Our Top 30 #DZGrateful Thoughts

If you are anywhere near social media this month, then you have probably seen friends and followers posting their 30 things they are grateful for in the month of November. Named a variety of things, from the 30 Day Gratitude Challenge to 30 Days of Thanks (where you tweet with the #30DOT hashtag), there are Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Pinterest boards and everything else in between devoted to giving thanks.

We wanted to know what Delta Zeta members are grateful for and took to our social media channels this past week to ask “What are you #DZGrateful for?” Many responses might not surprise you, but there were many more that spoke to the enriching power of our sisterhood. We’ve recapped what stood out as the top 30 things that we are #DZGrateful for below. Thank you for sharing!

Want to see more #DZGrateful posts? Search the hashtag on Twitter or view the comments on our Facebook page. 

30 - I am grateful for the growth and opportunity that Delta Zeta provides me to strengthen myself as a woman and the commitment Delta Zeta has to each sister to provide her with resources and guidance to be her best self, always.

29 - The friendships!! Having a lovely place to live while in college.

28 - The bonds that are forged overcome distance, time and age. A DZ is never truly alone. Sisterhood is an absolute blessing!

27 - I'm grateful to Delta Zeta for giving me the confidence to reach for my dreams and the tools I need to achieve them.

26 - #DZgrateful for having such an amazing big!

25 - Grateful that I have sisters all around who are thoughtful, loving and encouraging. I do not have biological sisters but feel like they are.

24 - #DZgrateful that my sisters are so loving and active on social media 😘 makes my day!

23 - Change is one thing that will always occur throughout life and Delta Zeta has been there and supported me every step of the way

22 - So excited to be this year’s sisterhood chair!! Fun fun fun! Yay!! 🎉❤️ #DZgrateful

21 – I'm am grateful for the hours of conversation and the overwhelming support of my incredible sisters.

20 - I am grateful for so many things but today i am grateful my chapter is celebrating it's50th anniversary!

19 - I’m grateful for sisters who love me unconditionally and live true to understanding and appreciation in their everyday lives! #DZGrateful

18 - I am thankful for the influence Delta Zeta has had on my past and current career path. #DZGrateful

17 - @DeltaZetaNatl thankful for a support system, a place to grow, a group of true sisters, an opportunity unlike any other #DZGrateful

16 - While I am a DG my daughter is a DZ. Before recruitment I made sure there was no pressure to be a legacy. I wanted her to find her sisters out of wanting to be with that group and not just because. Proud to be a DG but proud to be a DZ mom.

15 - I am grateful that I met my amazing husband and have such great memories.

14 - I am thankful that my big sis introduced me to Delta Zeta. Friendships come and go, sisters are forever. No matter how long it's been since the last time our paths crossed we are always able to pick up where we left off.

13 - I am grateful for the wonderful memories, friends, and mentors that I have made and found through my Delta Zeta journey.

12 - I am grateful for my sisters from Epsilon Delta, Surfing Sisters and sisters I meet from social media!

11 - I started my daughter as a DZ early ... When it was time to choose what sorority she wanted to join it was DZ ... So not only she is my daughter... she is a sister.

10 – This only child is grateful for all the sisters I've gained over my 14 years of DZ membership. From college chapter days through alumnae volunteering, I've gained friends that became family.

9 - Believe it or not I am grateful for all the things in my life that haven't gone just perfect. It is from those experiences that I was able to grow as a woman.

8 - Grateful for family, friends, and the love and friendship of my Delta Zeta sisters!

7 - I am grateful for my three children all under the age of thee. I am often greeted with "wow, you have your hands full." I say that it is my heart that is full.

6 - I am grateful for all of the wonderful lifelong friends that I made during my college years as a Delta Zeta.

5 - DZ helping with a memorial event for a sorority sister. Thank you DZ

4 - I'm grateful for my one month old DZ legacy. She's my whole world.

3 - Almost forty years out of college, I am grateful for my DZ sisters who have been there for me during my darkest times and sharing in my joys.

2- I'm grateful for all of the amazing things Delta Zeta has brought my way in my short few months of being a part of it so far. My sisters and the memories I have made so far are something I know will be cherished forever.

1 - #DZgrateful for the ability to give graciously of what is mine.

Every Member Count - COB Success

Chances are your chapter finished formal recruitment this fall and you are just initiating your new members. That is definitely reason for celebration, but a good Vice President of Membership’s work is never done! Now is the perfect time to evaluate your chapter’s membership and plan for the future. Once the chapter’s recruitment leadership team has answered the following questions, the planning can begin.

• Is your chapter currently at campus Panhellenic total?
• How many members will your chapter lose at the end of the current term/ semester?
• How many members will your chapter need to COB (continuous open bid) in order to reach or remain at campus Panhellenic total next term/semester?

Now that you know where the chapter stands, you need to get organized. How will you keep track of the Potential New Members (PNMs) that your chapter meets? We hope that you’ve already started using the Recruitment Toolkit which you can find over on the Delta Zeta Members page on www.deltazeta.org. It is a complete system that your team can use keep track of all the tasks related to recruitment and of the PNMs so that none gets lost in the shuffle. Being as organized as possible helps ensure that your recruitment efforts are successful.

The next step is to think of what kind of events will be most effective for the number of women that you need to recruit. If your chapter only needs 3 women, then you would not need to plan a big event. If your chapter needs to recruit 15 women, then a big kick off event may develop interest in Delta Zeta with PNMs. Some of the most effective recruitment happens through normal, sisterly activities. If several of your sisters eat lunch on campus, then invite PNMs to join you. Maybe there is a coffee shop on campus that would provide an excellent place to meet in a small group setting for coffee. Assess the needs of your chapter and decide how you should plan in order to meet those needs.

Remember is that every member matters. If you are not at total, you are missing out on new members who will bring their time, talents and treasures to your chapter. Work hard, plan ahead, and do your best to keep your chapter at or above total every term.

Congratulations on Your Election – Now work on your transition

Whether your chapter is just starting the nomination and election process, are somewhere in the middle of it, or have elected your officers, the election is just a small part of passing the officer reigns to the next generation of Delta Zeta leaders. No matter how well (or maybe not so well) your elections went, the real work lies in effectively transitioning from the old officer to the new. Your chapter’s CCD has most likely scheduled the chapter’s officer retreat for the near future and rather than come in unprepared, here are some tips for both old and new officers to make sure they are ready to hit the ground running.

1. It is helpful for a new officer to have received her manuals and files from the outgoing officer prior to the training. This gives her time to work one on one with the outgoing officer to ask questions and be basically familiar with her job. The outgoing officer should first clean out her binders, boxes, jump drives etc. for out of date materials before handing them over to the new officer.

2. Outgoing officers should meet with the new incoming officers BEFORE the transition retreat. This will allow time for officers to ask questions, review materials, and begin the retreat ready to plan for the next year.

3. Before officers meet to pass files along or transition, the outgoing officer should do some reflection on her time in the position. This should include those elements such as planning, working with others, budgeting, reporting requirements, and anything special to the position which the outgoing officer felt was important to know before getting started.

4. The incoming officer should read and review her manuals, files and notebook that the outgoing officer has passed down to be ready for the transition retreat. She should come ready to start her role as a leader in Delta Zeta right away!

Delta Zeta provides Chapter Officer Training Resources on the Members page of our national website. Log in to www.deltazeta.org/member and go to the Resources section to view the Collegiate Chapter Officer Training Toolkit folder. There you will find officer job descriptions, examples of teambuilders and icebreakers to do during your retreat, and the Chapter Officer Transition manual.