September 2012
Volume 1, Issue 2
SHELLS Featured Article: March for Music Sisters, as you may know, music programs all over the country are being cut due to lack of funding. The Southeast District of Tau Beta Sigma, in accordance with the Tau Beta Sigma Alumni Association, aims to raise money for these programs through fundraising, donations, and walking at March for Music. We believe music is an important way to grow, learn, and live in life. And so, we strive to keep that in the education of the next generation of students.
Do you want to be Tau Beta Sigma famous? Well, here’s how: record yourself using a webcam saying three different things, the first two just need a word or two response.
What is March for Music? An 11-hour relay-style event, where each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times. With each team also having a designated “team area” for them to congregate, as well as sell any merchandise, food, and/or small items, to raise their donation total. The eleven hours you dedicate towards this event represents time, constant never-ending time. And in this time, music will never sleep, as it never sleeps when educating in our schools.
Visit our website below to read more information about the event, see the schools we are sponsoring from around the Southeast, and TO REGISTER!
When is March for Music? The Southeast District is proud to announce the first March for Music will be held on March 9, 2013, in Cobb County, GA at Jim Miller Park. How do I get involved? First, register on the site below. Individual registration is $15 and comes with a t -shirt! Second, join a team, get your chapter together to create a team. Start raising money, they more money you raise, the more we will be able to help schools who are in need.
#1. What is Music?
Microsoft
Fall Dates: Student Chat: 9/24 Final Chapter Personnel Update Form Due: 9/30 Eighth Note Submissions Due: 10/15 Student Chat: 10/29 Student Chat: 11/30 Fall Activity Report Due: 12/1
#2. How does it make you feel? #3. Record yourself saying, “Go.” Please email your recordings to sedmarchformusic@tbsigma.org
Website: tbsmarchformusic.webstarts.com/ Also, listed below are several other ways to keep March for Music at the top of the agenda this year. With frequent reminders, and maybe some extra giveaways, we recommend that you stay tuned!! Like us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/March-forMusic/384915254912380 Follow us on Twitter: @SEDMarch4Music Join the event on Facebook at: https:// www.facebook.com/events/239157012874374/ If you have any further questions, please email Belinda Baker at sedvpsp@tbsigma.org. With music all around us, Belinda Baker Theta Lambda, Auburn University 2012-2013 TBS SED Vice President of Special Projects 2013 March for Music, Head Coordinator
Inside this issue: President
2
VPM
3
VPSP
4
Secretary
5
Treasurer
6
Parliamentarian
6
Historian
7
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President: 7 Tips for Successful Leadership Lets face it. Many people have the wonderful qualities of being a good leader. That is what got you to the point in your life you are in. College, career, Tau Beta Sigma, all things define you as a leader and things that define our stresses. Often times the best thing you can do as a leader is know different strategies to alleviate some of the frustration that accompany perks of the jobs. This article will provide you with seven tips to help you soothe some of the hard parts of being successful. 1. Delegate- No good leader can do it all. The biggest mistake we can make as a leader is to think, “I was chosen for this therefore I must do it all.” Instead of thinking in such singular act of heroism, try thinking, “I was chosen to make sure we stay on track or improve, so were others…” In most circumstances you have other people elected with you or even better people asking to help. In short, USE THEM. These people just want to help. 2. Find a support group- With most every President of the United States comes a first lady. It is this woman who helps keep him from losing his mind. Many times we as leaders get frustrated or overwhelmed with the amount things to do on top of our regular lives. Know that it is ok to vent every now and then. The worst thing you can do is feel like you are alone in the battle, the best people to vent to are people who aren’t involved in the situation. Most of the time, I call my mom; even if she doesn’t know what I am talking about just getting to yell about it fixes all of it. If you don’t know anyone, call me. 3. Plan ahead- I have found that a great majority of the time the thing that makes me feel panicked is the amount of things I have left to do. Well, being a leader there is most always something left for you to do. Make a list of things that are most important and assign them a date. Item A must happen today, Item B by tomorrow at noon, and Item C can wait a week. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
4. Take a day off- I know you think I am crazy for suggesting such a thing. If you are as attached to email like I am them you will know that an entire day without might result in suicide but, go to a theme park, the beach, the movies and make it a promise to yourself NOT to think about all the things you have to do while you are doing it. Then when you are done tackle the things that you need to do. We all need some TLC every now and then, just because you are in a leadership role is no exception. 5. Have a plan z- In case you haven’t learned most every great plan is a plan C. Many time just knowing that if something crashes and burns there is another option (even if it is not your favorite) is enough to keep you calm. Another hint from the guy who has been there, most things don’t work the way you think they will, having plans A, B, C, L, M, N, O, and P typically can make a bad situation GREAT! 6. Stay calm and carry on- NOTHING IS WORTH YOU STRESSING OUT! The things you are doing in your position are awesome but are not going to be things that mark you forever. There are much greater and more serious things in life to stress out over. As my mom would say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff and the thing is, it is all small stuff.” 7. Know that you are superman- The best thing I can tell you is that at the end of the day always remember, you are doing something that is beyond yourself. You are doing things that are wonderful. People elected you to this position because they view you as their superman, and even when your kryptonite starts to become unbearable, find the nearest phone booth and remember YOU CAN DO IT!
