Motivational Moments... with our National Leaders
Let’s be honest everybody secretly loves a bit of inspo every now and then. A bit of a pick-me-up, or something to give you a bit of a yessss #SoTrue moment! This week’s blog is dedicated to some motivational moments from our very own SADD National Leaders.
Here are some tips for starting out, ideas for building momentum, things they wish they knew they started, and encouragements from our national leaders, that might make you leave feeling extra inspired!
James:
"Your SADD group doesn't have to be large. In fact, a small group of dedicated members can work wonders under pressure. What I have found to be key in running a SADD group is good communication. If you are able to communicate well with your fellow leaders, your committee members, and your teacher, everything that you run will work out smooth as butter! And don't be afraid to ask for help, we are all in this together after al!"
Skylah:
I am a fairly new leader to SADD, meaning I understand the struggles of trying to create a group while also figuring out what SADD is all about. My top tips for starting a SADD group is making sure you have a decent understanding of SADD and why they do what they do. I suggest starting at the vision statement and interpreting this however is relevant to your community. Then from there perhaps finding one issue that is present (in your school) and aligning that with one of the 6 principles. Same thing goes. Make sure you fully understand your principle and try to align your activities with that principle. This is what I have found most useful and it helps me navigate the many issues on the roads and focusing on the ones that I can manage. Just make sure that you aren’t putting too much pressure on yourself as a leader as well. You have a team for a reason. Don’t feel as though you need to do activities every week, every term, all year round. The most important thing is to spread SADD’s message and have fun while doing it.
Parvi:
The tip I would give is to make sure you plan well and have meetings every week. It may seem like overkill to plan so much for an event that only lasts 1 lunchtime but usually, nothing ever goes according to plan, especially on your first try. So try out your event before the actual day to make sure that it is as successful as possible.
Angharad:
'Whether you're new to SADD or have been involved for years you can make a difference in your school. Being a part of a group like SADD is super fun and a rewarding thing. Everyone can make an impact in their school and their community while helping to spread the message of road safety.'
Ben:
My biggest advice would be to believe in yourself and your SADD team, seriously, you can do anything you put your mind to! This year will be whatever you make it, and you have the power to make this year the best yet, for you and your SADD team! Having a strong SADD team is one of your greatest assets you can have and I encourage you to make the most of your team, as “teamwork makes the dream work”. You’ve got this!!
Star-ra:
The key to being a great SADD leader and getting things started for your school is to be enthusiastic! You have to be encouraging and show everyone how fantastic it is when we can all get together to support the sadd principal ! Share your ideas and discuss them in groups and help each other out! At the end of the day we all want to be the best students against dangerous driving that we can be, so get involved and have fun doing it! Start where you are and use what you have and believe in not only yourself but your team too. Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.
Holly:
When I started SADD I wish I knew how rewarding getting involved is. I've participated with so many things through SADD and find a lot of my motivation comes from the people who I have met and have mentored me throughout my involvement with SADD.
Lily:
The tips I have for starting out would be making sure you connect with your dean or your principal and show them why SADD is important. It makes the process of having events at school so much easier and less stressful when you have them on the same page with everything. Also when creating an event for your school, make sure you're thinking about who your audience is, every school is different and what works for one might not work for another so keep in mind what draws the students at your school in the most and try to use that in how you introduce SADD. It can be really difficult if nobody is visibly responding to what you're doing but as long as you keep showing how important SADD's message is then it will stick with people! Remember that the team at SADD always have your back and it's okay to ask for help if you're having troubles with getting your group started.
Sterling:
Starting a group is hard. Starting a group with a name people always make jokes about is even harder. But starting a group targeted at people (specifically teens) to do the right things on the road is incredibly hard. When I first joined SADD, I was fortunate enough that the group at my school was already up and running. And now from the few years I've been apart of this organisation, I've picked up a few tricks on how to keep the council running smoothly.
1. Find a teacher that's passionate about your cause. This is actually really easy I found because teachers are all for keeping us kids safe on the road!
2. Grab your friends! Even if they have never heard of this group before just having your friends there make it so much easier because they can help spread the word about your awesome new council!
3. Get in touch with other schools and local services! Most of the time, there a few kids at each school who want to start a SADD group up but they can't because they don't have enough people. So to solve this problem reach out to the school’s near you! Also as soon as you decide you want to make your SADD group get in touch with your local services, because they are always happy to help out with SADD and they can point you in the right direction of other people who can help you!
4. Most importantly, DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE! Starting a new council will most likely be very daunting and scary at first, but as you keep pushing forward and keep spreading the word more people here about your group and more people want to take part in it
Oksana:
In a new SADD group - take a few meetings to introduce the key ideas and features of SADD and start the first term off with an activity that will involve and encourage the rest of your school to actively participate! Involving the whole school early will mean that further activities, (especially if you run a SADD week later in the year) will be more known and successful.
Olivia:
Being a part of SADD is incredibly important if you want to make a positive impact in our country. It’s a supportive organisation that has the best intentions, and is full of the greatest minds. As a National Leader, it’s helped shape me into a more considerate, aware person, and I suggest that if you are part of it, or are looking to be, that you take as much from it as you can. Learn, listen, and pass on what you’ve discovered. Don’t be afraid to be that voice seeking safety!
Natalie:
If you are leading the SADD committee or trying to recruit new members it pays off to be really enthusiastic and organised! Make a clear plan at the start of the year so that you know exactly what your goals are and how you’re going to achieve them. For me, it was really beneficial to attend SADD’s term one workshops and annual conference. These events allow you to gain so much knowledge that will aid your committee’s success. You will also be able to network with new, like-minded people at these events who you can share ideas and collaborate with! It would also be really great to invite a passionate junior (or a few) to these events so that they are equipped with the ability to follow in your footsteps and carry on the SADD committee when you leave high school. Best of luck!!!
We know motivational moments can sometimes (or often) be cheesy, and sometimes (or often) kiwi’s don’t do well with cheesy moments. However, why not start out the year inspired to be the change in your community, life’s too short to worry about being lame #GetMotivated #MakeADifference
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