The Center for Creative Community

The S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D Workshop: An Outline

The ‘Scheier Project'

Statement of Purpose
Voluntas: The Center for Creative Community

The Establishment and Use of
Retreat Residences and Other Reflection-Friendly Situations

@ -- permission for use-with-acknowledgment

  The S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D Workshop: An Outline

A.  Our massive investment in training volunteer coordinators: time, money, effort, skill.

B.  A disturbing perception of poor payoff; probably no more that 5-10% of workshop material is ever applied successfully in the real world, "back home."

C.  Why?

1. Material is misunderstood because poorly communicated, or because level is wrong.
2. Material is understood but inappropriate to trainer’s needs.
3. Material is understood and appropriate but application is blocked by re-entry resistance.

D.  The Stretched Workshop is one remedy. It is hybrid of training and consulting which"…emphasizes deliberate interventions over a period of time substantially preceding and post-dating the training session per se."

1. Pre training Phase. Careful orientation, selection of trainees, and follow up consulting. Secure pledges of follow-up commitment from management.
2. The Training Session. Emphasis on preparing follow-up action plans and interfacing with follow-up consultants.
3. The Follow-Up Phase. Starting soon after the training session, each follow-up consultant works with a small group of trainees to support implementation of training material.

Readings
Ivan Scheier, Stop Wasting Training Time! Try the S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D Workshop. Spring, 1986 issue of "The Journal of Volunteer Administration," pp. 11-14.

Dana Gaines Robinson. Training for Impact (How to Stop Spinning Your Wheels and Get Into the Race.) February, 1984 issue of "Training Magazine."

Comments and inquires are welcome and should be addressed to Ivan H. Scheier……

  

The ‘Scheier Project'

To the land of sky-blue waters

Came a world-renowned consultant,

Came an author and a teacher,

Came a man for mountains distant.

Ivan Scheier came to help us

As we look at years to come;

As we struggled with our problems,

Helped us face them, every one.

From Duluth to Minneapolis,

From Winona to Stillwater;

Though the taxi couldn’t find it,

Oak Terrace was his shelter.

To DOVIA’s and VAC’s he went,

To Cragun’s, St. Cloud, and other places;

Networks, coalitions, plans,

Volunteers – a thousand faces.

MAVD has laid the groundwork

For Minnesota’s volunteers;

"Ivan said," will be the watchword

As we plan for future years.

Vi Russell
June 21, 1985

 

 Statement of Purpose
Voluntas: The Center for Creative Community
Prepared in December, 1990
By Ron Hale, VOLUNTAS Board

VOLUNTAS: The Center for Creative Community, works to strengthen volunteerism by stimulating research, dialogue, and thoughtful exploration among advanced practitioners and grassroots leaders in the field. Our programs are designed to promote personal and professional growth among practitioners and to expand the knowledge and experience base of volunteerism. Activities are guided by three principal goals:

1. The Center Seeks to Nurture Dreams. This means challenging people to question and to re-define basic assumptions and to go on from there to build new, expansive visions of what volunteering can and should be. The goal is to help people to become Practical Dreams – to see volunteerism as a powerful, innovative means of solving community problems, and as one of the highest expressions of what it means to be human.
2. The Center Seeks to Make Volunteering More Accessible to Greater Numbers of People. To volunteer is to Choose to do something for and in concert with, other human beings. The Center seeks to free people from economic, psychological, social, and other barriers that may prevent them from realizing their full potential as volunteers. Social and economic structures and support systems need to be developed that allow and encourage greater numbers of people to serve their communities, their neighbors, and themselves as volunteers. The Center encourages the development of both traditional and nontraditional forms of volunteerism. We are particularly interested in individuals and groups who are able to accomplish seemingly miraculous feats with no institutional affiliation or support.
3. The Center Encourages the Development of Alternative Modes for Organization of Volunteerism. Volunteers, whether organized or not, are ultimately accountable to the people whom they serve. Hierarchical organizational structures based on standard corporate and bureaucratic models may not always be appropriate for volunteer efforts – particularly for grassroots, community based, or entirely volunteer groups. The Center encourages volunteer leaders to identify and use organizational approaches that are consistent with the goals and values of particular volunteer programs and projects. We further seek to free people from exclusive dependence on formal institutions for initiative, guidance, and resources.

In summary, the purpose of VOLUNTAS: The Center for Creative Community is to stimulate creative, expansive, and practical dreaming about volunteerism, and in so doing to help people and societies use their individual and collective strengths to build a better, more humane world.

 

The Establishment and Use of
Retreat Residences and Other Reflection-Friendly Situations
An Advanced
Group Consultation for Leadership of
Community Voluntary Action
At VOLUNTAS, Madrid, New Mexico
August 27-30, 1995

From Sunday afternoon, August 27, through Wednesday noon, August, 30, there will be a group consultation at VOLUNTAS, The Madrid Retreat Residence, on the establishment and use of Retreat Residences and Other Reflection-Friendly Situations.

**Resource people will include Dr. JoAnn Hanson–Stone and Dr. Jim Stone of the Sprackelsbo Residence in Minnesota, along with Nancy David and Ivan Scheier of VOLUNTAS/Madrid. In addition, participants will receive substantial amounts of written resource material, not currently published or available elsewhere.

**Size is limited to twelve people and five of these places are filled as of mid-April. A $50 deposit will hold your place. Total fee is $125; food and lodging will be kept very affordable (details later in this flyer).

**The consultation begins at 5PM Sunday in the Minnesota garden of VOLUNTAS/Madrid. We’ll get acquainted and informally orientated at a wine, cheese and light meal compliments of your hosts. Starting Monday, Topics will include:

1. Basic Operating Concepts in Reflection Pools and Think Tanks (E.G., anchors and sails, support circles, questioning the question, etc.)
2. The Residence.

--Philosophy, Purposes

--What visitors might expect as outcomes

--What you as host might expect – rewards and cautions

--Locations and Facilities, physical maintenance

--How to begin

--Outreach to potential residents, screening, flow etc.

--Length of stay. As individual? With Group?

--Capacity at any one time – over longer times?

--Expectations of return from residents (fees? Other, Help)

--What helps people relax and re-create

--Program?

--Protecting your privacy

--House rules

--Preparing visitors for re-entry

--Other topics as we discover them…

The consultation will end at noon on Wednesday.

Transportation: Madrid is on a paved state highway through the Ortiz Mountains, between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Albuquerque is the airport to fly into. By road, Santa Fe is somewhat closer (20 miles) than Albuquerque (45 miles). Further information will be provided to registrants as requested.

Food and Lodging: One or two more spaces are available at the VOLUNTAS Residence, at $15 per night. Otherwise, there are 5 or 6 accommodations total at two Bed and Breakfasts located in the village of Madrid (pop. approx. 300). With double occupancy, these run between $25-$35 per night, usually with breakfast provided. If you prefer lodging in Santa Fe or in Albuquerque, we will gladly help arrange that.

There are two or sometimes three good/interesting places to eat right in Madrid, two other excellent country restaurants within 10 miles, and a vast selection in Santa Fe. There will also be the option of purchasing food from the General Store across the street and cooking together at VOLUNTAS.

 

Return to the Main Table of Contents Ivan Scheier Stillpoint 607 Marr Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, 87901 Tel (505) 894-1340 Email: ivan@zianet.com For comments and editing suggestions please contact Mary Lou McNatt mlmcnatt@indra.com