|
you defintely should not let you being an AI interfere with your ability to advise a chapter. i too am an AI and became an advisor (not chapter) after about a month, then chapter advisor after i had been in it less than a year. all the sisters knew that as they are the ones that initiated with me. i told them there would be a learning process as i learned more about how the chapter worked.
In the meantime, i did know how to be an advisor - making sure officers were following through with what they said they were going to do, helping mediate chapter problems, etc. It took about a year for me to feel fully comfortable with being the advisor. i also got ahold of the chapter manual with all the policies, procedures, officer responsibilities and expectations listed. it took a month or two b/c the old advisor had it. once i did get it, i read it and became familiar with everything in it.
if the previous advisor does not have one or is not willing to hand it over in a timely fashion, call your HQ and have them send you one. you can either pay for it or have HQ bill the chapter.
some social time can be good with the chapter...things like dinner or a movie night so you can get to know the officers and members better. i am still very close to some of the undergraduates and absolutely love them. however, they know that i am (was) their advisor and they needed to keep that in mind. they didn't talk to me about the latest party or how fun it was to get out to the clubs, unless it involved some sort of disciplinary question. you can walk that line of being advisor and friend, but you have to let the women know what your boundaries are (i would never contemplate going out to the bars with them and even at dinner, they rarely had a alcoholic drink -maybe once- and then they asked me if it was ok).
you have a lot of options out there and honeychile has good ideas. you do have to establish that authoritative position with them. i let my chapters know that i was pretty much HQ's rep on a local level so it was my responsibility to make sure they are meeting the expectations of HQ and following the rules. once you establish your position, i suggest beginning to build trust and respect with officers on an individual level by meeting with them one on one and asking how they are doing, what do they need help with, what ideas do they have, etc.
this is a hectic time for students but i usually took advantage of that by taking the pres out to lunch or dinner, my treat, to help her relax and do a stress check with her.
and go to executive board meetings. if i couldn't go to chapter meetings, i would def make it to exec meetings. that's where i would talk the most and had the opportunity to give positive and negative feedback in a closed environment. and i didn't have to hunt down people during the week to tell them something.
another thing to remember is that we often wait to hear from students...for them to tell us when something is wrong or that if they don't contact us, that they don't need us. that is simply not true. as advisors, i feel WE need to make that effort and reach out to the students. they may not realize how they need us or how we can help them until we show them.
i could write tons more, but i'll stop. let me know if you want to talk more.
|