FOR DEVELOPING A CHAPTER/DISTRICT VISION PLAN
“Change is the law of life.
And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the
future.” - President John F. Kennedy
about:
All great achievements begin
with a vision.
A vision is a target, a
motivator, and a shared goal.
Our members want to be
rewarded for their involvement in the activities of our Order and their chapters.
We must provide reasons for involvement.
Members want to belong to an
organization that makes a difference in their lives and their community. We
must provide activities that will enhance both. We can do this by developing
a vision to move our chapters forward.
Where to begin:
FORM A CHAPTER VISION
COMMITTEE.
It is recommended that five
or six serve on the committee. The composition should be varied to utilize
the resources and talents within the membership. The members should meet
regularly, report to the membership and solicit their help to accomplish the
goals set forth for the year. Open communication is vital to success.
THE COMMITTEE MUST DETERMINE
WHERE THEY WANT THE CHAPTER TO BE WITHIN THE NEXT 3 - 5 YEARS.
They should begin by
evaluating the Chapter’s current situation.
How has the Chapter been
performing during the last five years in terms of:
a. Number of petitions
received
b. Average age of membership
c. Growth rate of the Chapter
( Existing members plus new members less
deaths/demits/relocations)
d. Percentage of membership
attending stated meetings
e. Percentage of membership
participating in chapter and district activities
f. Financial stability of
chapter (long and short term)
g. Quality of ritualistic
work
h. Number of new members who
are in the line
i. Number of new members who
have served in appointed offices
j. Visibility within the
community
k. Does the chapter have a
membership committee and if they do, have they set goals and were they
reached
Identify the Chapter’s
strengths:
a. Do you have strong
leadership?
b. Does everyone attempt to
memorize their work?
c. Do the officers fulfill
their responsibilities?
d. Do you meet /exceed your
yearly budget?
e. Does the “elected line”
contribute to a smooth running chapter?
f. Do the members help with
planning and executing chapter activities?
g. Does the “elected line”
interact with the membership?
h. Do the standing committees
function correctly?
i. Does the chapter have any
special projects to benefit the community?
j. What activities does the
chapter have for the members?
k. Does the chapter have a
good relationship with the local Blue Lodge?
l. Are the meetings enjoyable
with entertainment or other innovative activities included?
Identify the Chapter’s
weaknesses:
a. Are you having problems
getting new members?
b. Are you having problems
getting officers?
c. Are you having problems
getting new members to return?
d. Do you have officers who
refuse to memorize their parts?
e. Are you missing any
officers for the year?
f. Has it been awhile since
you have had a “first time” Worthy Matron or Patron?
g. Is it difficult to get
members to help with chapter projects and fund raising?
h. Is communication weak?
i. Are the meetings well
planned and enjoyable?
After evaluating the status
of the Chapter, the Committee should be ready to develop their “vision” (
goals). The vision should include the following:
1. A Chapter Mission
Statement
The Mission Statement should
tell the membership why the Chapter exists. It should be subject to constant
re-evaluation although it most likely will remain constant reflecting what
the Chapter wishes to accomplish. A Mission Statement might be:
The mission of our
Chapter is to provide an environment of social enjoyment where the members
can practice and benefit from the teachings of our Order and reach out with
loving kindness to its members and the community through charitable deeds,
activities and projects
2. The Vision
(objectives)
The Vision should determine
how the Mission Statement will be achieved. There should be a natural flow
from the Mission Statement to the Vision. The Vision might include:
a.. Attract new members
b. Increase attendance at
stated meetings
c. Encourage greater
involvement
d. Provide better ritualistic
work
3. Specific Goals
For each objective, list
specific goals (exactly what must be done to accomplish each one). They
should have a timeline and should be measurable as well as achievable.
a. Initiate at least 3
new members by the end of the year
b. Establish a call chain, a
visitation team, and offer car pooling.
c. Include members (not
officers) on more committees. Have members coordinate a special project for
the year.
d. Have “study buddies”
to help with ritualistic work and schedule practice before all initiations
to perfect the work
4. Strategies/ Action Plan
Strategies determine how the
specific goals will be achieved. It is the action plan.
