Council Connections – January 2015
By Jamie Jones Miller, Psi (National Vice President)
Happy New Year!
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I am always tempted but rarely do. I like the idea of resolving to do something differently to change my outlook in a new year. It’s the follow-through that I, like many people, have trouble with!
One of the themes that the 2014-2016 National Council has focused on is communication. The concept is simple: the leadership of an organization should communicate with the membership. The “why” is also simple: members feel engaged and invested when they are connected to an organization. The “how” is a little tricky. How do we communicate with members of all ages with varying preferences for how they receive information? How do we adapt to changing technology and be cost effective and time efficient? These questions don’t just pertain to sorority life, but also to family, work, and friends. It made me think about how technology has impacted my own family traditions, particularly around the holidays.
One of my favorite things about the holiday season is the cards we receive from family and friends that start to arrive in our mailbox around Thanksgiving. I love a good Christmas letter – even better if it rhymes or adapts “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” somehow! Over the years, the handwritten letters have evolved into typed letters. Cards with personal notes have become photo collages. Facebook posts with holiday greetings and selfies are replacing cards. While I may miss the traditional cards that come in the mail, I am grateful that my family and friends continue to share their family photos, accomplishments and updates, and holiday wishes with me – regardless of the format they come in! It truly is the thought that counts.
At one of our family gatherings over the holidays, my mother asked me a question I didn’t expect to hear from her. She wondered if I thought that we should be communicating more and she went on to explain that many of her friends texted and chatted on the phone with their daughters throughout the day. At the time I wasn’t sure whether she was joking. My parents and I are close but we aren’t big into sharing! Now that I look back on it, I can tell that things started to change when my mother got an iPhone (before I did!). I get texts from her during the work day. Pictures are sent. Questions are asked. Information flows rather than being saved up for a rare phone conversation or family gathering. The best part is that every time I get a text or an email, I know she’s thinking about me!
I think we should always make time for personal connections. Technology can make communicating easier, and I am learning to love my iPhone, but I know I will always send handwritten thank you notes and mail birthday cards! So, while I may not make any resolutions this year, I will challenge myself to make meaningful connections with family, friends, and Alpha Sigma Tau sisters. I hope you will do the same!