A YEAR THAT WAS AND LOOKING AHEAD
A year wasn’t enough. As a leader walking beside Bodhians, I see so many areas that I could have worked better at, so many hearts and minds that I could have touched deeper, so many relationships that I could have built better, and so many learning from the club members that I could have incorporated to become a better version of myself.
Am I disappointed? No. I am elated in how we could all come together and celebrate the many milestones the Club achieved – from celebrating the 50th and 75th meetings that took us on a journey of unbelievable bonding and camaraderie at scenic mountain gateways, to hosting incredible online meetings during the lockdown and becoming better at video conferencing tools, to being President Distinguished. We walked this journey hand in hand. We worked on a shared vision – to make our club meetings technically better that would be a PQDs delight, to tweak our educational offerings and mentor-mentee relationships, to be seen in the fraternity, to retain and grow members, to ensure that all administrative protocols are finished on or before time- and worked as a team of driven, passionate individuals who believed in good.
But above all, we wanted to foster a community of individuals that felt cherished and close-knit. It required all of us to chip in, every week. And the results showed.
Looking ahead, under a new Executive Committee and with succession planning in place, we will be more vibrant, equitable, and engaging for all current members and incumbents. We cannot wait for that future to dawn on us all.
Niladri S. Parial, President, Bodhi Toastmasters