5. Evaluation
Determine how the Committee
will evaluate the success of the goals set forth.
HINTS REGARDING THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SPECIFIC GOALS
1. The membership must be
motivated to work toward the goals
The members must be
informed and convinced of the need for change, what goals have been
established , and given the opportunity to help achieve them.
2. The Committee and
Presiding Officers must provide continuous feedback to the members regarding
the status of the strategies being used to implement the goals.
3. Encourage participation by
members who express the desire to become involved. The members will be supportive
if they believe they made a difference and contributed in accomplishing the
established goal/s.
4. Spotlight the
accomplishments and thank those who are helping!
Keeping the support of
the key officers and members is critical. They are the role models to the
others and will help keep the momentum going in support of the goals.
AREAS TO CONSIDER WHEN
PLANNING THE CHAPTER VISION PLAN
Community Outreach/Charitable
Projects
Charitable Projects
Volunteering
Public Relations
Fraternal Relations
Family Activities
Community Awareness
Membership
Recruitment
Retention
Participation
THE FOLLOWING LIST ARE SOME
OF THE THINGS THAT CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN DOING TO PROMOTE OUR ORDER AND THEIR
INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS
In Region 3 school supplies
were given
Scholarships are given by
many chapters ( May, Madeleine, Russellville to name a few)
Parade floats
Ringing bells for the
Salvation Army
Volunteer Pins are being worn
when volunteering in the community. See your DGM
Some chapters are sponsoring
ball teams, soccer teams etc.
Many chapters have
newsletters and some are in tandem with their Blue Lodge
Breakfasts and friendship
nights are being held to help recruit members
Some chapters have adopted a
specific charity for the year
Some participate in
walk-a-thons wearing OES apparel
Fair booths -fund raising and
informational booths
District 22 participated in a
craft fair to benefit the Hospice of Hope
Many chapters enter articles
in the local papers describing their charitable activities
Knitting and crocheting caps
and blankets for premature infants with label saying OES
Final words of encouragement
- Work as a team! “If you do not believe in teamwork, look what happens to a
wagon that loses a wheel.” Good luck!
Printable copy
Following is an
article from the December 2008, Michigan Starliner Journal – while it
applies in part to Michigan, it really is applicable to all of us.
Visionquest
The most important
issue facing the Order of the Eastern Star right now is MEMBERSHIP.
We’ve gone from an international organization of 1,046,657 members in
1997 to as membership of 781,821 in 2003 – that’s a loss in membership
in 6 years (or 2 Trienniums) of 264,836. In 1997, Michigan had a
membership of 36,612. In 2003, our membership was 25,129, a loss
of 11,483. While we may ask ourselves what happened, the far more
important question is what are we going to do about it?
As Don Rickles once
said, “the old days were the old days and they were great days, but now
is now!” It’s easy to sit back and talk theory, or say “let Jane or
John” do it. It’s another thing to lead when the Order you have is on a
downward spiral. However, we can’t be so focused on today’s problems
that we put off planning for tomorrow’s opportunities.
Leaders are made,
not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. We each have the
opportunity to be a leader, with or without a title. A leader’s job is
to look into the future and see our Order, not as it is, but as it
should be.
We should be taking
the lessons of our Heroines to heart and putting them to use today.-
When Jephtha told
Adah of the vow he’d made, did she throw a temper tantrum, did she try
to run away, did she denounce her father? NO – she went among the
mountains with her friends to prepare herself and when it was time, she
LED her friends down that mountain she didn’t cower behind them, she led
them. If that wasn’t leadership in a time of crisis, I don’t know what
is.
Naomi urged Ruth to
stay in Moab, not go with her to Bethlehem-a foreign land where Ruth
would have to do menial labor in order to provide food and shelter for
herself and Naomi. Did Ruth say OK, I’ll stay here – write when you get
work? NO – she went to Bethlehem with Naomi, working at hard labor
following the reapers and gleaning what she could to feed Naomi and
herself. Leadership in time of crisis.
