We are glad you are interested in joining the Board of Directors of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of South Florida! The board and officers are elected every year at the Annual General Meeting, but if someone is interested in joining the board during the year we invite him/her to attend a board meeting and decide whether or not to join. The only necessary qualifications are having served in the Peace Corps and being a member of RPCVSF, and there is no financial commitment for board members. We hope that you will enjoy being part of the group and contribute to accomplishing our mission.
The mission of RPCVSF is to promote Peace Corps values and service in the local, national, and international community. What are Peace Corps values? They are things we learned or practiced during our service and hope to continue promoting in our lives as returned volunteers such as respect and tolerance for other cultures and people who are different, giving of our time and talents, being active and taking initiative at the local level, empowering people at the grassroots level to make change, and simply making a difference in the lives of others. The projects that RPCVSF undertakes, such as the Colombia Project, the Everglades Outing, and supporting Peace Corps Partnership Projects, are designed to put these values into practice. In addition we expect other organizations that we collaborate with in various ways to espouse these values as well.
People join RPCVSF for a variety of reasons, such as wanting to continue volunteerism and services, wanting to meet like-minded people, for social activities and making connections outside of work, and for personal development. All of our work is part of bringing our experiences back home to share with other Americans, which is the third goal of the Peace Corps. Returned Peace Corps volunteers have a unique experience of long-term involvement in cultures and countries at the grassroots level, which is different from the experience of exchange students, ex-pats, diplomats, travelers, or business people. The lessons we learned in our countries can be a powerful force for peace and justice in the world and there is no one better than us to share these lessons! We hope you will look upon the opportunity to share your experiences with others in South Florida with enthusiasm.
As a board member, we hope you will be able to regularly attend board meetings, contribute to the discussions, participate in and help organize RPCVSF activities, and be active in welcoming new members. If there is a particular project or area of work you are interested in that fits with our goals we are happy to help develop your idea and provide support. Indeed, our most successful activities come out of the interests and energy of members. RPCVSF is an all volunteer organization and it takes solid commitment from the board to accomplish all that we set out to do. I am particularly proud of the diversity of our network—human and social service agents, business and financial people, environmentalists, teachers, attorneys, activists—and believe that this diversity, united for a common goal, is a great source of strength.
Thank you again for your willingness to give of your time and talents in the spirit of the Peace Corps.
Sincerely,
Emily Eisenhauer
President, RPCVSF