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Volume 1, Issue 2
Vice President of Membership: Recruitment and Rush Hey Southeast SisTAUs! Welcome back to another year of band, TBS, and all the fun that goes along with it! I’m really looking forward to another year of great sisterhood with all of you. Now that we are in the midst of the recruitment/rush process, or possibly beyond that, I want to remind all of you to strive for the highest when bringing candidates into the membership process (to borrow a phrase from our brothers). The membership process is a great way you can have a meaningful impact on the future of our Sorority; by investing in your candidates, you can help ensure that we continue to become the best. Last year, I watched my chapter bring over 30 members into our chapter. In all honesty, I was skeptical – quality is often sacrificed when quantity becomes the focus of any endeavor. I was so pleased, however, to see that this past year was the highest attendance our chapter had at district events that we’ve experienced in years. This is the first year I feel our chapter is really experiencing our Sorority outside of the chapter level. This is just one of many improvements we might encourage in our chapters, and I believe it all starts with having the passion to invest in your chapter’s youth. Take nothing for granted! Teach your candidates to hold themselves to a high standard. Teach them what it means to be in Tau Beta Sigma. Teach them that it is an honor to be selected to serve, and the rest will follow.
Already in these first few weeks of school, I have learned change is not an easy process. It takes a lot of patience and careful planning to institute positive, lasting change in a chapter. As a chapter sister advised me recently, our mascot Shells is a great model for achieving our goals: slow and steady wins the race. Things don’t just happen overnight, but taking things step by step will get you closer than you could have been otherwise. If there is anything I can do to help your chapter with their process, or if you have any questions about what kind of improvements you are considering for your process or your chapter, don’t hesitate to ask me! This is an area I am really thinking a lot about this year, and I would love to talk with you about it. Also, if you know of any interest in colonizing at a Southeast school through the grapevine, let me know. It would be pretty exciting if we had a colony become a part of our district! MOTS of love, Kevin Brenner Southeast District Vice President of Membership Vanderbilt University – Eta Phi
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Vice President of Special Projects: 3 Tips for Successful Service Sisters, have you been seeking some spark to add to your service spectrum? Read my tips for successful service projects below and brainstorm as a sisterhood what Tau Beta Sigma can do for your band and community.
letters and be proud that you represent a small percentage of college students that promote a better world, a musical world, a musical future.
For your Band
Never forget the little things- the behind the scenes service. Is the music library organized? Do they need chaperones for summer camps or honor bands? Maybe they need new shelving for storage in a band trailer. There is always something you can do. It might not be visible service everyday, but your director will appreciate the help. So, ask them. What can Tau Beta Sigma do for you?
With larger service to your community, means you may need more hands. What is your Kappa Kappa Psi doing this month, maybe they would like to help? Or what about Phi Mu Alpha? Sigma Alpha Iota? They may be “your competition” with the music department for projects, but why? If you work together you can accomplish so much more. It should never be a chore to work with other organizations who have corresponding goals and ideals. Take a look out into your community, what can the music organizations do for you?
2. Participation
3. Evaluate
Even the smallest projects need helping hands. It is important to remember- your chapter cannot run without you. Everyone has a role, even if you are not on the Executive Board, you are important. Let your voice be heard in ideas for service to your band, and then be there to help.
At the end of a large project, such as community outreach, it is very important to evaluate. What went well and what tanked. Hopefully your attendance went well, hopefully the whole project went well. I hope everything was successful, but it probably was not. Something did not go just perfectly, and guess what? That’s ok. Community service, especially when you look outside of nursing homes and instrument petting zoos, is a learning process. What does your chapter do best, what do you struggle with. And again, that’s ok. As your chapter personnel grows and changes, so must your service. There are people that have wonderful service ideas in your chapter; there is no need to get stuck in a rut. Do not turn away anyone’s ideas, instead brainstorm and tweak, how can Tau Beta Sigma make this work for our community and us?
