Convention Testimonials #2: Outside the Chapter
Our Convention testimonial series continues, this time with some words from Brother Ian Shoulders, Kappa Zeta (West Virginia Wesleyan) ’07, current CPR to Province 39.
____________________________________
Brothers,
Let me begin by stating how humbled I am to have been asked to write a series of entries concerning the upcoming convention. Thanks to my tendency to overindulge in social networking sites, I’ve developed an appreciation for having an economy of words. Anything lengthy seems to turn most of us off nowadays; and while I can’t promise to stay under 140 characters, I’ll try to use the least amount of your time with the greatest resolve.
Any good communications or English class will teach you to preface your writing or speech with a series of qualifying statements – why should the reader believe anything you have written? Why would you expect your listener to believe anything you say? Having not met every brother who is sure to read this entry, let me take the first of these opportunities to do that for you.
While I was a probationary member I traveled to Lyrecrest, my province’s workshop, and numerous other out of chapter and out of province events. The week I was initiated, I saw three rituals at three different campuses. Since the time I was a PM in the fall of 2007, I have never known only the four walls of my chapter. There is a beauty of Sinfonia that is seen outside of your chapter room and you will only experience it when you step out of that door. I’ve slept on brothers’ floors states away and I’ve hosted them just the same.
I’ve been to two of the three Fireside Conferences, Leadership Institutes, Ritual Education Workshops, Sinfonia Homecoming, CPR Convocation, and more. What I have NOT been to is a Phi Mu Alpha National Convention. I understand the incredible nature and the immense importance of attending national events but can relate to the excitement and anxieties of your first National Convention. I hope I can relay some tips and stories from my traveling experiences that will encourage and assist you in making the trip to Florida. And hopefully, by the time July 11 rolls around, I’ll see many of you there and can greet you with a true brother’s greeting.
Social Networks:
