When you sign in for the monthly meetings, how much thought have you given to the effort required to put on the event? There is a lot of work involved in running a "simple" event like a monthly chapter meeting. Head counts have to be turned in to the host site, presenters have to be lined up and helped to get to the location, name badges have to be checked and replaced if needed.

In this day of heightened expectations from work and home, it is easy to disregard the needs of the chapter. There are so many reasons to not volunteer. I know. I used to recite the same excuses before I became a volunteer. If you had asked me two years ago, I would have told you there was zero chance of me being on the Board of Directors within five years, let alone after 18 months.

There are many jobs out there that the chapter needs to have done. It could be as simple as signing in people at the monthly chapter meeting to as complex as leading a project to change the direction of the chapter. It does not matter how complex your volunteer role is, what matters is that you step up and volunteer.

By becoming a volunteer, you get exposed to a larger view of the chapter. Who knows, a job signing in attendees at the chapter meeting may lead to one day becoming the President of the chapter, if you are so inclined. Your future as a volunteer is in your hands, you can do as much or as little as your time allows.

On a personal level, volunteering exposes you to a larger group of Project Managers and earns you much needed PDU's. Volunteering looks good on your resume and can be a great networking tool. Volunteering can even get you a discounted ticket to the monthly chapter meetings.