1. Don’t overestimate
3. Don’t stop, get it, get it Never let your service goals fall below your social bonding. Tau Beta Sigma is first and foremost a service sorority. We are a sisterhood striving to complete a service to her band, and that must get done. Your director should be able to contact you with any project, small or large. Let me rephrase, your director should contact you with various projects that will propel your sisterhood forward as well as your band. For your Community 1. Don’t underestimate Do not get stuck in a rut. Playing in nursing homes is great; the elderly love seeing young smiling faces. But I challenge you, open your eyes and ears. What can your community use? If there is a struggling band program, raise money and present them with a new piece of music, or several new stands. You will be surprised what impact Tau Beta Sigma can have. Is there a nearby high school that needs after school help? Get involved with the nearby 4-H. Or maybe a church group that is rebuilding homes. Wear your
2. Participation
I hope you enjoyed reading my tips for success, and that’s all folks! As always, if you come up with a brilliant service project, email me! I want to hear all about it! I want to broadcast your chapter’s success across the entire SED! Never be afraid to ask me questions either, this council is here for whatever you need! MOTS o’Love, Belinda Baker Auburn University, Theta Lambda 2012-2013 SED Vice President of Special Projects 2013 March for Music, Head Coordinator
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Volume 1, Issue 2
Secretary: “Our alumni association is an integral part…” “Our alumni association is an integral part of Tau Beta Sigma, promoting diversity efforts, social networking and assisting members in enhancing their professional leadership and employment possibilities after graduation from college.” This statement is pulled from the Tau Beta Sigma Vision Statement. A vision statement outlines what an organization wants to do in its short term and long term future. So essentially we are saying in our vision statement that we want our alumni to be an important part of who we are and we want them involved to help out not only each other, but our current members as well. Some chapters throughout the nation and our district have very strong connections with their alumni while others rarely ever see or meet the Sisters that came before them. Here are some tips that not only will help you reach out to your alumni, but provide you with a way to keep in contact with them as well. 1) Create a Database If a database of your alumni has never been kept this can be a daunting task especially for the “older” chapters. However, this is a great way to keep a list of information on the alumni of your chapter. It can be a simple Excel spreadsheet with their name, when they left the university, when they crossed, their e-mail address, their phone number, and their physical mailing address. The variety of information allows for you to get in contact if something important happens or it just allows you to keep a record. 2) Create a Facebook Group Even the older generations have Facebook and this is especially helpful for your recent alumni. You can set the group settings to Secret or Closed that way the information is more secure and you can control who enters the group. Once you start adding the alumni you know you can ask them to add the alumni they know and before you know it the Facebook group has many members in it. One important thing about the Facebook group is because it is Facebook I would recommend NOT to post the dates, times and locations of rituals and ceremonies. You can use it to build your database as well as post notification about fellowship activities that you would like to invite them to.
