Make the end of your association chapter year inclusive and enjoyable for everyone
Updated: Dec. 4, 2023 | Categories: Membership, Meetings/Events
With the return to association chapter in-person events, this year may be the first in several years many association chapters hold in-person holiday gatherings. Because it’s been a while, there may be some extra planning and time involved, to be sure association chapter event committees know what to do to provide members with what they want from their association chapter’s holiday celebration.
Your first thought may be that there isn’t much to think about -- “It’s the Christmas season, and that’s that! From the day after Thanksgiving through December 26, we’re all Christmas, all the time!”
That may be the way you’ve done it in the past, but that might not be what your members want. It could be important to many of your members that you do not close out the end of the year and celebrate your chapter and your membership with a “Santa-palooza” blowout.
According to the 2020 Census of American Religion by PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that conducts independent research related to religion, culture, and public policy, nearly 25% of Americans are religiously unaffiliated, and 5% identify with non-Christian religions. It’s important to remember this as you plan your end-of-year association chapter events (and even other events throughout the year).
Respect the range of religions and cultures in your association chapter, to maintain the welcoming environment you’re known for. And for some association chapters, this may be a chance to develop a reputation that’s a little more inclusive. The “holiday season” is a great time to show members you see them and understand their needs, by making your association chapter end-of-year party and other events and activities inclusive and enjoyable for all members.
4 Ways to Inclusively Celebrate Your Association Chapter Members
Create an inclusive holiday calendar. Ask about the holidays and traditions your members celebrate and then add these dates to your association chapter calendar. You may want to keep this calendar in a shared drive that your members can add to, so they can add the details and dates themselves. Knowing about these holidays will help you better understand what your members celebrate as well as what you may want to celebrate and when. You may find out that many celebrate throughout the year and not necessarily in December.
Get end-of-year input from members. In addition to learning what they celebrate throughout the year, ask your members how they celebrate the end of the year. Maybe many of them celebrate Christmas, but you may also learn that you have other members who celebrate other holidays – like Kwanzaa and Chanukah – during that time of year.
And there may also be members who don’t celebrate at the end of the year, but rather at other times, like Holi, which is celebrated in March, or Diwali, which is celebrated in November. To ensure you capture what you need to, consider asking members from different faiths and traditions to be part of your association chapter event committee.
Consider a different date for your end-of-year party. By choosing a date outside of December you can make it easier and less stressful for more people to attend. Many of your members and sponsors probably have a lot going on between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, and they may feel overwhelmed if you ask them to find time for one more thing. By holding your celebration a little earlier or a little later, you’re also taking the focus off of the event as a holiday party.
Be inclusive in your chapter materials. Knowing that not everyone in your chapter celebrates Christmas, there’s no reason to use “Merry Christmas” in all your association chapter communications and as greetings in your meetings and events. Consider mentioning different holidays your association chapters may celebrate, or maybe just use “happy holidays.”
Turn the December Dilemma into a Time to Enjoy
You may hear the time between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve called the “December Dilemma.” Many organizations worry that the events they hold during this time may leave people feeling unseen.
Whether or not you’re ready, the end of the year is just around the corner. The sooner you start thinking about how to celebrate your association chapter year end, the better chance you have to learn how to celebrate your members appropriately throughout the year. And then watch as you turn the end of the year into a time that all your association chapter members can enjoy.
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