You Gotta Have Faith

I often wonder how to explain in a brief and concise manner why the MiGCSA is important to our members. It is easy to list out all of the things we do but as I often do I try to relate what we do, to what our members do.

If you are trying to explain to a member or golfer at your facility what you do and why it is important it is very easy to start listing off all of the things you do to produce a product that they enjoy. We top dress, spray, mow, fertilize, detail, adjust, water, manage people, budget and so on the list is tremendously long and no one really wants to hear it all.

So I can go on about how we advocate for our members with other organizations, promote the position, create and maintain communication lines, work with governmental agencies, create valuable magazine content, serve as a conduit for member needs big and small, plan and organize networking events, raise money for turf research and scholarships for the future of our industry and so on the list is tremendously long and no one really wants to hear it all.

What it comes down to for your members and ours is simply this, do you believe that what we stand for and our vision or not? If the answer is yes, then that is why we are important, and why you are as well on your property. It is not a single thing or item you get from being an MiGCSA Member, it is the knowledge that you are supporting your community for the betterment of our profession. It is that you believe in our mission: The MiGCSA is dedicated to providing value to our members through programs and services that enhance and promote our profession. And our vision statement: The Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association is passionate about its members and the golf industry.

I can tell you these statements are not just something we throw up on the website and walk away, the mission and vision are used every day for me to make decisions for the MiGCSA and at every Board Meeting. I know I believed in this Association, so much that I left a very stable position to take on this job to help the Board and Members to grow our Chapter into one of the best in the country. Thank you all for doing your part be it little or big to help us accomplish our many goals.