I think the type of citizen you are really plays a role in
the dynamics of a group, especially the type of citizen who is leading the
group or chapter. Recently, I have become a more effective citizen in my
chapter. I am constantly looking out for the common needs of the group rather
than those of small dilemmas or myself that don’t really matter in the end. I
feel as chapter president I am constantly picking up the pieces or ensuring
that things don’t go wrong, which is my civic duty to my sisters. Having
awareness of my surroundings, the ability to build coalitions, and an
understanding of community development has each been advantageous in becoming a
more effective citizen.
I
don’t know that there was ever really a time I thought about Citizenship differently
than I do now, but more that I didn’t exactly understand its meaning. I see now
that whether the leader or a team player, Citizenship is equally important. I
also believe my recent insights into the topic has altered my approach as well.
Focusing on community development has been a recent focus that I never used to
think about previously. Forming a sense of community for our chapter
individually and then determining how that community fits into the larger Greek
community of the University, I feel, is very important. One huge characteristic
I enforce amongst my chapter is empowerment.
As
a chapter, I think my members each think about Citizenship in their own sense.
For example, a lot of women in my chapter have empathy for one another and
truly care about the well being of the chapter as a whole. On the other hand,
other women of my chapter focus on how to better our chapter as a part of the
larger Greek community. I don’t think either approach is incorrect by any means;
it is now just a matter of bringing both approaches together to create an even
better approach. Citizenship is a large building block to fostering a positive
environment for my chapter and I think it is an important concept to
understand.
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