Volunteer Leader Status Reports Due July 31

Each volunteer leader is responsible for submitting a Status Report on a quarterly basis, at a minimum. The next quarterly Status Reports are due July 31. Regional Directors, Committee Chairs, Liaisons, Editors, and Workgroup Chairs should submit Status Reports to their volunteer supervisor. The Executive Board and staff are committed to reviewing all Status Reports and providing volunteers with the guidance, feedback, and support necessary to accomplish their goals.

Stay Involved at the Annual Meeting and in 2010!

2009 Annual Meeting Ambassadors Form
Interested in volunteering at the Annual Meeting? The 2009 Annual Meeting Ambassadors Form is now available. Go to the Get Involved - Volunteer Opportunities section of the website to sign up to volunteer at the 2009 Annual Meeting in Jacksonville, FL.

2010 Volunteer Involvement Form

The 2009 Volunteer Involvement Form is available. Go to the Get Involved - Volunteer Opportunities section of the website to complete your 2010 Volunteer Involvement Form. Priority consideration is given to those individuals who complete the form by September 4. Be sure to read these tips before completing your form!

Membership Renewal
Haven't renewed? Go to the membership section of the website to renew your membership.  Remember you can't vote or hold a volunteer position if you don't renew. All members must be renewed by August 15.
 
Outstanding Volunteer of the Year
It's always the right time to think about recognizing the exceptional volunteers you work with through AFA. Recognition may be on your mind, as we have just finished our evaluation process. If you are interested in submitting a letter of nomination for the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year award, email a letter of nomination to Sarah McCracken, Director of Member Services, by Friday, September 25, 2009. Please be sure to include the nominee's institution/organization, phone number, email address and why you believe s/he is deserving of this honor.

Volunteer Experience Survey Themes
Thank you to the 85 volunteers who completed the Volunteer Experience Survey! This is a 203% increase in response rate from the last survey. The Volunteer Engagement Committee, Volunteer Coordinator, and Director of Member Services are currently reviewing the results and using this data to re-design the Volunteer Development Program for fall 2009.

Some common themes:

• Why you volunteer - While we received 85 individual reasons that members volunteer, the common themes of advancing the fraternal movement, connecting with colleagues, gaining new experiences and skills, and giving back can be easily seen.
• Volunteer Development Program needs a new direction - We are working on it!
• Volunteer transition is key - A thorough transition including previous year documents and models is important to many of our volunteers.
• Opportunities for training outside the Volunteer Development Program - Many of our volunteers are unable to attend the Annual Meeting and are seeking opportunities for training that can be done remotely.
• Volunteer Leader Jump Start Quiz - The majority of our returning Volunteer Leaders enjoyed this new take on Jump Start Training (especially the ones who won the free Virtual Seminar Series registration!).
• More work to do - Many of our committee members would like more to do! We appreciate this feedback as we re-consider the sizes of committees and workgroups during appointments for 2010.
• Volunteer Leader focus - Leaders that focus on the "task" as well as creating a group camaraderie tend to create better volunteer experiences for the group.
• Volunteering takes time -  It's a commitment that when done well really yields benefits. We all seem to know when we're stretched thin and not able to participate as much as we would hope.