Jamie's letter to the old Volunteer Committee dated 11/25/09

 

December Committee Meeting discussion topics from Jamie:  If you would like I could be available to discuss these issues via web cam.  Carole can bring her laptop and we can meet inside the E-center or the Party House,  I would just need to know the day and time.  And just a reminder; Carole wants to attend the committee meetings, so regardless let her know when and where.

 

Operant/Photo Reward:  i think we should set up some better guidelines for giving out this award at this upcoming committee meeting, and then track who gets it each month.  I uploaded a document located in the volunteer folder that lists all of the awards, when they are given out, and who has one them.  We can add this information to that document as well.

 

I know we kind of set this award up for people that were on the board multiple times, but usually the people that are on the board are always on the board, so then it becomes something of a popularity with the committee contest.  I have two suggestions;

 

One, we make it a random selection, that way it is not favoritism and everyone has an equal shot at getting a cool reward (I mean really everyone deserves to be rewarded, they are all volunteering their time).  At the beginning of the meeting we could have everyone write their name on a raffle ticket and put in a bowl, then at the end of the meeting we could draw out a name to choose a winner.  This would also add something positive to a usually negative monthly meeting.  Or two, let the volunteers vote.  I don’t like this one as much because it doesn’t really give the wallflowers of the group that great of a chance to win.

 

Annual Volunteerism Awards:  For some reason we did not do our annual September reward where we give the volunteers pins to recognize how many years of service they have contributed and we take their photos by year group and sponsor conservation projects.  I am going to try and get pins ordered in time for the December meeting, so we need to plan on doing this then.  Who set up which conservation projects we did last year?   If not, and we do not have someone to do this, I will  choose the projects.  We will need to separate the volunteers into groups under a year, 1 year, 2-4 year, 5 year, 6-9 year, 10+ years and take their photos.  Then we can print the photos with info on their sponsored project to post online, in volunteer sign in, e-center, and food prep.

 

Holiday Gift:  I believe that Honey is doing sweatshirts as the holiday gift for volunteers that attend the December meeting.  I also want us to give each volunteer a bottle of the Papio wine located in the room where summer camp was held in the party house.  We really need to get rid of this stock of wine and this would be the perfect time.  Let’s try and get rid of it all, sending more than one bottle home with each person if necessary.

 

Volunteer Party:  I need to know the names of the awards and the names of the winners for the awards that will be given out at the appreciation party.  I have not heard back from anyone regarding the idea of having the ceramic plaques like in the tour waiting yard made as the awards.  These only cost us about $15 so I think that these would be a nice gift to give as the award.  I need the names as soon as possible (before the actual committee meeting) in order to have them made and ready for the party.  Perhaps you all could get together this weekend and come up with a list of the award names and winners.

 

Partner Privileges:  I know a while back we started a program for the Partners where they can take a chair out to a cat and read to them as an alternative to operant conditioning.  Is anyone participating in this?  I think we should announce at the meeting that this is available again for those who may have forgotten.  Also since it is on the tour side of the barricade, I would suggest that this program be available for the Partners to participate in during a