Tag Archive for strategies

Inspiring Views on Family Literacy in San Diego

April 1, 2012 Blogging, Travel, Uncategorized, Writing 8 comments
Balcony view, San Diego 2012

View from balcony, San Diego 2012 (M E Powell)

The view from my balcony suite at the Sheraton Marina in San Diego wasn’t the only inspiration in my life last week. I had a chance to participate in the 21st annual National Conference on Family Literacy (NCFL) in San Diego, CA.

I have to wonder why San Diego wasn’t on my bucket list before this. Temperate weather is just one of the things this city of over a million people – the eighth largest city in the USA – can boast about. It’s also surprisingly clean.

San Diego skyline

San Diego skyline 2012 (M E Powell)

As I walked along Harbor Island Drive, the area near the airport at San Diego Bay felt safe, especially with the naval base on the opposite shore.

Diving pelican, San Diego, 2012

Diving pelican, San Diego, 2012 (M E Powell)

The big brown pelicans dove into the Bay nearby, with no fear of human intervention.

And the views of the San Diego Skyline, and the Coronado Bridge, just added to my appreciation of the area.

Coronado Bridge, San Diego

Coronado Bridge, San Diego (M E Powell)

I felt lucky to have a chance to see these views in March, and equally lucky to be attending a major conference of literacy advocates, offering training and networking opportunities. I attended two of the 10 full-day or half-day pre-conference workshops that kicked-off the event.

The following three days offered many opportunities for some 1200 participants, by unofficial count. We had a choice of at least 10 concurrent sessions in each of four time slots during the day, as well as another round of concurrent sessions on the final day. That’s well over 50 workshop sessions to choose from.

Instead of or as well as concurrent sessions, participants could choose to attend featured sessions twice a day. As well as all this, exhibitors provided a trade show of cutting-edge information and tools. And a poster session on the second afternoon brought  30 special literacy projects and activities to our attention, from across the country.

During the banquet and luncheon events, we heard from guest speakers ranging from experts with sage advice to learners with heartening stories to share. And a special session finished the final afternoon of the conference.

Here’s a quick sampling of the views I heard:

- Families need to be engaged with their children “from cradle to career,” says family literacy advocate and author Karen Mapp.

- Expectations matter, says youth advocate, Rhodes scholar, and author Wes Moore. Education matters, because of who you’re learning from and who you’re learning with.

- Literacy isn’t just a goal for “them” – for “those families” we may think of as “needing help” – but rather, it’s a tool for everyone, say workshop leaders Kimberly Scott and Margaret Doughty of Literacy Powerline. Literacy should be a priority, because it’s the key to effective business, government, advocacy, and all manner of work in our communities. Engaging the whole community in literacy is our best method of building effective coalitions, to improve the quality of life for us all.

And that’s barely scratching the surface of my notes and memories from the San Diego NCFL conference. If you’ve attended the NCFL conference, this year or another year, what views did you see and hear? Please leave a comment, and let’s share ideas.

Volunteering? “Before you say yes…” (Review)

January 3, 2012 Books, Uncategorized 2 comments
Book cover

Before You Say Yes

The holidays are a great time to catch up on reading – and to prepare for the new year. This year I’m hoping to help encourage new board members to sign on with a local organization. And I’m lucky to have Doreen Pendgracs‘ handy reference, Before You Say Yes: A Guide to the Pleasures and Pitfalls of Volunteer Boards.

Doreen has served on many boards, and is currently vice-president of the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC). I met her at a PWAC annual general meeting a few years ago, and asked her to give a workshop for our local chapter. Her real-life experience helps her make some great pointers in this book that I plan to pass along to our members.

For instance, she writes about different types of boards and how they run, as well as the etiquette expected of a board member. She covers the responsibilities of the position, including financial obligations and compensation, and the special knowledge that goes with the job. For instance, she defines terms like “fiduciary duty”  – which means always acting in the best interest of the organization – and discusses Robert’s Rules of Order.

One great idea I took away from this book is to present “tip sheets” for new board members. She says :

  • “These useful documents provided directors with clear and correct information – accessible at their fingertips – so that answers given by the various board members to the inevitable questions were all accurate and along the same wavelength.”

Strategies like that could help our new board members. I found many useful ideas in Before You Say Yes, so I decided to ask Doreen more about the book.

Here are her answers:

Doreen Pendgracs

Doreen Pendgracs

1) Doreen, I was impressed by the number of useful suggestions in your book, Before You Say Yes: A Guide to the Pleasures and Pitfalls of Volunteer Boards. Why did you decide to write the book?

DP: I had just completed a six-year term on the board of Access Copyright, Canada’s Copyright Licensing Agency. I was surprised how I felt a void! Serving on that board had taught me so much and kept me so busy with projects and new learning opportunities that when my job there was done, I didn’t know what to do with the extra time. It then occurred to me that my extensive board knowledge may be useful to others so I decided to write a book showcasing what I have learned along the way. I also interviewed 20 people across Canada for additional insights and perspectives. My intent was to write a book that would be useful to anyone currently volunteering on a committee or board of a non-profit organization or association, and also anyone contemplating doing so.

2) The book is loaded with tips and advice for board members – new and old. I certainly learned a lot. What do you think is the most valuable piece of advice for me to pass along to our new board members?

DP: I think the most important thing anyone can learn from reading my book is that it is critical that they find the right volunteer role or opportunity for them. Volunteering will only be meaningful and productive if you are volunteering for an association or a cause for which you hold a deep passion. Research the volunteer opportunities that will be best suited to you. Ask questions before you say yes. Make an informed decision.

3) What advice has been the most valuable for you, in your work on volunteer boards?

DP: The most valuable advice I received was from a fellow volunteer who told me that we do a great disservice to any organization by agreeing to volunteer for them if we don’t really want to. If we don’t have the enthusiasm, passion, knowledge, connections or time to enable us to do the job well, we shouldn’t accept the challenge.

That’s honest advice. Thanks Doreen. Before You Say Yes is available directly from the Dundurn Press website, at bookstores across Canada, and online.

Have you volunteered for a board? What’s the most useful piece of advice you’ve received? Please leave a comment, and let’s start a discussion.

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