Tips on staying organized

Organization "nuts and bolts"

1. Establish a post office box to receive your organization’s important mail, rather than an officer’s home. A post office box address provides a consistent, permanent address for the organization, eliminating confusion— and sometimes lost mail, in exchange for a small cost.
2. Review Bylaws and Mission Statement annually.
3. Provide an officer/board orientation fact sheet that spells out duties.
4. Form committees & delegate responsibilities to involve more members.
5. Create a member inventory file with interests, resources, and skills, contact info.
6. Maintain an active, creative recruitment effort.
7. Network with other lake organizations with similar objectives. Attending lake workshops is a great way to meet other lake folks from the state.

Holding meetings

1. Post or publish notices of all meetings (required by law for districts).
2. Meet regularly at a public place (required by law for districts).
3. Prepare a written agenda, and distribute it in advance.
4. Start and end meetings on time.
5. Conduct meetings in a business-like way. Be fair, brief, and to the point.
6. Provide every member with minutes of all meetings (some groups publish meeting minutes in their newsletter).
7. Meetings can be social and fun. Consider providing snacks, or even door prizes at big meetings.

Communicating with lake group members

1. Produce a newsletter for your members to keep them informed of association activities and other lake issues. Note: Wisconsin Association of Lakes members can reprint articles from our quarterly newsletter, The Lake Connection.
2. Keep members informed of key lake and community issues. Sign up for the Wisconsin Association of Lakes monthly e-lake letter to stay informed. Create your own e-mail list serv or phone chain for your lake group members.
3. Let the community know the work you are doing. Provide your local paper with news releases and pictures.
4. Invite local media to meetings, activities and events.
5. Consider creating a webpage for your lake group.
6. Join the Wisconsin Association of Lakes and if one exists the county lakes organization.
7. Enroll members to receive Lake Tides, free UW-Extension Lakes newsletter.

Activities to keep members involved and interested in your lake and group

1. Send members to attend Lakes Convention, Wisconsin Association of Lakes workshops and events.
2. Involve lake's youth through water education activities, events.
3. Develop new leadership by mentoring, training members.
4. Develop a 'lake courtesy use rules' involving all lake users.
5. Send out surveys to give members input opportunities and ownership.
6. Establish opportunities for volunteers to gain a sense of ownership.
7. Recognize volunteers publicly and reward the work of members
8. Plan social as well as educational opportunities.
9. Work with your Board and Volunteers to make it fun for all!