My first term on chapter board, I served as Dafna BBGâs Fall Term Shâlicha. It was difficult to be one of the two girls whose first time it was on board, and overall, it was a huge learning experience. So, if you arenât sure what your first term is supposed to be like and what you should be doing, Iâm here to help!
First off, be assertive! If you are on a board call and your Nâsiah asks if anyone has any ideas and you have some, say them. I was so nervous whenever my chapter Nâsiah would ask if anyone had theme ideas or program ideas because I wasnât sure if I was allowed to say something. Newsflash: you are! My board happened to be pretty quiet that term, making it more confusing for me because I wasnât sure if I could share my ideas. But it pays off to see your ideas come to life, especially if itâs a bigger event like Siblinghood or a program you know your chapter will love.
Next, prioritize your board position. As chapter Shâlicha, I was also playing school volleyball and in my freshman year of high school. It was challenging to balance the three, especially since I was taking a lot of higher-level classes, but you need to create a system that works for you. For me, I would get a lot of my work done on the bus to and from volleyball games. I was also given the advice to not treat chapter board as a job, which helped me a lot. And of course, prioritize school over everything else, because even though BBYO leadership teaches you lots of skills, you should focus on getting good grades.
Another thing to remember is that this is your position. You ran for this position because you had so many goals and ideas that you wanted to achieveâdonât forget that! I like to make notes in the Notes app at the beginning of the term with my main ideas that I want to see come to life, whether that be programs, personal goals, or how I want to collaborate with other positions. Itâs a great way to organize what you want to achieve and be able to express those ideas to your chapter Nâsiah, advisor, and regional/council counterparts.
Lastly, remember to have fun! When I came home after I had just been elected as Chapter Shâlicha, I sat with the Shâlicha box and worried. I thought to myself, how in the world can I do this? But remember, you were elected to the position because your chapter believes in you and knows you will do an amazing job.
I know you will do amazing things on board, and if you or others arenât sure what to do as a first-time board member, refer back to this article!
Aliyah is a BBG from South Jersey Region who loves going on road trips.
All views expressed on content written for The Shofar represent the opinions and thoughts of the individual authors. The author biography represents the author at the time in which they were in BBYO.