[1583] in APO News
talk about last minute candidate articles...
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (chashmlt@MIT.EDU)
Tue Nov 28 15:09:16 1995
From: chashmlt@MIT.EDU
To: apo-news@MIT.EDU
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 15:06:55 EST
So, i'm running for president, and i figured i should tell you guys
what i think about the job, and why it needs my personal touch. This form is
easier than having you guys ask in elections or it'll take forever.
What i see as the president's job:
1) The president is responsible for providing the resources
needed for the achievement of the chapter's goals and
it's continued operation.
2) The president is responsible for making sure that all of the other
officers are doing their jobs. That is, the president is
responsible for ensuring that follow through occurs in the various
officers' realms of influence and for integrating all of these
jobs into a coherent chapter program.
3) The president is responsible for ensuring that the chapter is
following a program which is beneficial for the chapter as a whole,
even if this means changing a program with which the chapter is
satisfied.
Being president is more than just knowing what is right, it is being
able to implement these ideas. this means having a functional grasp of the
state of the chapter, of its needs, of its resources, and the ability to plan
a course of action to advance the chapter's well-being.
Why i'm the brother for the job:
Well, i have a lot of reasons for wanting the position. One of them
is that i am seeing what i consider a dangerous trend in the chapter to
reduce the expectations of incoming pledges and to discard the notion of
"the spirit of alpha phi omega" not as an ideal, but as a practical goal.
it is declared the MVP's job to imbue pledges with the spirit of APO, but it
must be the job of the president to see that this spirit is implemented in the
chapter programs. i believe that APO stands for certain ideals, and it must be
the job of the president to see that these ideals are perpetuated in the
chapter programs.
Further, i think it would be a good position for attacking another
problem which is of the more traditional line: membership retention.
I see many things which are symptoms of membership retention which i would like
to cure. I'll go into detail if you want, but suffice it to say that i want to
use the presidency to aid in implementing an active program for membership
retention in cooperation with the Fellowship Chair and the other officers.
I would like to increase the interaction between AX and other chapters
in the area. This might help us view any problems we have from new
perspectives, and may lead to new solutions.
I would also like to use the presidency as a means to implement a
new leadership development program which i currently plan to use for the
chapter internally, but, if it works well, i would like to expand it for
the benfit of other chapters.
I feel that i have the desire and the plan necessary to approach these
projects in such a way as to promote the general good of the chapter, both in a
long and short term sense. I have a plan (oh, no, not a plan!) by which to
address each of these tasks in order of importance and in order of practical
solubility. Further, i'm willing to allow the chapter to present its views
on a subject and come to a decision, but i am also willing to submit my ideas
to the chapter for consideration. while the chair must be open to the views of
the chapter, that is, not unwilling to allow the chapter to make its own
decision, the chair must also be willing to tell the chapter when he believes
the chapter is going in the wrong direction. A president is elected to be a
leader, and it is a leaders job to see to it that the group is guided in a
direction beneficial to the group. that is, allow the group the ability to
make its own decisions, but if they're being stupid, tell them so. you can't
force them to see your point of view, but you must be willing to present it
or else you cannot be an effective leader.
if there is anything i left out, please ask me about it at elections
tonight.
Charley
