Summer Board Retreat: A Summary

The purpose of a summer board retreat is to set goals and strategies for the new year and engage in team building.

Our branch held its annual retreat on Saturday, August 14, from 9.30 AM to 1.00 PM at Tessy Albin’s office building in an expansive atrium-like space open to the skies, which was safer than being indoors.

The board and interested branch members discussed pre-identified top issues to help us create a strategic direction for the new year. The top five issues included:

  • Monthly programs – they are the face of our organization in the community. Yvonne Randolph, VP programs hosted scintillating and educational speaker series throughout last year via Zoom. This year, we want them to also be mission-based, and hybrid (for accessibility), to qualify for National’s Five Star Recognition Program. Janet McElroy and the Leadership Development team will get us started with the Five Star program.
  • Potential contenders to fill crucial open positions were brainstormed, specifically the Wildflower Run Director, social media, communications, etc. and plans to contact them formulated.
  • Morgan Hill Branch’s 40th Anniversary Celebration leading up to the December 5th event was discussed. A committee to start planning will be headed by Margo Hinnencamp, along with interested members. As we proudly celebrate 40 years as a well-respected local non-profit organization, it is a good opportunity to celebrate our history and successes both internally and externally in the community, along with setting goals for the future.
  • Membership recruitment and retention ideas were discussed. Many recent members have been motivated to join us as we have adapted to become more accessible and committed to equity. However, we still have work ahead of us to make all members feel welcome and a part of our shared vision and mission of gender equity and inclusiveness. We will actively seek to get better at it.

After a vigorous planning session, at noon, members had lunch pre-ordered from the new restaurant next door and took the time to relax and connect with one another.

Summing up: collaborating, teamwork and effective communication lead to a robust and successful branch. The day augured a good start to the year, and we look forward to a great year working and connecting and moving ahead with all our goals and aspirations.

By Suman Ganapathy, AAUW Morgan Hill President Elect

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