Fundraising Friday

Often a topic with any community group.  I bring to you Fundraising Friday - ideas, tips, check-lists, planning, sponsorship, and grants.  Just a list of a few ideas today - check back next week for more thoughts on Fundraising.

1. Auctions
2. Discos / Dance Parties
3. Food stalls i.e. BBQ's, cake stalls
4. Raffles
5. Coffee Connoisseur Evening
6. Event clean-up
7. Online auctions
8. Photo sittings try Frogprints or Pixifoto
9. Quiz nights
10. Scavenger Hunts

Theme Thursday - Olympics part 3

This week we continued our Olympic theme - can't believe that its raining again!  So we're indoors again.
Round robin of 4 events (this took half an hour):

1. Volleyball - how many hits in a row before it drops to the ground - best in 5 minutes
2. Weight lifting - holding a can in each hand with arms out in line with shoulders, and for older girls do this while doing wall squats, time each girl up to a max. 5 minutes
3. Handball - same scoring as volleyball - best in 5 minutes
4. Table tennis - same scoring as volleyball - best in 5 minutes

Then had half the teams doing traditional gym routine and other half doing rhythmic gymnastics, prepare a routine which must include 4 items plus they can earn extra points for doing other items.  Prep, then performance and then the teams swapped over and did the other event.  Again another half an hour.

Our gorgeous Juniors made sock chicks for Easter - adorable

Wednesday's Word of the Week - Sling It

On Wednesday's I bring you 'Word of the Week' - a devotion you can use with your girls at GB.

Sling It

Materials:
2 tube socks - roll up one sock and place it inside the bottom of the other sock.
Copy paper - write the following references on separate sheets of paper: Philippians 4:13, Exodus 15:2, Psalm 28:7, 2 Timothy 1:7.

Tell the Bible story "David Fought Goliath" (1 Samuel 17:1-50)
Display the tube sock sling to the girls.
Demonstrate the proper way to wind the sling in the air several times before tossing it at one of the verse pages on the floor.
Invite each child to identify a time when she feels scared or troubled and to toss the sling at a verse.  If the sling lands on a reference, guide all the kids to find the verse in their Bibles and read it aloud together.  Repeat the activity until all the verses have been read.
Debrief by explaining that by trusting God to give them power, they will experience peace and joy.

Toolbox Tuesday

Today's blog comes courtesy of Exult, from Tonic magazine, this article from Issue 7, August-October 2010.

Top Tips for Attracting Time-Poor Volunteers

Get to know the members within your organisation personally.
Its not enough to know about their skills or hobbies - you need to understand what makes them tick. Some people volunteer out of a sense of obligation, some because they want to 'make a difference', and others because it makes them feel important or valued. Regardless of how little time people have available, you will always get them involved if you can give them what they need in return.

If people are really busy, it is unlikely they will respond to a call for help in the newsletter or on the notice board, because they assume someone else will take up the challenge.
When the event goes ahead or the job gets done, they assume that someone else volunteered or you didn't need them after all. They have no idea that one person ended up doing the whole lot! If people aren't coming to you after a blanket call for help, pick up the phone and ask people one-on-one. You'll be surprised by how many people will 'find time' when they realise you're still looking for help.

Break the jobs you need done into smaller 'bite-sized' tasks, so that people only need to commit to small periods of time.
The more specific you can be about what needs to be done, the more likely you are to get people involved. Break everything down, and then if necessary, break it down again. Even committee roles can be shared. For example, you could have a Minutes Secretary and a Correspondence Secretary.

Let people know what needs to be achieved, but provide some flexibility in how they make that happen.
People know their schedules and commitments much better than you do, so let them have control over how they use their time, provided the job still gets done.

Support time-poor people in managing their time with you.

You can do this by:

- Giving them contact lists so they can get in touch with everyone they need to, when they need to.

- Allowing them access to specific information using passwords or codes, so they can work to their schedule not yours.  Constantly waiting for someone to get back to them only eats in to the precious little time they have available.

- Allowing a degree of authority so they can 'get on with the job'.  If they have to check in every step of the way, they will soon get frustrated by the hold-ups.

If you need people to do a specific task at a specific time, make sure you are organised and communicate with potential volunteers early.

Time-poor people need loads of warning to fit things into their schedule, therefore asking for helpers one week before they are needed is bound to fail.

Genuinely appreciate how precious time is to time-poor people - and don't waste it!

If you invite a time-poor person to attend a meeting, make sure that meeting is run efficiently otherwise they will never come back.  If a time-poor person volunteers to help with a specific project or event, make sure the event is well organised and they don't spend time twiddling their thumbs.  If they feel like their time is being wasted, they will choose to spend it elsewhere.

Give people the option to make a cash donation, rather than a donation of time.

Most time-poor people would rather tape a $5 note to a plate, than bake a cake for a cake stall.  (And let's face it, the result is the same.)  Your time-poor members may not be able to help mow the office lawns, but they may be prepared to pay for a lawn mower once a fortnight.  Don't assume it's volunteering or nothing - make the ask.

Recognise your time-poor volunteers in ways that give them more time - not take time away.

For example, instead of inviting a time-poor volunteer to a thank-you dinner, give them the gift of a pizza voucher that they can use when their day has been extra frantic.  Instead of only having volunteer get-together in person, set up a Facebook page where your volunteers can connect with each other online.  This can allow your time-poor volunteer to feel like part of the team, without asking for more if their precious time.

Motivation Mondays

Been thinking about how to blog more often and with more variety.  And at the same time possibly providing something of use to GB.  So welcome to Motivation Monday.  Some of you may have seen this from the Australian GB newsletter, writer unknown.

MY DECLARATION 

“My calling is sure.

My challenge is big.

My vision is clear.

My desire is strong.

My influence is eternal.

My impact is critical.

My values are solid.

My faith is tough.

My mission is urgent.

My purpose is unmistakable.

My direction is forward.

My heart is genuine.

My strength is supernatural.

My reward is promised.

And my God is real.

I refuse to be dismayed, disengaged, disgruntled, discouraged, or distracted.

Neither will I look back, stand back, fall back, go back or sit back.

I do not need applause, flattery, adulation, prestige, stature or veneration.

I have no time for business as usual, mediocre standards, small thinking, normal expectations, average results, ordinary ideas, petty disputes or low vision.

I will not give up, give in, bail out, lie down, turn over, quit or surrender.

I AM A SERVANT.

That is what I will be.”

Olympics - Part 2

This weeks events - Hockey, Soccer, Gymnastic Relay, Archery, Horse-riding....with a difference.  We went down to our local school.  All events had a couple of minutes to explain and practise, then 5 minutes to get as many points for their team.

Gymnastic relay - involved a tag replay around the playground equipment.

Hockey - controlling a ball up to and around cones and back.

Soccer - shooting goals.

Archery - shooting balls through climbing mesh

Horse-riding - piggy back rides around a course.

Opening Ceremony & First Events

Now it wasn't quite as spectacular as the 'real' Olympics but we had a torch and the girls paraded in their flags and they looked spectacular!

Next we completed the first 3 events - discuss, javelin, and shotput.  To put an emphasis on the team each person threw and then the distances were added up and the team with the combined longest distance won - plus there were bonus points for team spirit.  So until the next events!