Fellow Senators, Families and Guests,

Welcome to our updated website. Our website will be changed and updated on a more regular basis.

OUR ORGANIZATION - OUR CHALLENGE

2011 – 2012 will be a year of challenges and successes. Remember the good old days and the projects you were involved in. There were Jaycee chapters all over the state. There was pride in accomplishment and recognition (reward) by the communities you lived in. Many of us benefited from the training and development that resulted from being involved as Jaycees. Over the years some of us earned and were awarded a JCI Senatorship for our dedication and commitment to the Jaycee organizations we belonged to. For many reasons Jaycee chapters disbanded and eventually Vermont was left with no active chapters.

That was then, this is now. VTJCI provided a way for people to stay in touch and many friendships continue to this day.

That brings me to my main point. There are advantages and disadvantages in membership to be addressed:

-Advantages: The opportunity to gather at social functions and meetings (specifically the annual meeting), reminisce about the good times and talk about families, etc. The opportunity to continue friendships, relationships and involvement for those who have moved away and return occasionally or for the summer months.

-Disadvantages: We have no control over time. Members that move away lose touch and move on to other venues. Time has a way of taking members away. We learn of that through communication.

None of us are immortal. Families change. The reducing pool of candidates for membership makes it harder to keep membership up. Lack of attendance at the annual meeting has a negative impact.

Most of you know me. I now live in Florida full time and return to Vermont for the summer months. I was asked if I would accept the nomination and accepted the Presidency of this fine organization. Most of you are more skilled than I am in current communication methods. However I am willing to serve and I am committed to turn negatives into positives. We have been blessed with leaders who have been willing to step up to leadership positions and assure that VTJCI continues to exist. It gets harder and harder to do this when there is a lack of involvement. I remember when being a Jaycee meant that you were willing to be involved.

I am asking each of you to make an attempt to attend one or more of the scheduled meetings. I am asking each of you that can, to attend the annual meeting, date and place to be announced. I am asking any of you who is willing to step up and give the dedicated members that have held this organization together a break. I know many of you have the talent and willingness. Now I am asking you to put your pride as JCI Senators and dedication as members of VTJCI to the forefront. Let me hear from you. Let me hear that you are interested in preserving this organization.

Leroy "Buster" Furman