K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple and small)

As an advocate of strong community building through leadership I decided to take a look at the actual importance of transformation as presented to me in chapter nine of the Block. Although leadership is extremely important, (as I have previously stated in both my past blogs and critical paper) the actual transformation that occurs within a community is focused on the participation of everyone as a whole. This participation of everyone can be useful, but it is even more important that this group is broken into smaller groups to create a more personal atmosphere.

In the Student Government Association, we as leaders have a job to foster community growth. The Executive Board does so by holding weekly meetings as a board. We find that we accomplish more when the meetings are small and only have the people who are absolutely necessary involved.

The entire Student Government Association meets as a community once a month. Other members of the student body are also invited to attend these meetings to be updated on what is going on at the school. We instruct the other organizations within the student body community to have their own individual meetings to further their own growth and progress. The information that is collected at these meetings is later brought to the community as a whole where we discuss what is going on.

Like Block states in chapter nine, the small group is the unit of transformation. It is the intimate conversations that make the transformation develop and cultivate. The more those small groups are created, the more different the ideas are that are brought to the table. New conversations are then created and no time is wasted through argument or lack of ideas. Smaller group meetings also allow each voice to realize they are valuable and have something important to bring to the table. With a smaller group, every voice can be accounted for and it is not as intimidating to speak up.

Through this, we also can discover that others may share the same concerns as us. This reduces all thoughts of isolation and aloneness. Another important aspect to small group meetings for transformation is that people use their gifts and talents to minister to one another. Sometimes, within a large group, one may find that certain gifts and talents can be lost through lack of confidence or authority. Within a more personal situation, one may be able to speak up and use their abilities to help promote expansion for the small group or even the entire community as a whole. Group members in close situations hold each other accountable. If someone announces he or she plans to work on making a change, other members of the group may ask how it went the next time they get together. This can be done in a friendly, informal way. Or group members may make a plan to be accountable to each other. Along with this, people are more likely to practice what they learn and can help each other in hard times. People often feel isolated, alone or abandoned when facing issues. Small group members can provide a "safety net," supporting one another in hard times. This situation could eventually lead to friendships within a community which furthers transformation even more.