DEAR LOCAL CHAPTER PRESIDENTS

You should have received an email from the International Executive Board regarding more guidance on how to reopen our chapter meetings. Please check your spam folder if you did not receive the email. This is exciting news and an exciting time as we get to move forward with our chapter business and get back to some normal. While we get to move forward in a safe environment, I acknowledge for some of us, these new guidelines may be hard to accept.
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What I ask you to think about as you go forward is what IS STILL THE SAME. We still are sisters that are united in a sisterhood that supports each and every one of us. We believe in education for women and supporting them through our monetary and personal support. We live our lives following our objects and aims and we believe in our 5 virtues – Faith, Love, Purity, Justice, and Truth. What is changing is how we do P.E.O. The how will ebb and flow until we can get back to some of our old “hows”. At the same time, we have an opportunity to be creative on the “how” which could influence our “new norm” in the future.

As you review the video and check out the information on the Michigan State website on the COVID-19 tab, please let anyone on the executive board know what questions you have. Keep in mind that some of the hows are still to come from International by mid-August. The board will also be reaching out to you over the next weeks in some way – so stay tuned.

Here are some toplines from the information provided you today:

1. How you have meetings is up to each chapter based on P.E.O., CDC, and State and local guidelines. This includes what technology you use if needed.
2. Whenever a P.E.O. meeting/gathering occurs we must practice physical distancing and wear masks. From P.E.O., this means outside as well as inside.
3. No food or drink is permitted during in-person contact unless you need it for health reasons.
4. Pre-recordings of the Opening Ode and Object and Aims are on the website to be used at all in-person meetings and may be used during virtual ones.
5. Programs are all virtual and can be done in conjunction with a virtual meeting or at another time.
6. Chapters will be balloting in various ways depending on the type of meeting you hold.
7. The initiation ceremony will be held at a later time when chapter sisters can participate in person. In the meantime, sisters will be taken into the chapter BY AFFIRMATION. The material for the President’s book will define this more.
8. As announced previously, the taking of the password is suspended until further notice and regular roll call will be done by observation of those in attendance.
9. Official visits will be conducted virtually, more information to come on this.

There are many more topics we can discuss, but this is enough for all of us to absorb right now.

Know we are all in this together and together we will go many places over the next year.
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Journey on!
Lisa, Sue, Barb, Pam, and Tami

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