Volunteer Committee Meeting 7/22/10

Committee: 
Volunteer
Date: 
Thu, 07/22/2010 - 13:00 to Thu, 07/22/2010 - 15:00
Agenda: 

New York / New Jersey Trail Conference                    
Volunteer Committee
Thursday, July 22, 2010
1:00 PM


Agenda

1.    Summary of current volunteer activity and statistics  -  Catherine
2.    Youth Policy Approval status
3.    Job Description Project  -  Larry Wheeler and Leigh Draper,    
                    Regional representatives
4.    Budget

5.    Awards Program   -       Estelle
                    Review award recipients
                    ? Notify recipients before annual meeting

                Honor for Bill Myles – the Sutters’ suggestion

                25 and 5 year awards

6.    Maintainer 101 questionaire

 

Attendees: 
Dan Van Engel, Chris Connolly, Jane Daniels, Catherine Gemmell, Bob Jonas, Ken Malkin, Estelle Anderson. Guest: Georgette Weir
Status of Minutes: 
Draft
Minutes: 

Minutes – Volunteer Committee        July 22, 2010

Present:  Dan Van Engel, Jane Daniels, Catherine Gemmell, Ken Malkin,
          Bob Jonas, Estelle Anderson

Guests:   Larry Wheelock, Leigh Draper as Regional Representatives  

Both Leigh and Larry described their jobs and also their volunteer needs.  

Larry Wheelock:

    A basic description of his job:     Interface/coordinate staff and volunteers needs and agency partners.  Keeps database up – to date, keeps correct insurance information, and coordinates Trail Chair, Supervisor and Crew Chiefs.  Gets information into the right hands.  

    Trails Council:  agenda, minutes, posts details of program, PPS set up.  

Help needed:  more of what he now does.
    A person with overall vision of trails to spearhead projects; such as,
    Trails Director for Conference-wide programs.  

Volunteer assistants needed for trail leadership who are overwhelmed.   


He also states a full-time staff person can be used to coordinate with ATC (NPS).  ATC is funded by NPS, ATC will fund projects but not staff.
EA:    So perhaps a volunteer, or 2 or 3 can deal with this?

Leigh Draper:  

    Her job description is approximately the same as Larry, minus Trails Council.  She works with many partners since there are many more small parks in her region.  

    She needs resources to get volunteers in to our system and to support volunteer leadership.

    Volunteers for Outreach events.

Can use volunteers to phone and follow-up for new people expressing interest in volunteer opportunities.    A volunteer to put the follow up notes into the database.   

RJ: suggests Trails Council be held in different areas, so more people get a chance to attend and feel part of Trail Conference.


From this there developed conversation for additional volunteer needs:

JD:  Need Volunteer Editor for Trail Worker.  This was done as a trial issue by Larry some time ago.  To reinstate this would need a volunteer.  This could perhaps be done as an insert or column in Trail Walker.  

Leigh:  

Volunteer assistant can be used for Georgette Weir, for the purpose of expanding TW and E-Walker items that could be sent to local newspapers for publicity.  A writer that would help get us PR in the field.  This volunteer would need to be a creative writer.  

RJ:  A volunteer to solicit advertising for Trail Walker.  

JD:  Outreach coordinator and outreach volunteers.  Suggested using clubs.


CG:  Volunteer Orientation Trainer is needed; to instruct others (chairs or supervisors) how to do this.   The idea is for them to conduct Volunteer Orientation in their areas, so we can have them elsewhere other than Mahwah.  This could attract new help in outlying areas.  

Meeting continues:  

JD:  Reviewed Jane’s 3 to 5 year volunteer Goals and Objectives.    Suggests we talk with Jeremy for our Volunteer Satisfaction Survey as he is experienced with Survey Monkey and surveys.    

RJ:  Says feedback is important and is needed by us to work towards our goals.  

RJ:  Suggests there be a Volunteer based Issue of the Trail Walker; with pictures of various volunteers at work; feature some volunteers.    Also use this to stress the importance of volunteer jobs to the trails and Trail Conference:  TMs, Supervisors, and Chairs.  
KM:  Also to stress the importance of hours and why they are needed.  

JD:   suggests this be done with the March/April issue of TW to coincide with National Volunteer Week which is at the end of April.   GW will be contacted, perhaps invite her to discuss further with us.  

Next Meeting Sept. 16, 2010 at 1 p.m.    (no August meeting)   

By
Estelle Anderson
7/30/2010