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The end of the academic year is quickly approaching, and many of you soon will be attending awards and recognition ceremonies. Student athletes have them, many fraternity/sorority communities have them, and many clubs and organizations do something small and less-formal to mark the passing of another year.
If you don't do one, you should. It's a nice way to say thanks to everyone for their contributions. If your group is small, invite everyone out for dinner at a restaurant, or have some sort of potluck at someone's house. Go around, and let everyone say a few words. Give out a few funny awards. Give your advisor a group hug.
The goal is to put some closure on the year and set a tone for next year. If people leave for the summer with a less-than-positive view of your group, then you will have attrition problems over the summer. Leave people with a good feeling, and you'll come back strongly. Make sure that everyone has emails and phone numbers for staying in touch over the summer. If most of your students live within driving distance, plan a gathering at someone's house in July.
If your group has some sort of formal banquet, reception, or other awards ceremony, take advantage of the opportunity and write some short, handwritten notes to folks who made a difference for the organization this year. Thank your officers or team captains. Thank the coaches or advisors. If you take a moment to write a short note to each graduating senior, I promise they will really appreciate it and will probably keep it for years. The end of college is a very emotional time for many people, and your note will have much more impact than you can imagine.
Learning to say "thank you" is one of the greatest skills you can ever learn as a leader. Take this opportunity to practice it.
Personal Note: I'm dedicating this post to one of my best friends, Kevin Stever, who died this week unexpectedly. Kevin was the king of the thank you note, and I have dozens that he wrote to me over the years thanking me for birthday gifts, dinners, and other special times we shared. He was a really amazing guy, and I'm going to miss him terribly. The world is a little less bright without him. Thinking of Kevin this morning gave me the idea for this post. TJS
