As I’ve gone through college, I’ve found that transitioning from the spring semester into the summer can be one of the most challenging times for a chapter. We often go from having our sisters right down the hall to living hours away from one another. We go from seeing each other every week to months without a chapter meeting. That change can be shocking, and it can be especially challenging for a chapter to address as they transition into summer break.
How do we keep chapter members excited to come back ready for recruitment when we aren’t on campus? How do we as an executive team continue to prepare for the fall, while many are juggling summer jobs and internships? Let’s talk about how to prioritize your time this summer to prepare your chapter for the fall, while still using your break as a break.
First off, take a moment to be proud of the work you did this year! It can be easy to skim past all your accomplishments from the year to get started on the next task, but take this time to be proud of all you’ve accomplished thus far. Start off by taking a real break and enjoying your time off.
If you’re anything like me, after a few days of that break you start missing your friends and chapter members. Just because you’re not on campus, doesn’t mean you have to be disconnected!
Check in on your friends, remind your sisters you miss them and that you can’t wait to see them again soon. Continuously connecting with them, even if it’s just a quick text message, will keep the chapter at the front of their minds & keep them excited to return in the fall.
Another great way to keep that motivation and excitement is through your social pages. Ask your members what they’re doing this summer, and make some posts celebrating their accomplishments! Whether they’re traveling to another country, working a summer job, or spending time in a different state for an internship, your members will always appreciate the chapter cheering them on over their summer breaks.
Every chapter tackles their summers differently; whether you’re preparing for recruitment, COB, or other beginning of the year plans, it’s important to keep your chapter motivated and thinking about what they’ll want to tell others about their sisterhood. Remind them that they always have their sisters supporting them, even when they’re not together on campus.
After all, sisterhood is a lifelong commitment, regardless of the distance. When we instill that lifelong value into our members early on, we’ll grow stronger sisterhoods that last well beyond our four years in college.
