I have included Chuck Smalley’s description of these 2 issues. Here’s what I have to say. Please consider volunteering for the Coffrin Cup [High School Tournament] and/or the Cairn’s Showcase Showdown in late March [finale for the season]. PeeWee C is also desperately in need of office officials for all home games including timekeeper, scorekeeper and penalty box attendants.
From the President’s Post [Dec 2005 – Jan 2006] By Chuck Smalley Two issues that have come up that need to be addressed are the managers meetings and the board of directors meetings. Managers need to remember that they have a responsibility to attend both the managers meetings and the board of directors meetings. It is acceptable for someone from your team to substitute for you in your absence. If a team member subs for you they receive a service hour credit. There are times when there may not be any major voting issues to discuss at the manager meetings. However, this is also an opportunity for managers to hear what is going on within other teams: issues, ideas, questions, general on-goings, etc. Youngerteams get the opportunity to hear what is going on in the upper divisions. This may better prepare them for what to expect as they move up through the divisions. Managers from the upper divisions have knowledge from history to assist those who have not been around as long with any questions that may come up. The monthly SHAW board of directors meetings are open to any member of the organization. All members that hold positions, especially directors, managers, and executive board members, have a responsibility to attend these meetings. If you can notmake the meeting, PLEASE find someone to attend in your place. Voting issues require a quorum for any motions to pass. Every time a quorum is not present the issues must be tabled until a subsequent meeting when a quorum is present. Not showing up regularly is also very disrespectful to those that do take their responsibilities seriously and show up consistently. Even if there are no issues that need to be voted on, the various directors always have valuable information for you, as well as your team. Feedback may be necessary before we can move forward with a project. Your absence decreases the communicationopportunities within the whole of the organization. “I have fulfilled my 15 service hours!” I find it very hard to believe that anyone can make this type of statement within a volunteer run YOUTH organization and not feel the slightest bit guilty. However, if you have, you should! SHAW has quite a few individuals, without active skaters, who continually provide far more than 15 hours of service for the direct benefit of SHAW without any other payment than the knowledge that they are helping youth in some way. What if managers, schedulers, directors, executive board members, coaches, assistants, and SHAW’s 10% of overly-generous volunteers, only put in the bare minimum of 15 service hours? . . . SHAW would have some very serious issues to overcome. In a volunteer run organization nothing should have to be mandated or begged for. There should be a line of volunteers awaiting something to do because SO MANY are involved, no matter the hours it takes. It is very hard to believe any adult can make the statement “I‘ve done my hours” and desire their child to grow up with the same standard. Let alone look the other members in the eye who dutifully give of their time and energy for the benefit of all of SHAW, not just their own skater. A volunteer run youth organization has no room for selfishness. SHAW has not grown to what it is today with that type of attitude within it’s midst. SHAW does offer all skaters the opportunity to learn, develop, and enjoythe great game of hockey. However, the skaters also gain by learning about: sportsmanship, leadership, responsibility, team work, fighting through adversity, camaraderie, dealing with defeat and moving on. All aspects of real life. The opportunities available through SHAW are far more reaching than just the sport, “the game”. Where there is so much that youth, your skater, can benefit from how can anyone not want to give all they can?! Not just “I’ve done my fifteen hours!” A few teams invariably end up with a high number of parents who hold positions and, in turn, get their service hours gratis. Then others on the same team state ”I’ve done my service hours”. These teams struggle to get individuals to man the penalty box. The 15 service hours are minimums! Not a stopping point. Because of these attitudes, “I’m done with my 15 hours”, at the January board meeting there will be discussion on:
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Increasing the number of service hours per family.
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Specific hours that must be volunteered toward team/organization.
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Penalties for signing up to volunteer for an event and not showing up or not finding a replacement.
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Service hours for certain jobs.
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Billing for service hours until service hour cards are turned in
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Thank you, to all the SHAW members that continually give to SHAW without regard to their service hour totals. SHAW is the organization it is today because of the unselfish members such as yourselves.
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