Volunteers Local SIGs are run by volunteers who help create and run a local community around issues of Human Computer Interaction. Here are some reasons given to me by past and present volunteers. The camaraderie of working with like-minded people to create and sustain a local CHI community. The satisfaction of knowing that you made a difference to the quality of the group and the quality of the program. The opportunity to meet new friends and colleagues.
People move in and out of volunteering.
What works fine when you are a new graduate student no longer fits into your schedule when it is time to submit your dissertation. Or the many evening hours spent with other volunteers organizing the program is hard to fit into your life when there are small children to take care of. It is understood and recognized that people's lives change and most people will only be able to work with a local SIG for a limited amount of time. However, any amount of time someone devotes to a local SIG will make a difference. Many local groups teeter on the brink of extinction because of the lack of active participation.