Celebrating 2017 & The New Year Ahead
by Debbie Tam, Beta Phi (Indiana U), International Vice President
We are well into the holiday season! I’m not sure how it is possible, but every year seems to get shorter while my list of to-do’s gets longer. It is so easy to get swept up in the commitments and expectations of the season, that sometimes it’s good – and even necessary—to step back and remind ourselves what is important and where we need to focus. I think the same can be said for our AOII lives.
We all have a vision of what we want to achieve in our AOII role or how we want to contribute. It is what drives us as members or officers. It is what motivates us as volunteers. As a collegian, you are finishing up a semester, and balancing your academic focus with your commitment to being an engaged member. Perhaps you are an officer, either transitioning out or just beginning this next role in your AOII experience. Our alumnae chapters are wrapping up the final events in the first half of their calendars. Our collegiate support volunteers are taking a quick but deep breath in between semesters, while our international volunteers are well into the execution of their goals. No doubt we are probably all thinking how fast the five months since Convention have gone by!
Our commitment to our Fraternity is shaped by our individual vision. A meaningful experience needs to be relevant to us personally. What are we doing to make it relevant? The end of the year is a great time to step back, assess where we are, where we want to be, and if are we doing the right things to get there. Has our focus been on what is important? Are our grades where they need to be? Has our officer transition achieved what we needed it to achieve in order to best move the chapter forward? Are our officer and chapter goals still relevant? Are we meeting the needs of our membership – whether it is collegiate or alumnae focused? Is our support properly focused and really keying in on the areas of importance?
As we wrap up the first academic semester and quickly head into the next, I challenge us all to take few minutes to step back and consider our AOII commitments and expectations. Pause to celebrate the successes you’ve had and what has contributed to getting you there—those were the relevant things! Then consider where your focus will be this next semester. There is no time like the present to set ourselves up for a successful future. Cheers to 2017 and all that’s to come in 2018!