We are the ones we've been waiting for.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.  We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.  We are the change that we seek.”  -Barack Obama

People are often unhappy with the way things are, but they never do anything to promote a change.  They expect others to implement a change, but this cannot happen if the other people do not know about the need for change.  In my chapter, I often hear about how unhappy someone is with an event, but this unhappy member does not hold an office nor does she attend her committee meetings in which the events are planned.  Clearly, waiting for someone to change an event results in nothing happening because the member who desires change is responsible for making it happen.  This can be as simple as having a conversation in which the member shares new idea.  It can also include running for an office so that the member can make sure things are done differently.  I think these are examples of second-order change because they involve altering the member’s approach to the institution of change.  Simply changing the rules or procedures will not make change happen.

Post-elections, I have heard of a few women who seem to have an issue with everything we as a chapter do, but these women do not hold an office, nor have they approached officers with their suggestions.  Complaining to your roommate will not make things occur differently.  If your idea is as great as you say it is, the officer isn’t going to ignore the idea so chances are it’s not happening because the officer doesn’t know about it.  If members want change, they need to seek it out or at least tell the appropriate people about it, because it will never happen if no one knows about it.