This is an interview that I did with Terri Gillis, the newest president on the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Club (NOMOTC), that ran before. I know Terri from our local club, which Terri is a member of. = If you have any further questions feel free to contact us, or NOMOTC directly.
What are some of the benefits of joining a multiples club?
I’ve attached the NOMOTC Marketing brochure which speaks to the benefits of your club joining National and the services provided (readers if you would like a copy of this please email info@multiplesandmore.com). More importantly for the parents joining local clubs, the benefits are many; beginning with finding other parents/moms who have walked in their shoes and can offer advice on parenting multiples; clothing and equipment exchanges that provide a savings to parents looking for multiple related items; networking opportunities to learn best practices from “those who have walked in our shoes, or are walking in our shoes” that we can learn from; and friendships that are created when moms bond with each other.
What if there are no local clubs, how do you go about starting your own multiples club?
NOMOTC can help. They publish a booklet called “How to Organize A Club” which provides a guide to get you started. Their membership department is also there to answer questions along the way. And, they have affiliate memberships for parents who can’t find a club but want to be a part of the NOMOTC team. They can join and take advantage of the services and receive NOMOTC’s Notebook.
What kind of questions can the volunteers at NOMOTC answer?
When selecting our volunteers, we match volunteers up to the areas that best suit their skills and/or experience. For example, the Higher Order Multiples Coordinator, who is there to assist with questions regarding triplets or greater, is a parent who has higher order multiples. And, the Special Needs Coordinator would typically be a parent who has multiples with special needs or training in this area. Another area key for clubs is our Parliamentarian services. This position is contacted by clubs who need guidance or assistance with internal club matters and we often help clubs resolve issues that may arise.
How can MoM’s become more involved in NOMOTC?
VOLUNTEER! Contact volunteer@nomotc.org and ask for a volunteer form and for more information on the volunteer positions available. We run our organization of 26,000 members with approximately 85 volunteers and one full time employee. Key departments looking for volunteers each year are: Publicity and Website, Education (Notebook), Membership, and Research.
This is WONDERFUL! Know that so many moms of multiples would—and do!—benefit greatly from their participation in Moms of Multiples groups!
I have been a member of my local twins club (a member of NOMOTC) and have loved it! I've met wonderful friends and have received invaluable advice! I highly recommend it.