Smithsonian Associates Volunteer Coordinator, Jenna Jones, CVA is
"over the moon" about introducing this
new blog! (Photo taken at the Innovation Festival in the Air and Space Museum last November.)
From Jenna's Desk:
Hope your 2015 is getting off to a wonderful start - I am really excited about how this brand new blog will communicate all kinds of good and helpful news and announcements to all our badged volunteers - including YOU! Many of you probably follow other blogs of interest, and I hope you will subscribe (see orange button at the top and bottom of the right column). Future posts will be written by volunteers as well as by me, feature photos of volunteers in action, and provide a place for "dialogue" via a comments section. This allows you to ask questions or share thoughts on new posts with other volunteers and with me. I will serve as the blog's primary writer and editor, but I welcome your input! I hope you will enjoy keeping informed through this blog and as mentioned above, please ensure getting future posts by clicking on the "Subscribe" button.
In This Inaugural Issue:
- Office Volunteers - Save A Date for Our Gathering and Tessatura Mini-Trainings
- A wrap up of our fun annual party back in October - with a photo album on the right column
- A special shout-out of thanks to the 21 Volunteers who reached a "Milestone Year of Service" with us in 2014, and the 4 Volunteers selected for Excellence Awards
- 7 Studio Art Rep Interviews as featured in the S+ART Blog, links provided
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The lovely Andrea Hartman will lead an interactive half hour overview of our Tessitura database as the final part of both gatherings. It’s optional, but stay if you can and learn some nifty things to help you as you volunteer in the office.
Attention All
Office Volunteers!
We will host an exclusive special gathering for Office Volunteers on Wednesday, February 25 and again on Thursday, March 5. You need to attend only one of the two sessions. The purpose of the gatherings are to evaluate what is going well and identify ways the office volunteering can improve; to distribute newly created information packets, and to provide an opportunity for fellowship and thanks from staff for the good work accomplished in 2014. Since the great majority of office volunteers missed the annual party, we will show volunteer appreciation at this gathering as well. As an added bonus, optional mini-trainings on using our Tessitura (TT) database will be offered in the last half hour, so here's a chance to get answers to your TT questions and learn a few new tricks about navigating the system by our in-house expert, Andrea Hartman.
Oh! And did I mention there will be deliciousness?
Yes, food and drink will play a part in this too.
Doesn't everyone love refreshments? So don't miss out!
PLEASE RSVP BY FEBRUARY 20 FOR ONE OF THESE TWO DATES
BY CLICKING ON A LINK BELOW:
Wednesday, February 25, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Thursday, March 5 from 1:00 p.m. -3:00 p.m.
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THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS!
Annual Party with Superhero Theme - October 6, 2014
Over 75 volunteers and staffers partied together on October 6th to celebrate another year of volunteer successes. We recognized the 22 volunteers who reached milestone years of service in 2014. Since the party, the much coveted pins were mailed to these recipients:
10 years: Carol Fabish, Marjorie Fisher, Linda Koepnick, Ann Kurzius, Joan Stogis
15 years: Rita Chow, Martha Cogdell, Woody (Harold) Davis, Jeanne Everitt, Pamela Gault, Christine Keunen, Annmarie Pittman, George Stevens, Peter Stogis
20 years: Jo Culbertson, Bob (Robert) Isenstein, Rita Suffness, Gloria Sullivan
25 years: Debra Roane, Stella Lam 30 years: Ruth Oyen 40 years: Joan Kugler
Isn't that amazing? What dedication!! Thank you!!
In fiscal year 2014, our 390+ volunteers spent a whopping 22,337 hours of their time and energy with the Associates. Thank you so very much for all you've done to keep our programs, classes, trips, and office projects running so smoothly!
At the party we also honored four volunteers with Excellent Service Certificates and a bag of Smithsonian "swag." They were:
Event Representative - Janet Downing
Studio Arts Representative - Sherri Watkins
Bus Tour Representative - Carol Farris
Office Volunteer - Sheila Lopez
The campy and fun " Volunteers are Our Superheroes" theme included a photo booth, patriotic decorations, and a multi-media presentation to celebrate the ten superhero qualities of our volunteers. In the remarks given by Director Fredie Adelman, she referenced the Federal Government Shutdown that began FY 14, and made an analogy to how Washington D.C. was like Metropolis faced with a huge threat to bring things to a standstill, including our Associates programs! But our ever faithful volunteers came to the rescue and saved the day, time and again by reporting for duty, just like our favorite superheroes! We also acknowledged the 34 new members of our volunteer teams this past year. We are growing by leaps and bounds!
Thank you one and all!
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STUDIO ARTS VOLUNTEERS FEATURED IN THE ASSOCIATES' S+ART BLOG
Social Media Intern creates an ongoing series
of volunteer interviews
Seven of our Studio Art Rep Volunteers have been interviewed for the Associates Studio Arts Blog: S+ART! Click on the links below to read up on each of the following Studio Arts Representatives. They bring lots of interests and experience to the courses they support!
Thank you, one and all for the many ways you add to the students' positive experience of these studio arts courses!