3) Create a Listserv You need a way to quickly get information out to alumni, especially if a ritual or ceremony is approaching and you want to reach out to them to invite them. A listserv is best for this. While you are creating your database you can simply ask if they would like to be included on the listserv. Be prepared for a few answers of “no” though. Don’t be offended and think they feel any less about Tau Beta Sigma, but just remember they are probably at a different part of their life now and feel it is best for them. They can always choose to be added a later date. If you create an alumni newsletter you can send it out electronically instead of printing and mailing it as well. A listserv is a great way to keep everyone up to date on the happenings of your chapter. Just remember, sometimes alumni will reach back out to you, but other times you are going to have to make the effort and reach out to them. Create the relationship and you never know what you may learn about your chapter or connections you will make. Relationships with alumni won’t happen over night and the will take time, but just keep at it and your work will pay off. MOTS o’ Love, Rebecca Snead Beta Xi, University of Florida 2012-2013 SED Secretary 2013 March for Music, Recruiting Coordinator
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Treasurer: Treasurer’s Chest Hello Sisters of the SED! I hope that the school year is going well for you, and marching band, band camps, auditions, etc‌ are fantastic. At this time of the year, a lot of officers are coming up with their budgets, in order to operate efficiently for the semester. As we all know, the last National Convention has made budgeting and dues a sticky situation; however, this does not mean that it is something to fear the worst about. Coming from a chapter that saw this as a hindrance, last year as chapter treasurer, I was tasked to make budgets and dues a less stressful point of my position. It was suggested that I get a rough estimate from each officer of what they intend their budget to be for the upcoming semester. With that, I was able to compare it to the semester from the previous year, and see how much was actually used. This helped me realize whether or not officers were over-budgeting; therefore, I was able
to make suggestions that would more realistically reflect their spending for the semester. In turn, it helped dues become less stressful, and budgets a lot less messy. I highly encourage all treasurers to try this or something similar. It saves a lot of time, unnecessary discussion, and, most of all, money! As always I am here for any questions, and look forward to an awesome year from the Southeast District. MLITB, Salvatore Parillo Zeta Psi, University of Central Florida Southeast District Treasurer 2012-2013
Parliamentarian: Avoid the Autopilot this Fall Sisters of the Southeast District, fall is finally upon us. That means that we're all back to school again, and everything we love is starting up again. If you're from a school with an active football team and marching band, then you know how easy it can be to get so caught up with football and marching season that your chapter goes on autopilot through the fall, just trying to keep up with the marching band's needs. While it's incredibly important that your chapter step up and meet the needs of your band program, it's also important to make sure that some other things don't fall to the wayside. First off, make sure that your chapter is taking care of business. This includes ensuring your chapter meets all of the major fall deadlines. September 15th is the deadline for the Chapter Personnel Update Form and Dues in order to qualify for the Early Bird Award, with the final deadline being September 30th. The Fall Activity report is due on December 1st. As a district, we would like to see every chapter meet these deadlines, and we have already shown significant improvement with #operation 100%.
Finally, try to avoid that autopilot this fall. Don't stray away from evaluating your practices as a chapter to make sure it's what is best for who your chapter is today. Set goals for your officers, and your chapter as a whole, and hold them accountable to meet them. Don't be complacent with how amazing your chapter is now, but always work to improve. Make sure your chapter takes some time to look at itself as a whole. It takes constant, honest evaluation of your own chapter to make it the best it can be, and it takes work from every chapter in the SED to make sure we remain the best district in the nation! MLITB, Stephen Richards Epsilon Theta, Georgia Tech SED Parliamentarian
Volume 1, Issue 2
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Historian: Digital Scrapbooking Hello SED! As a historian, it is important to preserve our memories. We do this through scrapbooking, spending countless hours collecting photos and arranging them in pleasing patterns. While traditional scrapbooking is fun and creative, another option exists – digital scrapbooking. While this might not be for every chapter, creating a digital scrapbook has several benefits. The biggest is the cost; hosting an online scrapbook may save money. If you’ve been to a craft store recently you may have noticed the prices for supplies and printing out pictures is
never cheap. The only cost associated with a digital scrapbook is the price to print it out – and there are many competitive options out there. A second benefit is the ability to share your scrapbook easily. Too often scrapbooks sit untouched tucked away and are viewed only once in a while. But many online sites offer the option to share with whomever you choose. This means sisters and alumni can view memories whenever they want instead of a couple times a year. And historians have the ability to work on the scrapbook as the year goes on instead of waiting until the end of the year or semester. Digital scrapbooking allows you to keep with the tradition, fun and creativity of scrapbooking while at the same time bringing it into the modern age. Take an opportunity to check out digital scrapbooking and see if it works for your chapter. MLITB, Lindsay Meyers
Tau Beta Sigma SED Strength. Excellence. Diversity.
http://www.kkytbs.org/ sed/tbs/index.html
2012-2013 Southeast District Council E-Mail Addresses President: sedpres@tbsigma.org VP of Membership: sedvpcpm@tbsigma.org VP of Special Projects: sedvpsp@tbsigma.org Secretary: sedsecretary@tbsigma.org Treasurer: sedtreasurer@tbsigma.org Parliamentarian: stephenrichards@tbsigma.org Historian: sedhistorian@tbsigma.org Counselors: sedcoun@tbsigma.org
President: Lee Commander, Alpha Omega Vice President of Membership: Kevin Brenner, Eta Phi Vice President of Special Projects: Belinda Baker, Theta Lambda Secretary: Rebecca Snead, Beta Xi Treasurer: Salvatore Parillo, Zeta Psi Parliamentarian: Stephen Richards, Epsilon Theta Historian: Lindsay Myers, Zeta Psi