While serving as Regional Morah, I received one of the worst texts I could have ever encountered. A counterpart came to me seeking help with prospect recruitment, as her chapter was experiencing an extreme low in attendance. When I asked, “Why do you think this is happening?” she proceeded to tell me that her chapter has a particular dynamic in the group that makes it hard to find people who fit it.

Immediately after reading this text, I put my phone down and stood with my hand covering my mouth in shock. It was the sort of message that leaves you momentarily incapable of further thought due to how outrageous it is.

Hearing that a chapter was excluding BBGs simply because they didn’t exhibit particular qualities that they believed would grant them acceptance was one of the most heartbreaking things I heard during my time as Morah.

BBYO is not a middle school lunch table, and it should NEVER be a place where inclusivity revolves around fitting an utterly stupid “dynamic.” A potential prospect should never walk into a meeting and feel eyes turned away from them because they may have a different clothing style or a quieter personality. While BBYO is a place to find friends who you share commonalities with, it is also about making connections and forming relationships with people who you would have never had the chance to, had you not found yourself in the same weekly meetings. Sure, in middle school you sat with the same five girls every day and talked about your shared love for Justin Bieber, but in BBYO, that group of five is meant to rotate and expand. When it comes to finding prospects and growing your chapter, the most vital component is inviting every interested person, no matter how they may present themselves.

Whether you find yourself in a board position, be it as Morah, a position centered around prospect engagement, as Gizborit, or even as a general member, a central aspect of your involvement within your chapter should always be displaying an inviting and genuine attitude to every event. With every interested and hopeful face that enters the doors to your meeting, they should be met with a complete absence of judgment, and instead, with an energy and charisma that allows them to feel the instant sense of belonging that every BBG attributes to their heart and home.

BBYO is supposed to be the one place in many people's lives where they know they have a voice in every conversation, whether it's on the grass at a regional convention, a couch in your chapter's temple, or even at the lunch table.