What is VECTOR's just cause?

Posted 15 June 2020 in president; tagged with idea

I believe that VECTOR’s just cause for existing is:

Amateur radio teams supporting every part of Vancouver with VEMA and VPD to deliver messages whenever needed.

I hope you remember it from our 2019 Annual General Meeting. Please send me what you think about this just cause after you read about the idea below (email).

Dear friends,

What do you think the reason is for VECTOR existing? VECTOR shows me a very ambitious one. Let’s examine it together.

Here’s an outline of what’s ahead:

A1. Copies of our Mission, Vision and Constitution

A form follows below after the details for your convenience.

1. What makes up VECTOR’s just cause?

Amateur radio teams supporting every part of Vancouver with VEMA and VPD to deliver messages whenever needed.

amateur radio teams: self-organizing teams of 3 to 12 ham volunteers
supporting: operating radios, building grab-and-go kits, maintaining radio systems, teaching skills, sharing knowledge, coaching techniques, sharing relationships, including in practices, …
every part of Vancouver: Vancouver has many parts: EOC and DSA’s, VPD, VFRS, NEAT, ESS, community centres, Disaster Support Hubs, groups interested in ham radio, amateur radio clubs, youth organizations, schools,…
deliver messages: messages born at one person only matter when delivered to another person
whenever needed: usually people deliver messages on their own, sometimes people need help delivering messages (at major events, in disasters, …)

2. Where does this just cause come from?

We have three ways of showing VECTOR’s reason for existing. Let’s review:

Constitution - required when we formed the non-profit society in 1998, registered at Societies Online and covering 12 specific purposes (below)
Mission - (2017) plan and prepare people and systems to deliver messages when our community partners need to
Vision - (2017) bring together regular people with amateur radio to improve community ability to withstand shocks

The originals are specific and use larger words, which may feel convoluted when you read them. If the links fail, you’ll find copies included at the very bottom of this article.

3. Why think of VECTOR’s why this way?

Thinking of VECTOR’s reason for existence as a “just cause” gives us a reliable way to judge our actions and choices when serving VECTOR. A “just cause” or “evolutionary purpose” helps us make decisions and answer the question:

Does what I’m doing help VECTOR deliver for those it serves?

People sharing agreed values make up a strong organization that works towards a just cause, making choices using an advice process, and working through difficulties using a conflict mechanism.

The answer to the question above comes clear if we have a Just Cause that fulfills five criteria.

a positive and specific vision of the future to stand for
open to all those who wish to contribute from diverse skill-sets
serves people other than the contributors
endures social, technological and cultural change
bold ideal to inspire continuing resolve

The answer to the above question comes clear if we have an Evolutionary Purpose that:

reflects the deeper reason the organization exists
shares the difference it wants to make in the community it operates in and serves
serves a ‘greater good’ that matters

Traditional vision statements usually reflect the ego-driven state of consciousness of the management team that writes them, who decide what they want the organization to be.

4. Is there another way to say why VECTOR exists?

I mused about VECTOR’s organizational why in March 2019 when pondering my personal why and working through Simon Sinek’s method for finding your why. VECTOR at that time seemed to say the following about why it existed. By the 2019 Annual General Meeting, VECTOR said more to me.

To build what Vancouver needs so that neighbourhoods can use radio to coordinate the work of responding to a major disaster.

VECTOR’s primary responsibility is supporting the City Office of Emergency Management and Emergency Social Services. VECTOR also advises and supports neighbourhood preparedness efforts. New City commitments to Resilient Communities and newly emerging neighbourhood efforts will likely rekindle VECTOR’s direct connection to neighbourhoods.

Read more about it on my personal website.

VECTOR shared a version worth building later in the year, which I included in my AGM report:

Amateur radio teams supporting every part of Vancouver with VEMA and VPD to deliver messages whenever needed.

I hope you agree about VECTOR’s just cause.

Thanks,
Jess VE7DET
2020 President, VECTOR

PS. Diagrams and appendix follow after the form for reference.

VECTOR vision diagram {width=“600px”}

Many paths in VECTOR to serve a just cause

A1. Copies of our Vision, Mission and Constitution

Vision

Bringing together the power of ordinary citizens and amateur radio to enhance community resiliency for times of emergency and disaster.

Mission

VECTOR exists as the organizing vehicle for members of the amateur radio service to build auxiliary emergency communications capability to enhance community resiliency in the City of Vancouver.

Our mission is communications preparedness and the most important element of readiness is people, not technology. Through recruitment, training and exercise we develop our diverse volunteer team to plan and prepare for those times when we are called upon to serve.

Constitution

Updated 2017-12-06. There are 12 specific purposes VECTOR serves.

The name of the Society is “Vancouver Emergency Community Telecommunications Organization” and is hereinafter referred to as the Society.

The purposes of the Society are:

a. to assist the City of Vancouver, emergency service providers, community groups and neighbourhood committees in the rapid deployment of amateur radio communications and a messaging network in case of a civil emergency;

b. to assist and enhance the capabilities of the Emergency Operations Centre;

c. to promote and foster amateur radio across the Lower Mainland and especially to improve the quality of emergency preparedness within the City of Vancouver through the development and enhancement of amateur and other public service communications;

d. to promote inter-agency cooperation on matters dealing with amateur radio;

e. to improve amateur radio capabilities and effectiveness within the City of Vancouver;

f. to encourage area coordination of resources relative to amateur radio;

g. to promote a sense of community safety, to increase community knowledge of amateur radio, and to develop a network of public communications volunteers to assist in times of emergency through education, training and public-awareness initiatives relative to amateur communications;

h. to solicit and raise funds and to apply for grants to carry out the objectives of the Society and to accept donations for such purposes;

i. to cooperate with community groups and all other associations or organizations in such things as are necessary and conducive to the attainment of the objectives of the Society;

j. to enhance the relationship between the amateur radio community and emergency service providers;

k. to conduct or facilitate research which furthers the purposes of the Society; and

l. to affiliate with other associations of local, national or international jurisdiction, if, in the opinion of this Society, such affiliation would be of mutual benefit.