ability. Do not be afraid to ask if you do not understand. Do not hesitate to seek help if you feel this is necessary. There is no position in JCI that is more important than any other, and each member is one link in the human chain of achievement. The organization needs the floor member who does what he or she has to do conscientiously.
TO BE DEPENDABLE
The member who can be counted on at all times, the one on whom others can depend, is the member who will go right to the top. Many good projects fail because only one person let the team down. Most JCI activities require teamwork, and it is up to you to pull your weight and do what is expected of you.
At the same time, do not become so enthusiastic that you undertake more than you have the time to do. Having too much to do is as bad as doing nothing at all. The result is the same.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is important that you learn as much as you can about [[JCI]] so you can participate fully. Learn the history of your Local Organization, your National Organization and JCI. Find out all you can about recent activities and projects. Knowing what has been done in the past will not only give you ideas but will help you learn from the experience of others and recognize pitfalls to avoid. Study the Constitution of your Local Organization, its structure and organization. Attend as many regional, national and international meetings as you can. You will learn not only what is happening at those levels but also from exchanging experiences with fellow members. Above all, use every opportunity to learn new skills and extend those you already have.
Utilize
Your Local Organization is a personal development organization, and you will benefit immeasurably by taking advantage of the courses in personal development, leadership, management and skill training offered. The real learning, however, happens when you apply the new knowledge in real situations and you gain experience and more knowledge.
JCI is unique because it allows members the luxury of learning from mistakes, so do not be afraid to tackle something new. Even if you are not completely successful, you will find it of lasting personal benefit when you apply what you have learned to your work and personal life.
Organize
Being a JCI member is not entirely a spare-time activity, for being an active member of a good Local Organization can be very demanding of your time and your talents. Organize your time to give attention to your family, your job and your JCI career. It is wise to involve your family and your employer or business associates in your JCI activities so they can see the good work you are doing and the benefits you are gaining.
Move On
Because of its great demands, your period of active [[JCI]] life may be relatively short. When you know what JCI is all about, assess the time that you will be able to give to [[JCI]] , and set your personal goal, whether it’s to be Local President, National President or [[JCI President]]. Plan your steps on the road to achievement, and then, putting all that you learn into practice, shoot for the stars.
However, always remember that the end of your JCI career should just be the beginning – the start of your personal commitment to create positive change in your community and your nation. Be a good JCI member today, and you can be an outstanding leader tomorrow.
SUMMARY
When you transform problems into challenges that you overcome, when you set objectives for yourself that you achieve, and when you merge the talents you now have with the skills you will acquire, you will attain personal growth that will give you a new dimension and a new way of life.
Consider the words of Thomas Wolfe:
“If a man has talent and does not use it, he has failed; Ifhe has talent and uses only half of it, he has partially failed; If he has talent and learns to use the whole of it, he has gloriously succeeded, and knows a satisfaction and triumph few will ever know.”