And what about
Esther – here she is in a foreign land, where her people are held
captive, and by some miracle, she becomes the Queen of Persia – with all
the perks that come with that job and no one knowing that she was a
Jew. And then – some really nasty fellows talk the King into issuing an
edict decreeing that her entire race should be put to death. Does she
retire to her chambers, keep her secret, and live the “Life of Riley”
while her people are put to death? No. She risked it by all by
approaching the King to ask him to change his mind. Can you imagine the
courage and fortitude it took for her to do that? Leadership and
crisis.
Martha often
entertained Jesus in the home she shared with her brother Lazarus and
her sister Mary. He was their friend, yet to her chagrin, he didn’t
come to Bethany until 4 days after Lazarus had passed. Was she angry?
Did she ask him what kind of friend was he that he would not come
immediately? No. Instead she simply knelt before him in trustful faith
and was given those words that have come down through the ages. Words
of comfort and hope in times of despair and the assurance of eternal
life, crisis and faith.
“Electa” was a
well-to-do woman who often entertained the followers of Christ in her
home, and shared her wealth with those who had little or nothing. Yet,
in spite of or maybe because of being known for all of her good works
and generosity to those who had less than she, some soldiers came to her
house and challenged her to renounce her faith. All she had to do was
drop the small cross that one of them handed to her and step on it and
they would have let her be. Instead, with courage and loyalty to her
convictions of truth in the face of persecution, Electa pressed the
cross to her heart. Crisis and faith – what an example of living your
beliefs.
As the saying goes,
the only thing that’s constant is change. Nothing in this life remains
the same – including our Order – we cannot continue to live in the
past. “We’ve always done it that way” and “We’ve never done it that
way” are phrases that MUST be stricken from our collective vocabularies
and replaced with “Let’s try”.
Do you want this
Order to cease to exist or do you believe it is worthy of our hard work
to make it better and stronger than ever by talking about he good things
our Order has to offer to those who are not members; by actively seeking
these new members that would add a breath of fresh air to our Chapters,
to our Order? Are you willing to try? Are you willing to lead?
Leadership in times
of crisis is never easy – the results may not immediately be seen. But
if it’s worthwhile, it’s worth fighting for. I’m not trying to be the
voice of gloom and doom here. I’m trying to light a fire. I’m speaking
out because I have a hope. I believe in this Order and all that it
stands for. Fidelity, Constancy, Loyalty, Faith, Love – these are the
lessons of a good life that we learn as members of this beautiful,
ecumenical service organization known as the Order of the Eastern Star.
Charity, truth, loving kindness, service – sound familiar?
Fidelity? Remember
Adah and her father’s vow we all took an obligation when we were
initiated into our Order we vowed to support and encourage one another,
to enjoy our fellowship with one another, and more importantly, to work
together to build an Order known around the world for its strong
principles and charitable purposes.
We need to have a
common goal – a common purpose that will give us, as an Order, the
opportunity to publicize our good works. I am NOT talking about
financial support – I’m talking about giving of our time and talent –
I’m talking about letting our light shine.
I don’t believe
there is a person in this room who hasn’t been touched by cancer in some
way. Breast cancer among other types has affected our wives, daughters,
mothers, widows and sisters. Prostate cancer has affected our Masonic
brothers.
In every area of our
state there are walks for cancer, relays for cancer, cancer clinics, and
organizations such as Gilda’s Club working for a cure. Seek them out –
ask how your County or Association can help – do they have a volunteer
program? Can your members man a refreshment stand for a relay or
walk-a-thon? Can you make cancer pillows for chemo patients, putting
the name of your County or district association on them?
There are many ways
to be of service – you only need to look for them – and once you’ve
decided on one be sure to make it know that you are members of the Order
of the Eastern Star – wear name tags or hats or shirts – some method of
identification. Publicize your good works – Let your light shine!
If I’ve learned one
thing it’s this:
You don’t get
anywhere by standing or sitting on the sidelines waiting for somebody
else to take action. We all have a role to play – let’s make it one of
leadership.
Carol E. Webber, Visionquest – Midwest Region Coordinator, Past Grand
Matron of Michigan
