Dedicated, Creative and Responsible: these are only three of many words that describe the Suzuki community of teachers, SAA staff members and SAA Board who attended the recent Leadership Retreat at the Nottawasaga Conference Center near Toronto, Canada.
It was wonderful to be with many Canadian teachers as well as teachers from the United States, South America and Mexico. It was truly a special SAA event. The Suzuki Association of Ontario helped host the Retreat, and their hard work and support created a true feeling of community.
I am always impressed by the depth of dedication shown by our teachers. At the Leadership Retreat many lively sessions were teacher-led and ideas truly “flew” around the room! Many young teachers attended the retreat—some for the first time; their desire to learn and contribute was evident in every session.
The staff of the SAA worked tirelessly to make everything work, including transportation, and led several sessions at the retreat.
The SAA Board members gave presentations and facilitated a variety of sessions; they listened to ideas and feedback and provided laughter and comic “relief.” The Board gained for itself the momentum to carry the enthusiasm from the Retreat into the coming Board year.
Our chapter affiliates were recognized for their work in their states and communities and for the contributions they make locally and throughout the Americas. Sessions on website setup and use, brochure design, appreciative inquiry and servant leadership were among the topics shared with chapters, institute directors and others.
The SAA and its many members are creatively working to find ways to move to the next level in parent education, teacher training and fundraising. We were given a sneak preview of the new parent DVD series, an in-depth look at the SAA Code of Ethics and its implications for our organization, fundraising sessions and discussions on best practices in governance and guidance in “board basics.” The sessions also reflected the creativity of the membership, as teachers shared ideas on violin/viola, piano, guitar, flute and cello. Also features included visual art and music interaction, Suzuki teen mentoring, Suzuki in the schools and teacher-parent collaboration.
There is a great sense of responsibility in the SAA to be true to the philosophy of Dr. Suzuki. The younger generation of teachers expressed at the Retreat their respect for master teachers from whom they are learning so much. We want to strengthen for them the connection to those who studied with Dr. Suzuki and can convey his methods and philosophy. This connection to the next generation is essential.
There is a cadre of volunteers—many of whom participated in the Retreat—who, in the midst of busy teaching schedules, find time to serve on major committees that carry out important work of the association, including planning of our biennial conference and leadership retreat. These volunteers, working in conjunction with the staff and Board, are essential to the Association’s progress and to its future.
The SAA Board is responsible to the membership to guide the organization as we move forward, but is also responsible for preserving the values that have guided the organization since its inception. It is the responsibility of the SAA Board to have the vision statement and values of the organization at the forefront of every decision made for the benefit of the membership. The servant leadership model the SAA Board follows is well suited to our organization as it supports the notion that all members are leaders.
We are a dedicated, creative, responsible group of people. We are the SAA and together we can work to be visionary, while preserving the many gifts from the past. We need to continue to share and talk and contribute. Contributions can take many forms, including ideas, volunteer time and the much needed funds to carry out the ideas and many projects our membership wishes to see accomplished.
As exhibited by the high level of participation at the Retreat, the SAA is never short on ideas or volunteers, but seems to be short on money to fund new initiatives. It is time to look into our own programs for families who would be interested in helping to fund a new parent education DVD or aid in the preservation of Dr. Suzuki’s legacy through the written word and through video projects or to fund the preparation of materials for Suzuki in the Schools. These are only a few of the creative ideas that have emerged from our volunteer committees and our staff. We now need to be creative and dedicated and responsible in funding these projects.
We live in a time when the philosophy of Dr. Suzuki is needed even more in our world. Let’s continues to work together creatively, so these visions can become a reality to the benefit of all the peoples of the Americas.
