Spotlight on our Southeastern New Brunswick Mighty Drivers!
We consider our Chapters the welcoming front door of our organization. Chapters are made up of committed volunteers with neuromuscular disorders, along with their families, friends and other compassionate folks. They meet regularly to support each other, educate themselves and the community, and raise funds to support our mission. They also manage to have plenty of fun while they’re doing it!
The Southeastern New Brunswick (SENB) Mighty Drivers are no exception to the above guidelines, but they are also helping pioneer a new era for Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s chapters. The Mighty Drivers are one of the first groups to initiate the new Community Based Structural Options designed for chapters. The option the Mighty Drivers chose to explore is the Leadership Committee format, which means a committee of at least three people will take responsibility for the activities, but not have assigned titles. Noella, an original member who volunteers to plan monthly meetings and the welcoming committee, explains that “the previous structure had tasks delegated by the organization to the individuals who held the executive positions. This new Leadership Committee allows clients or members to volunteer for a specific task. The person delegates to themselves what they can do for the chapter. One small task done well is far better than ten chores done poorly.” The new format allows chapter members to organize the jobs most suited to their interests and time commitments. The objective is to strengthen the capacity of Chapters to meet the needs of people affected by neuromuscular disorders, including individuals with neuromuscular disorders, families and caregivers, and the format aims to increase engagement throughout more members of the chapters.
There are thirteen paid members and over 70 registered clients who belong to the Mighty Drivers, and who can share the responsibilities of planning events, fundraisers and programs. Sharing the burden of a heavy load is a recurring theme for the Mighty Drivers; a main role of the SENB Chapter is offering members support. Noella explains that newly diagnosed families can be overwhelmed with details and feel isolated. Belonging to Mighty Drivers Chapter creates an instant connection and a feeling you’re never alone. Some one understands and has been where you are, and true genuine friendships have emerged from the Chapter. This overwhelming feeling of fellowship made the Mighty Drivers an excellent candidate to test the Leadership Committee format. Noella explains how Chapter families share so many similarities, such as school issues, bullying, equipment difficulties, and social acceptance for youth affected by neuromuscular disorders. The Mighty Drivers help break down barriers by becoming friends with each other and participating in lots of exciting activities outside of chapter meetings and fundraising.
The Mighty Drivers chapter was established in September 1994, and they took their name from a support group that their founding President, Agathe Robichaud, had started. M for Mighty and D for Drivers, and once paired with their location became the full chapter title of the newly established Muscular Dystrophy chapter. The group’s most successful campaign is the Walk for Muscular Dystrophy that they hold in June each year to raise funds and awareness for neuromuscular disorders. The Mighty Drivers are trailblazers for the new Community Based Structural Options Chapters, and the enthusiasm the chapter shows for accomplishing tasks moves the group forward, which allows them to live up to their inventive name.
