By: Renee Tucci AIFD, PFCI, CFD
It’s hard to imagine that 18 short months ago, when we couldn’t gather in person, we would huddle for meetings with phone to ear, trying to make sure everyone had their say, but who was it that just said that? Say goodbye to conference calls!
Say hello to virtual backgrounds and top-half business outfits! Common in the vernacular now are sentences like “You’re muted”, and “Can you see my screen?” While seeing the kids wander in and the dogs jump up can make for cringe-worthy moments for presenters, the benefits of video conferences far outweigh the option of audible-only interactions. They allow visual, heartfelt connections, and a window into the world of your colleagues, friends and family.
All of the AIFD® regions took to video meetings during the pandemic, and no one is looking back! When surveyed about her thoughts on this meeting and gathering platform over the past year, North Central Past President Patience Pickner AIFD said “It definitely helped to keep our chapter connected during Covid. It always felt so good to just catch up with everyone and see all your friends and colleagues faces! We had been doing conference calls in the past, but Zoom is definitely better!”
Northwest chapter Past President Gina Thrasher AIFD said “We use Google Meet. It doesn’t have a time limit on it. I think the virtual meetings have been great! We have such a large spanning region anyhow. We didn’t actually hold too many in-person meetings pre-covid, they were mostly phone. It has been wonderful to see everyone’s faces on the video calls”.
“I had such a great time as President of the South Central Region, challenging as it was”, Past President Nicola Parker AIFD said. “Zoom made it so much better to be able to see everyone’s faces, to look at each other during votes, board approvals and discussions. I think we really need to get the younger generation involved so they can help with the technology part of this new age, I hope some members who are well versed in Zoom will step up and volunteer to be on our boards.”
Here is a shot of the South Central board as they handle business together, virtually:
The North East held their board meeting on July 20th and had folks logged in from their homes and their vacations, showing that work for the region can be done from anywhere, anytime. Check out the smiling faces of the North East volunteer board:
Meanwhile, the Southwest chapter arranged an in-person Luau to work on regional matters and install new officers. Past President Su Bean said “Zoom is ok if you keep it to an hour or less but in person is better. It seems to flow better, and we get things done. As for the future of meetings, a combination of Zoom and in-person seems to be the way, as long as people follow through and participate”.
Having the option to create hybrid meetings is a game changer and can open up more opportunities to get involved on a regional and national level. While the touch and feel of a flower or a friendly hug can never be beat, the new reality of how we gather is evolving and AIFD® is embracing the possibilities!
