What does citizenship mean to you and what role does your council and chapter play in that understanding?

I feel like citizenship is a word that gets thrown around a lot, when I was in the 3rd and 8th grade I received an award from our local lions club for being a good citizen; my 8th grade operetta was all about what it takes to be a good citizen and I was involved in a group called positive peers and part of our mission statement was to be a good citizen for others to model after.  In these groups we never discussed what citizenship was, and as a 3rd grader I really didn't know what being a good citizen or having good citizenship was. 

Over the years I have developed my own definition of citizenship or rather I should say good citizenship.  To me good citizenship is displaying through actions what is the right thing to do.  Good citizenship is going beyond the average actions and doing more when I was little it was cleaning all of the floors instead of just the kitchen floor.  Good Citizenship is recognizing others for their hard work and always trying your hardest.  Good Citizenship is being a good sport and following rules but it is also raising question to rules that are unjust. Good citizenship is caring about others; it is seeking ways to make the world a better place.  It is speaking up when things need to be said or speaking up for those unable to do it.  Good citizenship is complex and simple just like a Rubik's cube.






My council is responsible for displaying characteristics of good citizenship.  To me this is doing what I listed above, as a ruling body we set the standard for the community.  As leaders we are looked to as an example of how to act and therefore need to be acting in an appropriate manner that we would like our council to act. 
As for my chapter when I became President I became really aware of the fact that I was the figure head of my sorority and how I acted reflected directly on Phi Rho and made me realize how important it is to display good citizenship and it made me grow up.  What citizenship means to me hasn't changed for awhile, my chapter nor my council has drastically altered this.  My chapter has a lot of the same ideals as I do and so does what it means to be a Panhellenic Woman.  When I chose to go Greek I was choosing to be held to a higher standard and to be a person that can be looked to as an example of good citizenship.