SPECIAL | feature
WOULD YOU L IKE TO MOT I VATE MORE OF YOUR CHAPTER MEMBERS TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE AS OFF I CERS? Try generating enthusiasm by giving a program about the “essence” of a chapter officer’s job! A chapter office is more than a list of tasks to be accomplished—it’s an opportunity to share meaning and purpose within the larger group. In a chapter program, the officers of Chapter AZ, Columbia, Missouri, used humor, visual aids and impressive creativity to convey the “essence” of their officer jobs. Guard Treasurer
Holding aloft an oboe, the guard compared the responsibility of her office to that of a symphony oboist. Before a performance, the oboist plays an “A,” and the entire orchestra tunes their instruments to that tone. Likewise, the guard at a chapter meeting “sets the tone” for the gathering. The guard greets and gives a smile to all who enter while visually verifying membership, and for any sister who arrives after the meeting has begun, the guard discreetly directs her to an open seat, thus ensuring a friendly and smooth- flowing “tone” for the meeting. Chaplain The chaplain explained her role as the chapter’s devotionals leader by presenting a somewhat tongue- in-cheek list of “Commandments for P.E.O.s.” These “Commandments” served as a reminder of a P.E.O.’s virtues, as well as her obligations to her sisters, pointing out, for example, that P.E.O.s never gossip and always strive to attend every meeting! Recording Secretary Displaying a scroll with an acrostic of “RECORD,” the recording secretary described her office’s tasks, sometimes straightforward—as in “R” for “record the minutes of a meeting”—or with dry humor—as in “E” for “expect to be challenged when trying to decipher her scribbled minutes!” She also pointed out that recording where we’ve been serves as a basis to figuring out where our chapter wants to go! Corresponding Secretary Waving a stack of envelopes, the corresponding secretary outlined the main tasks of her office, which include managing our chapter’s correspondence with P.E.O. International, as well as with our state/ provincial/district chapter and with other P.E.O.s. In short, the corresponding secretary connects our chapter to the wider world and reminds us that we P.E.O.s are never alone in our endeavors!
Draped in a long, multi-color paper chain, the treasurer likened her office to being the final link in a chain of tasks that comprise any chapter activity. For example, a fundraiser is not finished until the treasurer deposits the proceeds into the bank to be available for chapter use. And we remain active P.E.O.s only after the treasurer sends our annual dues to International Chapter. The treasurer then identified links in the paper chain as the members of our chapter and their contributions—that is, the officers, committees, meeting hostesses, etc. Though the treasurer may be the final link, we are all a vital link in the success of our chapter’s activities! Vice President With dramatic flair and wearing a theatrical cape, the vice president drew on the example of the classic understudy role in the theater to relate her office’s “essence.” She humorously described having to be ready on the spot should the need arise to assume the president’s role, as well as the “necessity” of studying the president’s “every move,” from punctilious gavel taps to efficient page turning of the President’s Book! President Displaying a wooden birdhouse, the president compared her role as our chapter’s leader to that of a mother bird, who builds a strong nest for her charges in which to thrive and grow. In other words, the chapter president has a solid P.E.O. foundation; keeps abreast of current P.E.O. topics and events; promotes organizational goals; and knows how to motivate and guide her chapter’s members. Her day-to-day tasks and meeting responsibilities are numerous, but she cares for her “nestlings” according to their individual needs, feeding each little “beak” with the nourishment it needs to be able to fly high as a P.E.O.! COMB INING CRE AT I V I T Y, A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND A L I T TLE HUMOR CAN BE A POWERFUL MOT I VATOR IN THE V I TAL I T Y OF A P.E .O. CHAPTER. How would your chapter officers define the “essence” of their jobs?
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March–April 2022 | THE P.E.O. RECORD
WWW.PEOINTERNATIONAL.ORG
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