Closure
COMPLEX THOUGHTS
The year passes so quickly … and all of a sudden it’s time to say good-bye to the friends you’ve made in your organization. Here are some ideas to help make saying good-bye a little easier, or at least a little more memorable.
WAYS TO SAY GOOD-BYE
- Have a picnic or pot luck
- Create a photo album, scrapbook, or collage of pictures of everyone
- Create an individual collage for each member — have everyone cut out a picture that reminds them of each member and put them together to make a great memory
- Create an address book and include everyone’s summer address — photocopy for all
- Have an awards banquet
- Solicit nominations and present funny awards (flyer queen, tardy champion, etc.)
- Write farewell notes/card to each other
- Give a memento to members — button, shirt, mug, etc.
- Create individual autograph or message books for everyone to sign
- Create coupons for members to give to one another (good for one letter over the summer, one soda next year, etc.)
- Have a t-shirt signing party
- Have a graduation party for departing members
- Have a good-bye theme movie night
- Create certificates for all members (Successfully completing a spectacular year!)
- Gather all the “quotable quotes” (funny things) that were said during meetings or programs and put in a book
- Have a slide show of activities from the year
- Evaluate the year
- Set goals for next year
- Have a gift exchange
- Plan a reunion over the break or when school resumes
- Share three things you will miss about each person in the group
- Have a joint retreat with the new officers to share evaluations of the year, answer their questions and give advice
- Make “credit cards” for each member (cards that list the good qualities or skills each person has… “I give you credit for being a great organizer, for being the peacemaker during meetings, etc.”)
- Share one thing you learned from being a member of the group
- Share your favorite memory from the year
- Assemble the group to create a file of what happened over the year — this will not only be great in sparking memories for the departing members, but will also be a good resource for the new members
Above all, it’s important to finish that last chapter in your group’s book by finding some way to say good-bye. Keep in mind that not everyone in your group will like sentimental good-byes, so take their feelings into consideration before planning any activities.
