Letters in Motion spent the past year rebuilding their leadership techniques to preserve the future of the organization. All but two of the organization’s council members are seniors, which made them realize how necessary a game plan was for the future leaders.
“We really want to leave it in good hands because [Letters in Motion] is developing, but still vulnerable, and we don’t want to see it disappear after we’re gone,” said Brooke Newton, senior psychology major and president of Letters in Motion.
The council members came together and created a binder to hold information of how the club should run. The purpose of this binder is to make the transition smooth for the future leaders. Newton shared that the binder is filled with sections like “how to lead,” “events” and “merchandise.”
“Since it’s been a lot of trial and error the past two years, we keep record of everything that work
ed well or came in handy at some point,” Newton said. “When we pass the binder down to future leaders, they can spend less time trying to scramble things together and more time collecting letters and building the group. It really lowers stress and it will help smooth the transition in leadership.”
Not only does the binder help the future of Letters in Motion, but it also allows the current leadership to learn about how to communicate as an organization.
“We’ve definitely had some frustrations just like any other organization,” Newton said. “We had to learn how to communicate because communicating as friends is actually very different from communicating as an organization.”
Letters in Motion focuses on writing letters to orphans and also helps with their educational needs. The orphans who receive the letters are also given a literacy pack to enhance their reading and writing skills. Those packets include journals, pencils, sharpeners, a ruler and treats. Letters in Motion serves as a mission opportunity for many students on campus. Jennifer Hansard, junior psychology major and secretary of the organization, loves how she can be actively involved in missions.
“My favorite event has to be our annual Grill n’ Chill we host in the spring,” Hansard said. “People can grab a burger, hang out and write letters! Letter writing is super simple.”
Letters in Motion will officially start transitioning leadership in May 2018.
