2024 – March – AKA Handover – White Mist Resorts, Bangalore

New Leadership Takes the Wheel!

Six months fly by in a BNI chapter, and it is time to welcome a new team to guide our Odyssey family!

After the ASK (Ashish,Shreya, Kirti) team’s epic handover in Sakleshpur, Ashish and Kirti donned the President and Vice President capes for another term, with Arjun Sreenivas joining the party as Secretary-Treasurer. They hit the ground running, building on the momentum of the previous six months.

Their focus?

Unlocking bigger profits for every member. But BNI India was throwing some curveballs! Bangalore’s transition from “Franchisee Owned” to “Company Owned” meant new rules and less flexibility. Odyssey, known for its “rules are just guidelines” approach, had to adjust.

The new regime meant stricter enforcement, leading to some membership churn.

We said goodbye to a few cherished long-timers who couldn’t commit the extra time, but this opened the door for a wave of new faces, infusing youthful energy into the chapter.

Through it all, the leadership team emerged stronger. Their efficient problem-solving, especially regarding dues collection and meeting management, kept things running smoothly.

The term also brought some exciting personal milestones!

• Our long-time DC, Kumar, decided to step back from BNI roles and become a regular member in his chapter, Bedazzlers.
• Prem, our incoming VP, took the reins as DC for Bedazzlers.
• And our outgoing Secretary, Arjun, celebrated his “no-longer-single” status with a joyous engagement!

As the nurturers, it was our turn to pick the next chapter leaders.

Prem and Ganesh were clear choices for VP and President, respectively. Aditya, initially hesitant, was eventually convinced (with a little charm and friendly persuasion!) to take on the ST role. We assured him, with a wink, that following Arjun’s trend of getting hitched after becoming ST could be a lucky charm!

The AKA team celebrated the handover with a fantastic party at the White Mist resort near Nandi Hills.

This was the perfect chance to christen my brand new Nikon Z5 mirrorless camera – a major upgrade from my trusty 7-year-old D7100!