Some of the best lessons can come by examining and learning from the biggest mistakes. It is easy to examine the successes; however, it takes greater attention to examine the failures. For the failures do not usually receive the recognition that accompany the blinding, flying colors of success. Yet, failures can teach just as much as any great success can, and if kept in memory, can prevent the waste of great future resources - ranging from time to money. The following is an example of a great failure because of the lack of the simplest of organizational needs: Communication.

 

Recently, the SCTA chapter at CSU Stanislaus decided to participate in the Freshman Orientation on their campus. This is a school that has a very strong credentialing program for future teachers, and coinciding with this program, has a strong on-campus SCTA chapter.

 

The assignment for the SCTA chapter at the Freshman Orientation this year was looking promising. Indeed, a new table cloth arrived for this event and future events. Forms were submitted to the bureaucracy on campus, with triplicates going here, there, and everywhere. Everything was looking to be on the up and up, but with just a few words of miscommunication everything came down with a crashing resonance that made the Chinese gong sound like a tinker-bell.

 

The SCTA chapter officers had assigned responsibilities for the event. With three steady officers, the task seemed easily dividable. One to put together a box of SCTA goodies, and the other two would divide their time during the two-day Freshman Orientation - each would spend a day in the sun, separately. However, of these two chapter officers, the first was almost completely outside of the loop and was of the mindset to go to a local community college instead and, in fact, did. The second chapter officer never even showed up at Freshman Orientation; no warning or excuse for a complete lack of presence.

 

I hope that others are willing to write and talk about mistakes, no matter how small or big. Continuing reminders of the results of any mistake, and the lesson behind it, can be healthy and will be a source of betterment for others in SCTA. A wise man not only learns from his own mistakes, but also learns from the mistakes of others.

 

The second chapter officer does not have a great story for you to read about, but the first one just might. After arriving at the community college and learning that it was the first day of classes, the chapter officer also found the parking to be atrocious and therefore, had to walk with the SCTA orientation box nearly a half of a mile. After arriving to find scads of students on campus, the day at least looked promising. However, after talking to five different oncampus agencies, the chapter officer learned that tabling was not permitted during the first two weeks of school. And so, I'm sure the half-mile trip back to the car felt much longer, and with no idea of where else to go, the chapter officer went home. A completely wasted day from the perspective of SCTA and plenty of wasted potential for future new members and leaders who did not even know about the Freshman Orientation at CSU Stanislaus. It just proves that communication is essential.