2009 Retreat Report
"COMMON GOALS, DIFFERENT ROLES: Finding our place in Volunteer Management"
"Thank you for all the efforts gone into making this retreat an invaluable experience and worthwhile. I now see my role as leader of Volunteers instead of regional coordinator, I feel like I am valued"
"the most enjoyable and exciting retreat to date"
The 2009 Retreat was held at Binna Burra Mountain Lodge in Lamington National park, Queensland from March 11 to 13. 39 delegates from across Australia and New Zealand joined a faculty of five for 3 days of discussion about the future of our profession."went too quickly. Tiring but worthwhile"
A wide range of learning styles were on offer and lots of critical debate took place. International guest faculty member Rob Jackson from Volunteering England in the UK, joined Retreat founders Andy Fryar and Martin J Cowling and invited Australian guest faculty members DJ Cronin and Liz Scarfe to make up the faculty. "Hope you can keep going with your enthusiasm and commitment. Good on you. You picked good extra faculty members"
At the end of our time together, the retreat delegates resolved to achieve the following goals:
1. For each member present to go to their CEO or another person of influence in their own agency and report back on the retreat experience and the lessons they have learnt from being away
2. To partner with AAVA to increase opportunities for member participation to achieve a series of goals for the profession (eg. mentoring program, salary scales, competencies for VPM) "thanks heaps. I will come to the next one and I will join AAVA. Thanks for all you both do"
3. To develop a set of AGREED competencies for Volunteer Management by March 2010
4. a) Join / re-join AAVA
4 b) Deliver a travelling road show in Australia and NZ to teach the basics of Volunteer Management
4 c) To disseminate (via delegate Tony) a Return on Investment tool for use by the group
