Whether you're freshly back from Japan, or have been home for 5, 10, or 20 years, I think it's safe to say that we all want to keep our JET experience as an active part of our lives.  The JET Alumni Association is a great way to stay in touch with others who have shared the JET experience and continue the JET Program mission of grassroots cultural exchange by engaging in cultural exchange activities without our local community. 

But lets all be honest: whether you're freshly back from Japan, or have been home for 5, 10, or 20 years, we all have a vast array of choices and priorities competing for our attention as we move forward with our post-JET lives.

Sustainable Leadership Struggles
JETAA Mid-South has struggled for years to attract leadership and build a sustainable pipeline of fresh leaders with fresh ideas. There is something very daunting about taking on the entire set of job duties of a "president" or "secretary" or "treasurer" that has discouraged interest in chapter leadership.

A New Structure | Mid-South Steering Committee
For the 2019 - 2020 fiscal year, JETAA Mid-South will be experimenting with a Steering Committee instead of rigid officer structures, which is truly more in line with our actual operations. 

The Mid-South chapter is a small chapter with low active membership.  With relatively few hands to share the work, it has long been the practice of our chapter officers to select, prioritize, and share chapter work based upon their availability and interests.  For example:

• One of our former officers was passionate about introducing young children to Japan for the first time through library programs, whereas our current officer group has decided to discontinue the library programs in favor of activities that more directly support JET Program recruiting. 
• Over the course of a year, we will reschedule events, or have one officer volunteer to be the primary on events if others are tied up with school exams, or large projects at work. 

The Steering Committee structure is a formal acknowledgement of the existing leadership format that has been happening naturally for a number of years.

So What Can A Steering Committee Member Expect?

• Members of the Steering Committee are asked to join a regular monthly meeting (unless there are extenuating circumstances) for the duration of their 1 year term. 
• At the meeting, members will discuss and propose upcoming events and JETAA administrative needs. 
• Action items will be assigned to committee members based on interest, availability, and priority. 
• Events/action items unable to be assigned by the end of the meeting will be rescheduled or cancelled. 
• Required JETAA administrative needs left unsatisfied will be need to be assigned if a volunteer is not found.  

I hope that this new Steering Committee format takes some of the perceived pressure out of being an "officer" of JETAA Mid-South, as we truly operate as a more fluid and collaborative committee. 

Interested in Joining the Steering Committee?
If you're interested in joining the Steering Committee, visit the Steering Committee Selection page at jetaanola.com and complete the Expression of Interest form before March 15.  

Hope to see you on the committee!  If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to [email protected]

Cheers!
Megan DeVille
President | JETAA Mid-South

JETAA Mid-South took it to Baton Rouge on July 19th for a fun-filled Sunday. We started our morning with a car-pool meet up in Metarie, then went on our way to the brunch meet up at Frank’s Restaurant in Prairieville.  In attendance were five JETAA NOLA officers: Jennifer, Geri, Simon, Megan, Reed, a recruit from the Japan Club: Mikiko and JETAA NOLA Alumni: Dionne. After a hearty meal, we headed to the much-anticipated part of the day at Blue Bayou. We started off strong by taking a ride on the Voodoo where we found ourselves sitting on a raft in a dark tunnel with a sudden drop down into a large bowl of raging water. Everyone made it out with shrieks of terror and joy, but mostly joy. Next, we decided to take it down a notch with a ride down a slower two-person raft and then a traditional one-person slide.  Finally it was time for our planned snack break. We enjoyed our ice cream and sodas, and reflected on the rides we already went on. The Mambo ride – scariest ride in the park where you drop straight down and end in a loop – was amongst discussion where only half of the group showed excitement to brave the scary ride. We decided to compromise by going on a less-scary ride – Azuka – where a raft is dropped into a funnel shape. The raft goes up and down the sides of the funnel in great speed.  Although slightly extreme, the ride was exciting and was enjoyed by all. As the brightly colored slides of the Mambo were calling us, we decided that there was only time for the Mambo and to finish the day off with the Lazy River. In true JETAA NOLA spirit, the three people who did not want to go on the Mambo, supported the participants from below. When at the top of Mambo, Simon, Geri and Jennifer nervously and excitedly waited to step into the capsule and onto the plexi-glass platform.  With all the buildup and standing on the platform for the longest thirty seconds of your life, the scary ride was all over within ninety seconds. Buzzing on the adrenaline rush, the group headed to the Lazy River to wind down on the exciting day that was had by all. 

We hope to plan more events like this in the future, so if you have any ideas please let us know!