Members and staff have, for two years, coped incredibly well with a pandemic-enforced physical separation and virtual communication from our home/work stations. For some, that has meant managing up to four screens of data or Zoom calls, simultaneously.
This pandemic forced us to transform and advance RTOERO’s connections and communication abilities by many years. Monthly meetings with all presidents, committee members, the Board of Directors; liaison meetings with district leaders; annual meetings; and forums have all carried on without a break. We’ve learned new and valuable skills that are now part of how we connect with one another.
Aside from hearing the ever-present “You’re on mute!” or “Please turn off your sound,” we will continue to use Zoom technology because it is all about relationships, regular connections and equity. Districts can eliminate the geographical distances across their memberships using Zoom accounts. The board and staff are in constant touch with district executives across the country, regardless of the weather or the season.
The best part of our world’s reopening: We are no longer confined to home or a screen. We have the hybrid alternative. We can gather in districts; we can come together at committee and board meetings but still use technology if the roads are bad or the flights or the trains are cancelled and some members can’t attend.
Two years of working with your talented RTOERO staff as they sat at home, at desks like mine, and responded directly to your calls and emails, has revealed their remarkable talents and dedication to our members and prospective members. Along with you and the leadership of the Board of Directors and our committees, our organization continues to grow and thrive.
I can’t wait to greet you — face to face (masked, of course), not screen to screen.
Best wishes,
Jim
