The Melbourne Science Fiction Club is run by its members (also known as “volunteers”).
This is a good thing, because it means the club should always be more or less what its members want it to be. It does however also mean that the club relies on its members to do things to help keep it a strong and active social club.
Becoming a member on the club committee is the most obvious way to contribute to the club, and all members are welcome to run for a position at the Annual General Meeting (held every July). These are the people who do the behind-the-scenes organisation and day-to-day jobs that keep the club solvent and active.
If your time is more limited, there are still plenty of things you can do to help. Perhaps you have an idea for an activity at a club which you could run, or a topic of interest to you that you could give a presentation on.
After activities there is often a lot of a tidying up to do, helping out with this is always appreciated, as is any offer to wash or dry dishes in the kitchen.
If you are more interested in helping with administration work, ask the committee if they have any projects they need a hand with. Often there are special events being organised or fundraising activities that could use more willing helpers. Articles for Ethel are also a most worthwhile contribution.
And then there is the most basic, and possibly the single most helpful thing the ordinary member can do – publicise the club. Do you have a local library, book or video store that might let you put pamphlets on a counter or a poster in the window? If so, ask for permission, then ask the club publicity officer to send you the material. If you keep your favourite SF-related haunts stocked with MSFC pamphlets then the committee will be very fond of you indeed.
Remember, it’s your club. Make it one you want to be a member of.
melb~sfc 