Women's Friendship Group Dinner
We decided that since we'd all worked so hard last week on our day camp, we'd relax and have dinner together this week. Doreen organized the meal and we had a great time. She also invited a new member!
On the way home from dinner, I got to talk to Doreen about next year's plans. Lainie, one of our vice-presidents (yes, we have two), mentioned during dinner that she wanted to keep the group going. I was thrilled. Students here will often drop out of everything extracurricular during their third year, so if the girls stuck with this, it would mean that it really means something to them, and they would also be able to mentor and guide more young women in the coming years.
When I talked to Doreen, however, she seemed much more hesitant. She explained that she thought some of the members were not interested in accomplishing more, or exploring more difficult topics... the exact same concerns I'd had when I first started. I explained that to her, but also mentioned that learning how to balance my expectations with what was possible at the time was an important lesson that I'd had to learn. I think she'll learn that too.
Moreover, she has time on her side. The girls have become closer, more dedicated, and more mature. The leaders have had experience planning, leading, and learning from their mistakes. She can build on the progress we've made, and challenge the members to do more and discuss more. We're going to start recruiting younger members to take on leadership positions for next year. I can definitely think of some members who would jump at the chance. It will also be great for the current leaders to take on a more advisory role (like the kind I have now), so everyone wins!
I'm completely confident that Doreen, and the other leaders, are capable of making the women's group even better. Lainie promised to keep me informed about what they're doing once I'm gone. I'm excited to see where things go from here.
