In my case, I do. Some years it's been very specific (we are going to get 100% student involvement this year), and some years it's been more general (we exist as ASB to help kids connect to our school).
If I had it to do over again, I would get my kids involved in developing our goal(s) for the upcoming school year. The saying goes, "People tend to support that which they help to create."
The whole purpose behind the over-arching goal is simply to set the tone that what we do is not simply for its own sake. We're not putting on a dance just so we can have a party. We're doing it because we want OTHERS to enjoy their experience at our school, and we are the HOSTS of that party.
When we are hosts, we have fun when others are having fun. When you frame it that way, it gives things like picking up a leaking trash bag and taking it out to the dumpsters a higher purpose. That's what the host of the party does sometimes to keep the good times rolling.
So, the real payoff for us as ASB is the following Monday when we hear things like, "That was the best Homecoming dance ever!" When others have enjoyed their experience beyond the classroom, we've done our job.
I kind of rambled, but I hope you get the idea. Show kids the "big picture" when you set your goals for the year. Our goals shouldn't stop at "let's make great balloon arches" or "let's come up with a cool new way to announce the Prom queen." Those are all the vehicles to get us to the larger goal of creating an activities program that connects kids to their school and creates a positive campus culture.
RVI
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