New ESIY Member Group Rep Needed

Would you like to become the new East of Scotland Iyengar Yoga member group representative?

This voluntary role is now available and open to both teaching and non-teaching members. The role involves getting together with this lovely bunch of people, see image below, 3 times a year for the Iyengar Yoga UK Exec meeting. These meetings involved all the regional member groups across the UK sending a representative to discuss all things Iyengar Yoga.

The role of ESIY Member Group Rep has been held by Sue Cresswell for the last 6 years. This is the maximum length of time you are able to hold the role.

What is involved with the role of Member Group Rep?

Here’s Sue with some information about the member group rep role:

Member Group Rep Role

I am coming to the end of my second 3 year term as ESIY member group rep in September and we are looking for a successor. A lot has happened during the time I was a rep, not least that the pandemic and later the threat of rail strikes meant most of the meetings were on Zoom.

Now things have settled down and as the new rep you can expect to attend two Exec meetings in person, (usually in London, in April and September) and one in January on Zoom. The Exec committee consists of the officers (chair, secretary and treasurer and their deputies), the chairs of all the subcommittees and all the member group reps and individual reps.

Once on the Exec committee you will be strongly encouraged to take part in one of the sub committees. These committees are where the behind the scenes work goes on to produce the magazine, organise the assessment and training of teachers, manage the membership renewals, organise events and conventions, develop the therapy workshops and train therapy teachers, manage our ethics and diversity policy and delivery and much more besides. I quickly became involved in the archives committee as its chair.

Three weeks in advance of each meeting you will prepare and submit a report to the Exec, following a standard one page template. The report covers membership, past and planned events, and a summary of what’s going well or not and any issues to be raised.

The member group reps and individual reps have an active Whatsapp group where we share information on what each group is doing, to benefit members and grow the membership. Its also a great support for new member group reps. It’s a welcoming group and a forum where you can ask anything.

Locally the role involves attending ESIY committee meetings (3 or 4 a year, always on Zoom because of our geographical spread) and the AGM, also on Zoom. There is also a report once a year to prepare and deliver to the AGM.

Last year the committee was very active with the fiftieth anniversary and we managed to grow our membership very significantly. This year and going forward the challenge is to keep these new members.

Its also an exciting year of new beginnings for IYUK as we welcome Hannah Lovegrove, Caroline Earl and Rachel Overton as Chair, Deputy Chair and Secretary.

The role is worthwhile, engaging and I personally have thoroughly enjoyed it. I have got to know Iyengar Yoga colleagues across the UK and Ireland and some I now call friends. It’s been a great experience for me and I hope it will be for you too.

Iyengar Yoga UK and ESIY are all run by volunteers. This is the way the organisation has always functioned since its gradual inception over time. Volunteering in committee roles will offer you insight and camaraderie as well as a say in how the organisation evolves and grows over time.
Remember all teachers are expected to put some voluntary time towards their member group or Iyengar Yoga UK, otherwise the organisation will cease to exist in its present form. Also you don’t have to be a teacher to apply!

Would you like to apply for the ESIY Member Group Rep Role?

If you would like to apply to become the new East of Scotland Iyengar Yoga Member Group Rep please email us at [email protected].

Deadline for applications Thursday 31st July.

If you would like to contact Sue to have an informal discussion regarding what’s involved then please email Sue Cresswell.