Executive Meeting Memo

Introduction

Welcome to the second official Edge Carolina Executive Memo. Today, we have several important topics to cover, with the main focus being finalizing the plan for our first meeting next week. This upcoming meeting will set the tone for how Edge Carolina operates this semester. Other key topics for today include discussing potential speakers, reviewing the post-meeting survey, and making decisions on the future of Edges. Here’s a breakdown of the agenda:

Purpose
Finalizing First Meeting
Post-Meeting Survey
Hearing Edges Out

Let’s dive in.

Purpose

What is our purpose here? Why does this club exist? These are questions I’ve been reflecting on a lot lately. Since Edge Carolina began, our vision has shifted in several ways, and it’s time for us to re-align with our original intent. I believe we shouldn’t be in the business of teaching. There are already plenty of clubs that do that. Our focus should be on what this club was created for—connecting people to work on meaningful projects. Yes, we’ve shifted, and we will likely continue to evolve, but after reassessing where we are, I think we’ve been moving too fast. It’s important we slow down and recalibrate. I understand that this shift will impact the structure of our meetings, and some people might step away, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. This club was never meant to become a massive organization with heavy administration. It was designed to be small, nimble, and community-driven. A place where students can meet, collaborate, and start something new together. That’s who we are, and that’s what we’re going to focus on—our community. I know this change may feel sudden for some of you, but this is the direction we’re headed. This is our identity, and this is where we’ll thrive.

Finalizing Our First Meeting The first meeting of the semester will be crucial in setting the tone for Edge Carolina. A successful meeting should be engaging, enjoyable, and encourage our members to connect with one another. As we discussed last time, our goal is for every attendee to leave having made at least one new meaningful connection. We defined this as someone they communicate with outside of structured environments at least once a week. To help achieve this, we need to ensure the structure of the meeting promotes interaction and community building. Below is a list of icebreaker ideas submitted by the team, which we’ll discuss and finalize today:

Starburst Never Have I Ever: Similar to the traditional game, but participants use Starbursts to keep score.
Counting Game: The group closes their eyes and attempts to count to 30 without overlapping numbers. If two people speak at once, the count restarts.
Charades: Participants act out activities, chosen by the previous player.
Two Truths and a Lie: A classic icebreaker to spark conversations and learn something new about each other. When thinking about the icebreakers we will use in the meeting I want you to ask yourselves some questions: Does the activity encourage participation from everyone? Does the activity encourage conversation between people who don’t know eachother? Does it create a more comfortable, relaxed environment for members? Additionally, We’ll aim to limit each icebreaker to 10 minutes to ensure the event remains dynamic. We need to finalize these icebreakers today so we can focus on making the first meeting as fun and engaging as possible.

Post-Meeting Survey In order to gauge the success of our meetings and collect feedback, we will be using a post-meeting survey. This survey, which Francisco will showcase today, will measure both immediate feedback on the meeting and insights for future events. When reviewing the survey, ask yourselves: Are the questions clear and easy to understand? Are they free of bias or leading language? Do they accurately reflect both the past meeting and future meeting preferences? The goal, today, is to refine this survey so we can gather meaningful data that helps improve our events and overall strategy. Hearing Edges Out Finally, our last focus of the day will be on deciding the future of Edges this semester. Today, Adil will be presenting his vision for Edges and why he believes it should be a focus of this semester. The questions I want you to think about when considering Edges are: Do we have the facilities to execute a plan like Edges? Does Edges fit the scope of Edge Carolina’s goals? Will Edge Carolina members benefit from Edges? These questions will help us evaluate whether Edges is feasible and beneficial for this semester.

Finishing Up

Next week’s first meeting is a critical moment for Edge Carolina. How we execute this event will significantly impact the trajectory of the club this semester. I’m confident in our ability to make it a success, and I know we have the right team to make it happen. Let’s push forward with energy and ambition. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish