Hi, Captains and CM’s! Every day we get ready for classes through our computers and anticipate another several hours of staring at our screens and wondering when life will be back to normal. This Zoomed-in world seems a bit bleak sometimes, but we have to remember that it is up to us to make the most of it. Although THON volunteers are missing out on some quality, in-person time with our team members, that doesn’t mean we can’t still create those same connections over Zoom.

Here are a few ways you can bring some extra pep into your THON meetings through Zoom:

1. Try changing backgrounds to something fun! One day you can be in a coral reef, another you can be at the North Pole.
2. Theme days can kick off icebreakers for the whole group. Silly hat day, favorite sports day, are just a few examples to get people excited for the start of your meetings.
3. Assign a CM story day. Before the meeting ends, whoever’s turn it is can tell a funny story. It’s yet another opportunity for everyone to finish a meeting with a smile on their faces.
4. Bring your pet to a meeting!
5. Build in some active time. It can be anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple minutes. Allow some time to get up and stretch or move around a bit.
6. There’s nothing wrong with a guest to sit in and share their own story.
7. Stay late! Stick around after you get through the business and get to know your team better than what you did the week before!

Let’s not allow these unfortunate circumstances to get us down. It’s never to late to make a friend and to build and strengthen relationships. A screen can’t get in the way of THON’s success!