2023-03 From the President: On being new

Soon after I joined UMRA, I went to my first luncheon forum at the Campus Club. I walked in and started looking for a seat. I saw one person I knew, but their table was full. I went to a table with some empty seats and was told those seats were saved. I went to another table, and yet another, same story. I felt like a total outsider and almost left.

I did eventually find a place to sit, conversed with some pleasant strangers, and started coming to more luncheons. Now I know a lot of faces in the room, but I still wish my initial experience had been more comfortable. I share this story because welcoming newcomers has been on the minds of the UMRA Board and Program Committee.

From our membership survey last fall, we learned that having the kind of experience I did is a concern for a number of you. Fifty-five percent of those who had not attended an UMRA in-person event said that not knowing enough people was an obstacle to attendance, with 16 percent saying it’s a major obstacle. Well, we ought to do something about that.

UMRA members are generally a pleasant and congenial lot, but we are working to become more welcoming. Our Host Team, led by Diane Young, is there to greet you at our in-person events when you walk in. If you’re a new member, the hosts will connect you with someone who will introduce you to people and sit with you during the event.

A special invitation to newcomers

If you are a newcomer, I’d like to extend a special invitation to you to our March luncheon and forum, which will be held at the Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville. Please come a half hour early for a newcomer’s reception, where several of us will greet you and help you get to know UMRA and the folks in it. Feel free to come even if you joined some time ago but haven’t been to our in-person events. 

Also, give some thought to trying out one of our special interest groups. Their meetings and outings are small and friendly. The Photo Club and the Hiking Club would be happy to have you join one of their in-person events, regardless of your previous experience. Some of our other groups, like the Family History Interest Group, are meeting via Zoom but are still a place to connect in a smaller group.

The main purpose of joining most groups is to connect with the people in them. We hope that you’ll try out an UMRA event, large or small, and we’ll do our best to help you to make connections that make you want to come back.

—Ron Matross, UMRA president