The budding fourth grade engineers received more tutoring today. We’ll be wrapping up the class next week.

A common way for someone to volunteer their time is to be on a board of a non-profit, organization or club that they have joined.

They are asked to serve, they join up. The club gets someone to fill a role, satisfies its tax obligations, and the volunteer gets to learn a new skill. The club, the member, and the IRS are all happy, right?

But wait, there’s something missing. Are the members happy? Who’s responsibility is it to see that the club’s membership is being served.

The answer is that it is the responsibility of everyone on the board to see that the organization’s members are satisfied.

If your role on a board doesn’t directly help someone, ask yourself what you can do to change that. What initiatives can you spearhead that will satisfy members’ needs?

At the end of your term on the board, you’ll be able to look back with pride and say that your club is a better place.

And I’ll bet those members you helped will appreciate your time.