THURSDAY OCT. 12th
Oak Lodge Water Services Bldg.

14496 S.E. River Rd. @ Maple
7:00 P.M.​

Greetings:

As announced in early September, OLHD’s September meeting was substituted by “Reminiscing the Past and Assisting the Future” — a joint program with Metro at Rose Villa on Sept. 12th. This was a very enjoyable and successful program with over 90 people in attendance.

OLHD AT A CROSSROADS

Our October meeting will be our annual “General Meeting”, as prescribed by our by-laws. It is at this meeting that we will be discussing how we want our organization to function as we move forward, and elect officers. OLHD has four Board positions: Chair, currently held by Mike Schmeer; Co-chair, currently held by Baldwin Van der Bijl; Secretary, currently held by Mary Smith Piper; and Treasurer, currently held by Pat Reinert. The terms of three positions have expired: those of Chair, Co-chair, and Treasurer. The Secretary’s position is at mid-term.

Baldwin Van der Bijl has indicated that he will NOT be running for Co-chair again. Pat Reinert has indicated that she WILL run again. Having been Chair for 6 years straight I do not want to run for Chair again, but would be willing to serve as Co-chair under a new Chair.

​I am 100% devoted to OLHD but would like to take on a lesser role. I currently also serve on The Concord Partnership and Oak Grove Community Council boards, and am involved with the Oak Grove Historic Trolley Trail Association — all very worthwhile endeavors. I would like more time to do work on the OLHD website, do research, do interviews, and pursue my own hobbies. But I find that I can do few of those things while still serving as chair of OLHD, and performing functions that could be done, and ought to be done, by others within the organization. The success of any organization depends on a division of all the necessary duties. A dependence on two or three people is a recipe for failure.

I have drafted a list of “perfect world” volunteer positions that I feel OLHD ought to have. I encourage you to bring a copy of this list with you to our meeting so we can discuss a strategy for moving our organization forward with a change in leadership, and I encourage you to consider volunteering.

OLHD has become a community building fixture in Oak Lodge over the past 6 years, and indeed throughout Clackamas County. It would be a shame to see it flounder due to a lack of people willing to help out. Please join me on Oct. 12th to help OLHD develop a new strategy for moving forward.

Mike Schmeer

Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives