Bringing the Conference Experience Home

The start of the school year is right around the corner. Some campuses, like the University of Alabama, are already deep into recruitment! But, before summer, and those conferences or conventions you’ve attended fade into the distance, take a few minutes to think about how you can bring your summer conference experience back to your Delta Zeta chapter.

1. Share your take-a-ways. Did you take notes in the conference workbook? Keep a list of topics on your iPad? Make sure those notes don’t stay in your workbook or device. To encourage you to revisit those notes, share your take-a-ways with someone in your chapter. Type them up, email them, have a conversation with another member about what you learned.

2. Send a thank you note. Connect with someone else during your time at UIFI? Or maybe you met an interesting alumnae member at #DZ2014? Build that relationship by mailing them a thank you note for what you learned from them during your time together. Not only will it make their day, but you’ve opened the door to building your relationship with them.

3. Slow down. You’ve just come back from an amazing experience. But most of your chapter has not. Slow down and try not to overwhelm your sisters with all you learned. You might see ways your Delta Zeta experience can improve, but change takes time so build your support slowly to ensure that you are effective with the changes you wish to implement.

4. Simplify your message. You were exposed to a lot of new topics during your conference experience. You might have lots to share but make sure to simplify all of them into key points for your chapter. Perhaps you want to outline Delta Zeta’s new Being More! Member Development program, or present about the philanthropy programs we are doing nationally. Use the handouts you received on site, the videos shown, or the slides the presenters used. All of our #DZ2014 resources have been added to our website to help you deliver key points to your chapter.

5. Select someone to take part next time. Encourage others to take part in the same conference or leadership experience you’ve just had. The best way to bring the experience back to your chapter is to encourage a sister to take part next time!