If you have any questions or are looking for more information please contact the Montana Jaycees or your local chapter. Q: What does Jaycees (J.C.) stand for? A: It stands for Junior Chamber. Montana Jaycees is a statewide organization, part of the U.S. Jaycees ( www.usjaycees.org ) and Jaycees International ( www.jci.cc ). We are a professional group of young individuals between the ages of 18-40. Q: How much time do I need to put in? A: It's that old saying, "You get out of it what you put in." Any amount of time is appreciated and well worth getting involved. It is recommended that you attend one monthly meeting and consider being part of at least one committee. Every chapter is different, but we realize your time is valuable. Q: What goes on at the montly meetings? A: Each chapter has an agenda with all of the different programs listed. Typically, each officer on the Board of Directors speaks about things going on in their specific area. They talk about upcoming events to get people interested in attending and helping out. There is oftentimes some sort of a social at the end as well. Contact your local chapter to find out more, including times and dates. See the chapter list to find a chapter in your area. Q: What is a social? A: A social is where members can get together just to network with one another. It is a more relaxed and laid back time where everyone is encouraged to just have fun. There is no meeting or agenda going on at that time. Q: Why is "recruiting" so important? A: New members bring in new blood into the organization. That means new ideas, new energy and enthusiasm. Our organization is in a constant state of change. Career advancement, family commitments, reaching forty--these are some of the reasons Jaycees typically leave a particular chapter. Therefore, it's very important for the organization to be identifying and recruiting good new members and sharing the Jaycee movement. Q: What does I.D. mean? A: I.D. stands for Individual Development. This area of the Jaycees is developed to help enhance your personal and professional life. Chapters hold courses, seminsars, mini-courses or full-fledged events which help you to enhance your skills for business and personal life. Q: I don't know very many people in the Jaycees, only the person who recruited me. How do I get to know others? A: Almost every member started out the same way. Get involved in a project, and you'll get to know lots of members just like you! There are socials, fundraisers, and even regional, state and national conventions you can get involved in with your chapter! Q: What do you mean by "leadership training"? A: All aspects of our organization are devoted to polishing the leadership skills of our members. The programs and events with which we are involved generally mirror "real world" experiences. Jaycees regularly learn and practice speaking, writing, budgeting, teamwork, marketing, interpersonal and many other skills which make them more valuable to their employers and more successful in life. Q: Are you a male only organization? A: No. However, this was the case until 1984.. Today the Junior Chamber has women as it's leaders at every level of the organization. Q: How do I become a member of the Jaycees? A: The process is very simple. Fill out a brief application form, and attend an short orientation. New members are often times "sworn in", but this is not a requirement. Q: Are there membership dues? A: Yes, annual membership dues range from $50 - $75 per year, depeding on services offered by your local chapter. Check with your local chapter for membershiop investment information. Q: What is required of members? A: There are no set requirements to be a Jaycee. However, like most organizations, our members get as much out of being a Jaycee as they put into it. Attending one meeting and one project per month is normally a two-four hour commitment. Q: How often are meetings held? A: Our general, membership meetings occur once each month. Check with your local chapter for details. Q: After I join, then what? A: That depends on you; there are many diversified activity areas. After you join, all that remains is for you to involve yourself in whatever areas stimulate your interests. If there is something that interests you that the local Jaycees don't do, then you are encouraged to propose a project of your own! Your local chapter, region, state and national Jaycees organizations are continuously improving their programming to better fulfill the needs of the community and the varied interests of all our members. If you have any questions or are looking for more information please contact the Montana Jaycees or your local chapter.