One of my last group projects in college was to develop a PR strategy for a new major on digital communications. Naturally, one tactic discussed by each group was to develop an online presence. During my group’s discussion, I mentioned that creating Facebook accounts and online forums was one thing…getting people to come and participate was another. One classmate said that getting people to the sites wasn’t our problem. After all, we can only put it out there; we can’t force them to come. My response was…then what’s the point?

This morning I opened a new container of a certain product only to discover that it was barely 2/3 full. Of course, the container was marked with the standard “Packaged by weight not volume. Contents may settle during shipping and handling,” but this was a simple powder. How much settling could have occurred? Now I don’t necessarily have a problem with the actual amount in that container—it is, after all, what I paid for. I just have a problem with the initial appearance of much more.

As we flew from Walla Walla into Seattle, the sight of Mt St Helen’s piercing the clouds and seeming to appear alongside the plane was breathtaking. This sight pushed the droning engine sound out-of-mind.

Landing in Seattle, the news awaited. Flights cancelled. As I reached to fill a water bottle, the sign above the

fountain said “the talking fountain.” With a twist of the handle, a refreshing bubbling sound emerged coaxing a smile and sigh that melted away the anxiety of waiting.

To St. Louis. Connecting flight delayed. A left turn off the main concourse and I was immersed in serenity – soothing music, no hustling and bustling. All the gates were dark in the quiet concourse – like an oasis.

The meeting I had left – the WADE (WA Association of Diabetes Educators) state conference where I spoke about using the social web to build connections without drive time – was an incredibly successful work of art. The first evening members were invited to go to dinner with peers, peers who they were paired with by interest or local networking group. A matchmaking exercise that drew raves.

The email subject line is “Your EarlyBird Check-In Refund.” You see my trip home from the WADE was way different from the plan. And I had paid extra to get the A seating. I lost my positioning in the change (but I did get home!). How wonderful I didn’t have to ask for that refund!

It’s the little surprises that make the day richer, the delays in airports less frustrating, the challenges more appealing, strangers like friends. Imagine if we could conjure simple surprises for our members?

Peter and I led an energizing discussion at ASAE's Great Ideas Conference last week and I'm still digesting the good ideas. The session was on embracing the unofficial volunteer leader. Who is this person you say? Well it's the hell-raiser and the quiet saint. It's the person who is doing work for the profession and maybe even the association -- but unofficially. By ignoring these folks, you could miss out on some good work or inadvertently fuel a disruptive force. Here are two examples we talked about where associations embraced the unofficial leader.

So a recent poster on an ASAE listserv ended his request for feedback with the directive “You are allowed 15 minutes to deliberate and respond to this test question.  Please do not tweet your answers.”

I chuckled at first and of course had the immediate need to tweet. But then I paused – you mean you’re going to tell me how to answer? Not to mention when to answer?

At ASAE Annual, there are great ideas in the sessions, but some of the greatest I picked up in the hallways, over dinner (or drinks!), on Twitter, via the annual meeting hub. Here are a few:

Control is a figment of our imagination.

@Marc_Meyer maybe social media is dating and community is living together...

This quip caught my eye in Rachel Happe’s recap of #socialmedia chat over on her post Fast & Furious—Twitter Chat. The topic was "The Difference between social media and community". She notes that this conversation is happening all around. She’s right. I was on a conference call whose topic was very much related. The call brought together a lively group of volunteers who are in the process of developing a more flexible, intuitive road map for communities in their association. We were grappling with the questions: when is a robust listserv group a community? When is a community an organization? When do we need structure?

Being an active member of an association can be one of the best ways to inspire good luck.

Here’s the evidence...

Ever noticed how when the going gets tough, we begin to expect more problems? Like in associations who are predicting that we’ll see softer renewals, fewer registrants and less volunteers around the table? (As an aside, read ASAE & The Center's new research for some comfort.)

With this conversation playing all around, it was a delight to stumble upon Ken Thomas’s posting on Six Ways to Engage People in Tough Times. I’d recommend association’s read Ken for two reasons ...

I just returned from an awesome meeting with the New Jersey Club Managers Association. Why was it awesome? Here was a group of members who even in this tough economy put their association and chapter at the top of their list. These members work long, hard hours for their fellow members. And they are enthusiastic about that, so much so that they spent a full day in a hotel meeting room (with the casinos just about right below us!) talking about how they can do more for their members.

How have you celebrated your members and your volunteers today?