by David Chapman
Staff Writer
Hundreds of Northeast Florida nonprofits and civic organizations spread their message daily to the masses, but once a month those same officials come together to share it with each other.
Founded in 1935, the Civic Roundtable provides a forum for those civic organization officials to coordinate activities, share ideas, network and overall catch up on the latest news and notes from their fellow leaders.
“You can really find out who’s doing what,” said Carolyn Kates of the Woman’s Club of Jacksonville. “When you have a problem, you can find someone you can turn to.”
The group meets the second Friday of every month and provides that opportunity to learn from each other, said President Mary James of Florida State College at Jacksonville.
“Most leaders spend their time concentrated on their own goals in that nine-to-five setting,” said James. “Civic Roundtable brings them all together for the chance to learn from one another.”
Along with networking aspects, the meetings also provide a time to hear from speakers on a myriad of topics that affect the nonprofit world. Marcia Ladendorff, University of North Florida Honors Program Instructor, kicked off the organization’s year recently with a discussion centered around civil discourse — and the alarming lack of it — in attitudes moving forward. Such “me first” and “I’m going to scream louder than you” mentalities combined with a lack of listening effectively break down the communications process, she told the crowd.
“If we can’t talk to each other civilly, what’s the point?” she said.
The speaker messages, along with the opportunity to network make Civc Roundtable a monthly staple, said one member.
“It’s definitely a way to keep engaged,” said Linda Swan of the Woman’s Club of Jacksonville.
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