OCP Workshop 11/07/2012

• Ron:  we will take each area that we have decided we want new members/members to go through and figure out the details for each one
• Mike:  things do take long;  looking at all the major structures that need to be developed – we need to design the walls and move on up;  some of the topics for new members might fit under a training category and then we could talk generally about a training category
• Ron:  attending a new member orientation has been decided by the group – we don't want to use the word “volunteer orientation”
• Jonathan: perhaps we could start w code of behavior since we talk about it so much
• Mike: does code of behavior apply to only members, or for everyone in the building?
• Ron: it would be good to clarify that, I think it should be for everyone
• Ron: perhaps starting at volunteer hours would be a more central place to start the discussion. Could go either way. Big issues: behavior, volunteer hours, orientation
• Mike: We could look at volunteer hours needs before, during, and to maintain membership, if we decide to look at that first
• Ron: what do we mean by volunteer hours? What does it mean for staff? Does participation count?
• How do we define volunteering? -
• Heather:  doesn't feel that volunteer hours should count for attending morning worship
• Mike:  cleaning up after ourselves doesnt seem like volunteer hours – this should just be required;  meal prep, cleaning, dishes, cleaning floor, bathroom, shower, working on the grounds – litter pickup, mowing, weeding; events – posters, night out; garden – compost; workday activities; firewood – splitting, cutting, bringing it in; work in the free store; education – teaching, participating – if the class is bettering ocp?, maybe any class, training; what about early church activities;  what about being on staff? Do these areas count;  services - prison letter writing, out reach – sick people; planning – membership meetings
• Participation vs. work as a topic
• Ron:  wondering if we are recreating the teams list
• Mike:  this brings up the whole idea that volunteering would come by way of teams
• Mike:  teams sound like a really big deal, but it doesn't have to be this complicated; is some ways, we already have some teams;  we could start new ones pretty quickly
• Philip:  seems like the administration of teams could be something to think about; 
• Heather:  why are people against these teams – maybe we could take some time outside of a meeting to talk about teams
• Ron:  doesnt seem like anyone is against teams – sometimes things don't work – if it isn't happening, then it doesn't exist;  maybe teams have to be sactioned by this group and we just have a couple of these teams – then this group can help find a chair;  maybe it's better to say what volunteer hours aren't – then any work with any sactioned team counts as a volunteer hour; 
• Peter – just because it hasn't worked in the past doesn't mean that it wouldn't work again, but going back to look at why the teams failed before seems important;  once a team is formed, people sometimes people stop worrying about topics covered by the team;  maybe people could float between teams\
• Mark:  because this group is in flux, people will come and go from teams, and people probably will stop being a part;  there is going to be a core group of people who are going to regularly participate;
• Mike:  if we have a few core teams, we will probably be able to maintain them – with a coordinator – paying attention to who comes and goes;  if we agree that we must volunteer through a sanctioned team, we are done;  how long do you have to volunteer with a team to become a member;  the team coordinator would track hours;
• Ron:  being on a team could be one part of the description of what a volunteer hour is;  like volunteer hours would be general work around ocp, teams, etc – we could have teams without making this the only way to get volunteer hours;  the spirit of these teams – the kitchen team should never be a group that tells people to get out of the kitchen – their role is to make sure there is life, storage is better, find fun ways to welcome people who want to help; all teams might look towards this way of thinking – spark energy and find fun useful ways to get people involved – if leaders were staff members of ocp members, these would be people who have been around for a while;  also involved with teams would be volunteers who just want to help ocp but don't have any interest in being members;
• Ron:  would advocate teams entering the list of things you can do to volunteer; and then we can continue on this list;  teams would report back to this group; 
• Philip:  likes the idea of teams reporting back to the membership to check in
• Mike:  maybe the Friends of OCP group would be the reported to body for teams or for membership
• Nick:  some teams people like to move from one team to another
• Ron:  making teams is one of our deliverables – we either need to switch to that topic or keep going with this volunteer discussion and come back to teams
• Mark:  where are all these team members going to come from for these various teams
• Ron:  if no one is talking/organizing these various topics, lets have a meeting and talk about it – if one person is on multiple teams, this could be fine;  the board used to do everything, now the staff does a lot, and maybe teams could take over from the staff; 
• Kris:  understands various opinions, but team leader would simply help coordinate the various needs around OCP – and other people simply help the team leader
• Ron:  seems like we can leave this as a way to volunteer and keep working on other ways to volunteer;
• Mike:  maybe we should go backwards a bit and talk about teams and what we mean by talking about being on teams as a way to volunteer
• Ron:  suggesting we break from the volunteer hours discussion and clarify teams – we will then come back to volunteer hours;
• Philip:  staff signs off on all volunteer hours for people doing work on teams (not sure??)
• Ron:  the problem with the staff signing off on everything, there might be a team that focuses on cleaning the building that might create various events, workdays, etc – people who participate in the things this team sets up aren't necessarily on the team;  the teams and team leaders aren't necessarily doing the work, but helping to create the structures – more like high leverage
• Philip:  trying to figure out how to pull in volunteer hours into teams
• Ron:  we are going to move on to teams
• Jonathan:  likes the idea of starting with a few teams and having good leadership
• Ron:  what would define a team and make it have good leadership – maybe we say the team leader must be a member in good standing;  we are creating a large package – ocp membership and what does that mean;  maybe we set up the structure but it isn't implemented until we create more of the membership;
• Kris:  likes the idea of keeping the teams simple in the beginning and other teams could break out as we move forward
• Ron: thinks we should define what constitutes a team;  maybe a team has a designated leader that is either staff of a member in good standing and that team is approved of by the membership at a membership meeting and that team reports regularly (by way of the team leader) to the membership
• Peter:  if we are going to create team definitions, we should come up with what authority and responsibility each team has
• Mike:  Ron may be making some assumptions that Mike may not make;  Mike wants to clarify that the Friends group is sort of overseeing teams and membership
• Ron:  appreciates Peter's point, but finds it hard to come up with the specifics
• Peter:  if a group is only planning and coordinating, they would be clear that this is what they are tasked with
• Mike:  can you declare your own team as one or does a team have to have a certain number of people?
• Ron:  we would never want to stifle an idea – there is something valuable in sanctioning a team and knowing that those hours count
• Ron:  proposal by Ron is:  Teams would be:  1. have a coordinator – a staff member or an ocp member, 2. approved by membership – name, function, and parameters, 3. reports to membership regularly
• Jonathan seconds
• Mike:  thinks teams should report to a higher body beyond membership and membership doesn't exist
• Daneen:  concerned about giving authority to a member – seems like the staff should be the ones that have authority – people may become bossy and a loss of control at ocp
• Ron:  hopes that bossy issues would be worked out through membership by honesty meetings and talks/discussions
• Khaleel:  only Ron, Jonathan, and Mike are talking
• Jonathan:  worries about Mike's concern for having multiple layers of groups answering to different groups
• Ron:  seems like we do have various layers of authority already – ultimately would rather have a membership have more power than the Friends group
• Mike:  can we get a vote in before the end of the meeting
• Ron:  there isn't a rush, lets take the extra time and make sure that we hear all of the discussion and then we can have a vote