Here we are with Australia Day upon us, the first two weeks of Tuesday sailing behind us (OK the first one was pretty easy for most of us) and the first social event for volunteers is only a couple of days away (Australia Day at SYC Hollywell).
I have been pondering the year ahead and in doing so have come to appreciate more than ever the tremendous work that goes into Sailability Gold Coast each week as has been the case for the past 20 years. Take a bow Sailability Gold Coast volunteers and make sure you read the story in this newsletter on a very special Sailability Gold Coast volunteer.
Many of you are aware of what it is that I would like to see form the foundations for the year ahead and beyond. I have given each of you my commitment to build our relationship on communication, collaboration, education, innovation and community. Of course, I recognise that each is a ‘two-way-street’. Communication is talking and listening, collaboration is working together, education is learning from and teaching one another, innovation is achieving collective best-practice for the entire group and, lastly any community is only as strong as its weakest link.
On the matter of communication, over the coming few weeks I will be spending some time at each of the various ‘stations’ that make up our Tuesday sailing day machine. I want to talk to you about what is good about the way you go about your job each week, what might be done a better way in your view and if you consider that your group is properly resourced.
Again, on communication a temporary web site is now in place and the new, comprehensive site will be developed in coming weeks and ‘switched to live’ following the February Committee meeting. You will be kept up-to-date with this and other work that the committee is undertaking on a week to week basis where the information and announcements shared at the meeting prior to each Tuesday’s activities will be posted on the noticeboard where, if you need to remind yourself of detail or dates, you can take a snap with your phone. This Sailability Gold Coast newsletter will also contain a review of activities, volunteer profiles, general news and will be published every two months. It will be distributed via an email message and archived on the web site. You should have my email address (president@sailabilitygc.org) and telephone number (0427 026 001) and use them. Please let me know what ideas you might have and what suggestions you would like to put forward be it regarding processes, social events, boats, rosters, clients, volunteer training or any other thing that might be relevant to who and what we are and what it is that we do. I am part of a good team of volunteers that make up the Sailability Gold Coast committee and we will consider, discuss and implement where we can.
I am especially interested in ensuring that education remains a major part of Sailability Gold Coast where we each strive to learn from, and teach one another. From our newest volunteer (and two joined us as recently as this last week) to the many ‘old hands’ we can all learn from one another. Let’s all remember that new volunteers are finding their way for many weeks and it is human nature that they would want to ‘fit in’, learn and contribute. New volunteers are of paramount importance to organisations like Sailability Gold Coast. Volunteers are the lifeblood and represent a sustainable future for Sailability Gold Coast. Together with the members of your committee we are discussing the various ways we may be able to implement a ‘mentor program’ that endures for a few weeks rather than a few hours ensuring that each and every one of our volunteers feels productive and happy and embraces the great camaraderie that is Sailability Gold Coast.