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| VAT: May-Jun | Volunteerism's Newsletter | Vintage: 1994 |
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This article is being re-printed for non-commercial use as approved by GRAPEVINE,
A Volunteerism Newsletter. |
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The DOVIA Exchange By Ivan Scheier |
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Five Steps to the Vision
Where ‘DOVIA’ = most frequent but not the only name for: a local or regional professional association oriented to a career or other serious interest in providing leadership for volunteers. The VISION is of DOVIAs Together, fifty thousand strong, empowering volunteerism in North America, as it has never been empowered before.Step One: Midst all the great information and inspiration in Grapevine, don't overlook the DOVIA Exchange part of it. Don't just read it; contribute your information and ideas to it. They are most welcome.
Step Two: Let people know where you are and stay there! Get and keep a permanent address via a PO Box or in care of a stable organization such as a Volunteer Center. That way, we don't have to revise our national DOVIA directory every two months, as now!
Step Three: Network with your neighbor DOVIAs as noted in previous Exchanges, then steadily move beyond that to forming flexible associations with them, on a multi-county or regional basis, as in Michigan's Tri-County DOVIA, or the Texas DOVIA Network.
Step Four: Over and above all the previous, join the National DOVIA Network, for special bulletins between newsletters, addresses of nearby DOVIAS, checklists, discounts, special information searches, etc. Write or call us for details.
Step Five: Support and participate in DOVIA Day at the International Conference on Volunteer Administration in Anaheim CA, October 5-9, 1994. This history-making event will be an entire day, Wednesday, October 5th, the first real opportunity ever for North American DOVIAs to exchange information, ideas, and inspiration, to ‘get together' for ourselves and hopefully with AVA. The theme is 'one voice.' For the first time in memory, the President of AVA, busy as she will be at that time, plans to be there. How about you? And please pledge what support you can to, finance this opportunity for us all.
If you haven't recently received a mailing from the host committee, let us know, or call any of the following: Dr Marilyn Kronrnal (310/458-8300); Susan Turner (310/940-2528); or Norma Jacobs (818/364-3074). Contact the same people with your suggestions and offers of participation.
Twelve Titles: A Free Association Exercise
Nothing has more ongoing relevance for DOVIA members than the question of Professional Identity - just who are we? So, try treading this alphabetical list slowly at a meeting; see how many people raise their hands for each of the twelve titles, and then discuss. The instructions: Raise your hand for each of he twelve titles that significantly reflect your role in relation to volunteers:* Administrator
* Animator
* Catalyst
* Coach
* Conductor (as in an orchestra) & Coordinator
* Director
* Dreamcatcher
* Facilitator
* Manager
* Negotiator
* Supervisor
* Did we leave anything out?We'd be grateful for results and comments you're willing to share with the Exchange.
Zip!
From Diane Maxey, editor of Boulder, CO's new newsletter Dateline DOVIA: "It's interesting to note that our membership increased by a dozen or so (almost doubled) after our first newsletter was sent." Small wonder, we say. People join DOVIA in the first place because they want quality information and ideas, attractively presented. Boulder's newsletter is a model of that. It features an eye-catching format chocked full of nuggets of information, all on one page (double-sided). There's a place for longer newsletter, too, of course, and, resources permitting, both a zippie short and a longer newsletter, as Michigan's MAVA does. But be sure your longer newsletter isn't so windy as to cause people to disjoin DOVIA. It needn't be, of course, but do be careful about two-page messages from the President.
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.comFor comments and editing suggestions please contact Mary Lou McNatt mlmcnatt@indra.com