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Greeting: President's Message
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Chuck Cagle, Volunteer Council President
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“I
don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: The only
ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and
found how to serve.” -Albert Schweitzer
Welcome to the 2011-2012
orchestra year for volunteers! It is a profound honor for me to serve
this year as president of the Volunteer Council of the League of
American Orchestras. Additionally, it is a distinct privilege for me to
represent the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and the Nashville Symphony
Orchestra League in these endeavors.
This year’s theme for me
will be the recognition of the service of volunteers. I have spent my
time in service both to my home orchestra and to the orchestra
organizations in which I participate gaining a renewed appreciation for
the countless hours of service rendered by orchestra volunteers
nationwide. This service ranges from performing menial tasks to raising
millions of dollars to support orchestra operations. In addition, labor
performed by volunteers has saved orchestras hundreds of thousands of
dollars in personnel costs because the services donated would otherwise
have to be performed by paid employees. From concert hall docents to
fundraisers; from housing and feeding orchestra members to supporting
and providing quality educational programs for communities and school
children, the volunteers do their part to keep the music alive.
The
state I represent has a particular affinity for volunteers. In 1898, a
call was sent out by the President of the United States declaring the
need for soldiers to quell an uprising by the Spanish in Guam, Cuba, and
the Philippines. Middle and East Tennessee provided four regiments,
nearly 4,000 men, for the effort. On May 8, 1898 the New York Times
lauded the “volunteer spirit” exhibited by this state for the war
effort. That reputation lives to this day because, after the war,
Tennessee’s official nickname became “The Volunteer State.”
Volunteering
is not, and has never been a spectator sport. It requires energy, time,
and commitment. My goal this year is to celebrate the contributions
made by volunteers and volunteer groups to orchestras across the nation.
Chuck Cagle
Volunteer Council President
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Help Us Serve You Better
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The
Volunteer Council wants to serve you and your association better. From
Volunteer Notes to Mentoring Circles to webinars specifically designed
for volunteers, we have many resources to help enhance the functions of
your organization. For associations who are struggling in these tough
economic times or organizations that just need an impartial opinion, the
Volunteer Council is here to offer one-on-one mentoring and much more.
To
do this, we need email addresses for the members of your association.
Without these, we can’t effectively reach each and every member of your
association, keeping them abreast of all the services available to
volunteers. Help us help you and send email lists for your association
members to Meghan Whitbeck at
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.
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Mentoring: Multiple Options Available
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The
Volunteer Council has long been committed to providing all types of
resources to help meet the current and future needs of volunteer
associations in support of their orchestras. Volunteer Council
Sustainers are available just for the asking, to mentor groups on a
one-to-one basis. If a volunteer group has just been established or is
going through a particularly difficult period, then this free mentoring
service may be just the resource to help the group succeed. Sustainer
Liaison to the Volunteer Council Marylou Turner is chair of this
mentoring program. For more information, contact her at
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.
Also,
in November, a new session of Mentoring Circles, designed specifically
for new volunteer association presidents and presidents-elect, will
begin. This series of six monthly, 90-minute discussions will take place
via telephone, and is an opportunity for participants to connect with
others who have the same questions and are facing similar situations.
Co-facilitated by Heather Moore, past president, Association of Major
Symphony Orchestra Volunteers (AMSOV) and past president of the
Volunteer Council of the League and Helen Shaffer, current president,
AMSOV and president–elect of the Volunteer Council, this guided
peer-to-peer learning offers networking, sharing, and personal insight
from two experienced volunteer presidents.
Here’s what a past participant says about their Mentoring Circle: “The
size of the Mentoring Circle makes it easy for everyone to participate
in the discussions, yet still learn from others and their
experiences…the scope of topics covered was amazing. Topics were timely,
useful, and covered a broad range of issues. I wouldn’t change
anything.”
For more information or to register for this Mentoring Circle by November 3, please click here.
Please contact Meghan Whitbeck at
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or 646 822 4083, if you have any questions.
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Planning: Save the Date for Conference in Dallas, June 5-8, 2012!
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Meyerson Symphony Center
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They
say everything is bigger in Texas, and the League of American
Orchestras’ 2012 National Conference in Dallas, June 5 -8, 2012 is no
exception!
Volunteers will experience extensive networking
opportunities, leadership development sessions, and presentations from
the Awards of Excellence and Roundtable award winners representing
volunteer organizations across North America. Already on the schedule
are two symphony concerts that will take place in the Meyerson Symphony
Center, which is just a short walk from the Conference hotel. The
performance by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will take place Wednesday,
June 6, and will be followed by the Tune-Up Party. On Thursday evening,
June 7, Conference attendees will be treated to a performance by the
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
The Conference hotel will be the
newly renovated Sheraton Downtown Dallas. From the Sheraton, it is easy
to enjoy the entire Dallas Arts District (dallasartsdistrict.org)
or walk to the original flagship Neiman-Marcus store for a little
shopping during free time. Dining options in the area abound, from the
fine dining establishments of nationally-recognized chefs to eclectic,
casual eating establishments.
Now is the time to make sure you
and your league are budgeting to attend this upcoming Conference. Online
registration and hotel reservations will be open in February 2012. It
is not too early to start making your plans today for this exciting and
rewarding National Conference! And please be sure that Conference is on
the radar screen of your orchestra staff and board.
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Learning: Recruiting Your Next Generation of Volunteers Part II
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Sandra Weingarten
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One
of the most consistent challenges facing volunteer organizations is
attracting and retaining volunteers who are willing to work to support
their orchestras. Now help is here! The Volunteer Council of the League
of American Orchestras has designed a webinar to provide you with the
tools to tackle this problem head on. In Recruiting Your Next Generation
of Volunteers Part II, you will learn how to organize a membership
committee and hear examples of best practices for involving and
retaining volunteers.
Facilitated by Sandra Weingarten, a former
member of the League of American Orchestras’ Volunteer Council, and a
past president of the Eugene Symphony Guild in Oregon, this webinar is
offered free to League members and available on-demand. You can view
this webinar now by clicking here.
After
you have viewed this webinar, please take a few minutes to share your
impressions of this webinar by filling out an evaluation form here.
Should you have any additional questions or comments, please feel
welcome to send them to Meghan Whitbeck at
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and she will respond to you shortly. Thank you and we hope you enjoyed this webinar experience!
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Communicating: Let Us Hear From You!
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In
an effort to be more in touch with all our constituent volunteer
associations, we ask you to put the Volunteer Council on your mailing
list. Please add us to your database for sending e-newsletters, and send
us photos of volunteers working on your special projects at
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. This helps us to keep up with your organization and provide the most relevant resources for you.
Also,
remember to forward this newsletter to your organization’s Board of
Directors and encourage any of those members to sign up to receive this
information directly from the League by contacting Meghan Whitbeck at
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. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Subscribe
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To
subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your email address, please send your
name, title, orchestra or organization name, mailing address, and email
address to
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and put “VOLUNTEER NOTES” in the subject line.
League of American Orchestras
33 West 60th Street, Fifth Floor
New York, NY 10023-7905
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