Academic
Academic enhancement
Careers and majors decision-making
Resume workshops / Interviewing skills
Lunch with a faculty member
Tutoring sessions
Math module study groups
Politics and Current Events Forum
Social
Pool party
Mardi Gras celebration
St. Patrick’s Day
Holiday decorating
Coffeehouse
Ice cream social
Valentine’s Day event
Movie marathon
Pancake event (pancake week in February)
Superbowl party
Nacho night
Football & “mocktails”
Burrito night
Tie-dye & ice cream
Midnight breakfast
Movie nights
Luau
Games night
Bingo
Dance
Karaoke
Sumo suit and astro jump
Halloween
Theater party
Cartoon breakfasts
Egg roll party
Bowling tournament
Recreation
Rockclimbing
Pool
Ping-pong
Intramurals
Aerobics
Relaxation workshop
Bicycle trips
Miniature golf
Fishing trips
Educational
First Aid Class
Fire and life safety
Eat Right (Cancer Society)
“Eating for the Health of It”
Native American / American Indian Pow Wow
Black History month event
Relationships workshop
Cinco de Mayo
How to look for a summer job
Engineering Week
Stress management
Time management
Lunch w/ international students
Celebrating awareness month
Cultural film series
Religious issues
How to make chocolate (Feb is Chocolate month)
Travel
Clothing drive
Meal donation
Feed the homeless
Eating disorders
RAD program (Sexual assault awareness)
Income tax workshops
Values clarification
PROJECT CHECKLIST
Task
| Completed |
Set the desired goal for the project
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| Define needed budget amount |
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Reserve event location
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Location:
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Date/Time:
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Possible conflicts:
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Transportation needed?
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Secure funding
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| Publication of event: |
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Secure equipment
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| Publication of event: |
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Volunteers
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How many needed:
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Point Of Contact:
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Places to go for Volunteer Opportunities
National Crime Prevention Council
1700 K Street NW., Second Floor
Washington, DC 20006-3817
202-466-6272
Internet: www.ncpc.org
Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
800-638-8736 (8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET)
301-519-5212 (Fax)
E-Mail: askncjrs@ncjrs.org
Internet: www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/
American Legion Child Welfare Foundation
700 North Pennsylvania Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-630-1200
Internet: www.legion.org
Barrios Unidos
Washington, DC, Chapter
P.O. Box 21098
Washington, DC 20009
202-424-6309
202-673-4557 (Fax)
Boy Scouts of America
1325 Walnut Hill Lane
Irving, TX 75015-2079
972-580-2000
Internet: www.bsa.scouting.org
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
1230 West Peachtree Street NW.
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-815-5700
Internet: www.bgca.org
Camp Fire Boys and Girls
4601 Madison Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64112
816-756-1950
Internet: www.campfire.org
Child Welfare League of America
440 First Street NW., Suite 310
Washington, DC 20001-2085
202-638-2952
Internet: www.cwla.org
Children's Express
1331 H Street NW., Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005
202-737-7377
Internet: www.ce.org
Coalition for Juvenile Justice
1211 Connecticut Avenue NW., Suite 414
Washington, DC 20036
202-467-0864
202-887-0738 (Fax)
Communities In Schools, Inc.
1199 North Fairfax Street, Suite 300
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-519-8999
703-519-7213 (Fax)
Community Anti-Drug Coalition of America
901 North Pitt Street, Suite 300
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-706-0560
Internet: www.cadca.org
The Corporation for National Service
1201 New York Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20525
202-606-5000
Internet: www.nationalservice.org
Gila River Youth Council
P.O. Box F
Sacatone, AR 85247
520-562-3065
520-562-3963 (Fax)
Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
420 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
212-852-8000
Internet: www.gsusa.org
Girls, Inc.
30 East 33d Street, Seventh Floor
New York, NY 10016
212-689-3700
Internet: www.girlsinc.org
Junior Achievement, Inc.
