Clubs and organizations: Connecting with people

WHO runs the world? Women? Men? Is it the powerful, the rich, the beautiful or the strong? Everybody is involved in the world. John Donne said, “No man is an island.” We belong to a family, a group, a unit. We are not alone and we don’t own the world.

Getting involved in the world is to be closer to people, be a part of their lives, dreams, goals towards progress and development. Every individual’s strength, effort and energy combine to make a small world of people caring, helping, living with a common purpose.

One way of connecting oneself to other people is joining clubs or organizations.

Generally, clubs existed in the earliest civilizations as recorded in history. When people started to work together and became a bigger community, there came a necessity for individuals or groups with common interests to join, associate, and communicate even without affinity. A club is an association of two or more people joint by a mutual concern or objective.

In workplaces, agencies, schools, and both private and public offices, clubs or organizations were established or created for purposes of service, charitable or voluntary activities, recreations, political undertakings, social actions and religious worships.

When I was in high school, I joined the English club. My teacher patiently trained us to become eloquent in speaking the English language. We had rhetorical activities such as declamation, oration, drama that includes stage acting and theatre arts. I was in college when I joined the vision link and debate society where our advisers taught us ensemble performance mode and the techniques in debate and arguments.

Then five years ago, I joined the Rotary Club of Metro Baguio, an international service club whose purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

Presently, I am an active member of the Kindasan Lions Club. We are an all women team and we bind for a common goal to serve and giving assistance to women with disabilities and help the sick and poor.

In my workplace, I am active working with the Faculty club and Masters Teachers’ Association involved in the development and welfare of students and teachers. I can say being a part of a club will benefit the individual in his growth and fulfilling his social obligations and responsibilities to both his family and fellowmen.

A mass oath taking ceremony was held recently for the different clubs with the theme: “Leadership is action not position” in Baguio City National High School.

The clubs namely SADAC-School Anti-Drugs Abuse Council; KABAYANI; MAPEH Club; KOA; DEBSOC; Journalism; BSAFE; Red Cross; BIMAAK; Junior Police; GSP; KPSEP-Kabataang Samahan sa Edukasyung Pagpapahalaga; Math Club; English Club; Science Club: YES-O; LINK Club with Philippine Mental Health Association Baguio Benguet Chapter; Filipiniana Club; Araling Panlipunan; BCNHS-Teachers and Employees Association; Masters Teachers Organization; Speech Act Guild; Special Program in Sports Club; and Parents Teacher’s Association were inducted led by the Student Supreme Government with adviser Julievense Miranda joined by BCNHS principal Dr. Elma Donaal and Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda as guest speaker and inducting officer.

Tabanda said, “Each one of us is a leader, each one runs for a position for the purpose of a sincere desire to work, strive for excellence, work for the utmost development of the school.”

Clubs are established in order to promote a democratic relationship and in order to provide cultural, moral, and civic betterment; to create a feeling of unity and promote leadership within.