We Are Voppers: The CVOP Experience

What a month October was for me. I was on the road so much that a missed a lot of autumn fun, like homecoming parades, football games, fall festivals, and Halloween with my grand kids. However, being on the road I was able to take in the beauty of the turning colors of the leaves on the trees. If I weren’t driving, I could have closed my eyes and imagined I was getting a massage at some wellness resort in Vermont.

 

I drove from where I live in Carbondale, to Chicago, to Southern Georgia, and back again. In a two-week span, I was the victim of a hit and run accident, experienced roadside car trouble in my rental vehicle, and spent a whole week doing storm cleanup from Hurricane Matthew. Afterwards, I still had to drive up to Milwaukee for the 2016 AMTA National Convention. Don’t worry, I’m not feeling sorry for myself, I’m just setting the stage.

 

I almost didn’t want to attend the national convention because I was so tired from driving, had many sleepless nights away from home, and here I was looking at another week of not sleeping in my own bed. But WOW! I’m so glad I went.

 

This was my second national convention, and just as I arrived to check into the hotel, I ran into our Chapter President, Marva, and our newsletter editor and MAL, Jess. I literally felt like a got a shot of adrenaline or something. I instantly forgot how crummy the weeks prior were and how tired I was. I immediately remembered what an exhilarating experience the 2015 convention was in Pittsburgh. (Just a note here; I may have looked to Marva and Jess like I needed toothpicks to hold my eyes open) but, I was jazzed to be there and ready for the fun to begin. However, the convention is not just about having fun. It’s about continuing education and building relationships, and fun is just a by-product.

 

Jess and I were scheduled to attend two days of CVOP (Chapter Volunteer Orientation Program), which is designed for helping volunteers get better acquainted with their role and responsibility in positions such as board members or committee chairs. As I said, Jess is our newsletter editor and MAL, and I’m the chapter Secretary. So, there we were, the two of us from Illinois, in a huge room with approximately 100 other AMTA members from all over the country, each one of us representing our chapter. We had a blast exchanging state lapel pins, which we proudly displayed on our lanyards, and bonds were created as we worked on group projects together. Attendees at CVOP are known as “Voppers”. It’s official, Jess and I are Voppers!

 

The first session of CVOP (pronounced C-VOP) focused on “leadership”, which is really the main focus of this article. One of the first things said at the beginning of the training and really got me thinking was, Leadership is not just for a chosen few; anyone and everyone can be a leader.”

 

CVOP provided us with valuable time-tested strategies in developing effective leadership skills, which could be applied to anyone within or outside of AMTA who serve in a leadership capacity. Jess and I were there learning how to hone our own personal skills as chapter volunteers and become leaders in our respective roles.

 

An effective leader needs to be able to communicate effectively with others. They need to speak with a language of appreciation and affirmation to the people they work with, and they also need to give quality time to them. They also need to take time to know their team members, whether they are paid employees or fellow volunteers, and affirm their value to the team. Additionally, effective leaders need to lead by example by displaying acts of service.

 

This may sound like advice given to large corporations, which in fact it is. The CVOP training was provided by Leadership Outfitters, LLC, whose trainers travel all over the world teaching leadership seminars to other professional organizations. This says so much for AMTA.

AMTA is a leader in the Massage Therapy community. They value us, the members so much, and continually provides us with top-rated training by inviting the best educators, researchers, lecturers, and hands-on trainers.

Regardless of which capacity or department each person serves or works at the national level, every AMTA staff member always demonstrates their leadership skills with their willingness to help and serve each chapter and its members. It’s displayed over the phone. It’s seen in person at the national convention each year as they run around and work hard, making sure every member gets the most out of that experience. It’s also seen at the local level when they affirm the value of each chapter by attending their annual conferences. They truly and always do “Remember the Member”.

 

The same can be said of our chapter, AMTA-IL. We didn’t rise to the top of the ranks by accident. It took hard work from many volunteers who worked together as a team over the years led by amazing leaders who, like Jess and myself volunteered and invested their time. They also attended CVOP in years past and other Leadership Training seminars.

 

AMTA-IL board members and committee chairs live in different cities throughout the state, yet we take the time to know each other, effectively communicate with one another and show our appreciation for one another. We lead by example by actively displaying acts of service to the chapter.  From the president to the board of directors to the volunteer that directs traffic at our state conference, AMTA-IL has and will continue to live up to the standards and examples that national has set.

 

I am proud to be a volunteer serving on the board of directors for AMTA-IL. It’s an amazing experience. I know every AMTA-IL member has leadership skills and I hope all will consider putting their skills to work by volunteering and continuing to lead our chapter into the future. Hopefully, many of you can someday say, “We are Voppers”.

 

Submitted by:

Christine Stearns, Secretary

AMTA-IL Chapter