As many of you know, Penn State football will be returning in just a few weeks. In a typical year, our chapter leadership team would be ramping up for our first watch party. It is always an exciting time knowing that we get to see our local Penn State family and friends as we watch our beloved Nittany Lions take the field.
With the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, many chapter members have not yet renewed their membership and several of this fall’s virtual events have had fewer attendees than we anticipated. Our leadership is taking a hard look at the value we are offering to our group. We know that some of our members may be focusing on day-to-day activities, some may have fallen on hard times, and perhaps the virtual events were not good matches for everyone.
Whatever the reasons are, we ultimately want our members and guests to stay safe and do what is best for them and their families. With these challenges in mind, the chapter leadership has been meeting and discussing what we should do for the rest of this fiscal year, which includes any potential watch parties. We identified many questions that needed to be answered for us to proceed with any chapter activities.
A lot of thought and discussion has been put into how we move forward. With all these important considerations in mind, here is how the Central Florida Chapter will proceed this year:
- For a limited time, chapter membership will be for the rest of the 2020-2021 fiscal year and it includes the 2021-2022 fiscal year for only $40 (savings of $10). Renew your membership today!
- We purchased a subscription to Zoom to allow our members to participate in virtual watch parties that may include fundraisers for our scholarship fund and possible breakout rooms for virtual guest tables. More information will be available as the year progresses.
- We put together a 3-minute survey to determine the interest level in a potential outdoor watch party at the Ale House for members that would meet all safety guidelines. This survey will also help us determine what activities you want in the future. We need a large number of survey responses to help us define our plan of action. The deadline to respond is midnight, the morning of October 12, 2020.
- We have set up several virtual activities with other chapters through the end of October, including the Jay Paterno event that helps support Thon, a pumpkin carving contest run by the Greater Tampa Chapter, and possibly a virtual homecoming parade for our chapter.
Our chapter’s board is working hard for you. We hope that you will complete the 3-minute survey and become a member today for the next two years. We appreciate you!