One Education Way
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
719-540-8000
Internet: www.ja.org
Learn and Serve America
Corporation for National Service
1201 New York Avenue NW.
Washington, DC 20525
202-606-5000
Internet: www.cns.gov/learn/index.html
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
511 East John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 700
Irving, TX 75062-8187
214-744-MADD (214-744-6233)
Internet: www.madd.org
National Association of Counties
4040 First Street NW.
Washington, DC 20001
202-393-6226
Internet: www.naco.org
The National Exchange Club
3050 Central Avenue
Toledo, OH 43606
419-535-3232
Internet: www.nationalexchangeclub.com
National 4-H Council
7100 Connecticut Avenue
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-4999
301-961-2820
Internet: www.4hcouncil.edu
National Organization for Victim Assistance
1757 Park Road NW.
Washington, DC 20010
202-232-6682
Internet: www.try-nova.org/
National PTA
700 North Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611
312-670-6782
Internet: www.pta.org
National Victim Center
309 West Seventh Street, Suite 705
Fort Worth, TX 76102
817-877-3355
Internet: www.nvc.org
National Youth Leadership Council
1910 West County Road B
Roseville, MN 55113
612-631-3672
Internet: www.nylc.org
The National Youth Network
National Crime Prevention Council
1700 K Street NW., Second Floor
Washington, DC 20006-3817
202-466-6272
Internet: www.ncpc.org
Office of Children and Family Services
Sergeant Henry Johnson Youth Leadership Academy
P.O. Box 132
Route 10
South Kortright, NY 13842
518-473-1274
607-538-1403 (Fax)
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
810 Seventh Street NW., Eighth Floor
Washington, DC 20531
202-307-5911
Internet: www.ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm
Points of Light Foundation
1737 H Street NW.
Washington, DC 20006-3912
202-223-9186
Internet: www.pointsoflight.org
Quest International
1984 Coffman Road
Newark, OH 43058-4850
614-522-6400
Internet: www.quest.edu
Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention Center
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
803-777-0695
803-777-0677 (Fax)
Street Law, Inc.
918 16th Street NW., Suite 602
Washington, DC 20006-2902
202-293-0088
202-293-0089 (Fax)
Teens, Crime, and the Community
1700 K Street NW., Second Floor
Washington, DC 20006-3817
202-466-6272
202-296-1356 (Fax)
United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc.
P.O. Box 25042
4010 Lincoln Boulevard, Suite 202
Oklahoma City, OK 73125
405-424-3010
405-424-3018 (Fax)
Youth Crime Watch of America
9300 South Dadeland Boulevard, Suite 100
Miami, FL 33156
305-670-2409
Internet: www.ycwa.org
Youth Service America
1101 15th Street NW., Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005
202-296-2992
Internet: www.servenet.org
Youthbuild USA
58 Day Street
Somerville, MA 02144
617-623-9900
Internet Sites for Volunteer Opportunities
CommunityService.com
http://www.communityservice.com
COOL (Campus Outreach Opportunity League)
http://www.COOL2SERVE.org/
Do Something
http://www.dosomething.org
Faith-Based Volunteer Opportunities Directory
http://www.dosomething.org
4laborsoflove.org
http://4laborsoflove.org
Give Five
http://www.indepsec.org/give5/g5volunteer.html
Make A Difference Day
http://www.usaweekend.com/diffday/
Netday
http://www.netday.org
Opportunities and Information for Volunteers
http://nonprofit.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa072298.htm
Peace Corps
http://www.peacecorps.gov/home.html
POSH Corps
http://www.posh.org
ServeNet
http://www.servenet.org
or
http://www.volunteernow.com
The Service Station
http://www.servicestation.org/
VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America)
http://www.friendsofvista.org/
Volunteers of America
http://www.voa.org/about/
VolunteerWeb
http://www.epicbc.com/volunteer/
International Volunteer and Volunteerism Resources
http://www.aitec.edu.au/~bwechner/Documents/Travel/lists.html
Motivational Ideas and Tips on How to Avoid Burn Out
I. Motivational Ideas
After you’ve accomplished the task of creating your chapter one of the problems you may encounter is that people are burned out and begin to have more pressing issues to focus on such as school and work. Soon you may notice your meeting attendance slipping, even through no fault of your own. It’s a fact of life that everyone is going to be busy with midterms, finals, projects, work, etc. and as a chapter president or vice president you can’t allow yourself to get discouraged. There are a few methods you can employ to help boost your attendance when faced with such difficulties.
A. Scheduling Your Meetings
Get a general consensus from your fellow members as to what days and times are best for them. If necessary, each semester you can adjust meeting times to best suit everyone. Don’t use the reasoning “Well this is when we’ve done it in the past”. It only leads to discourse and shows the chapter leadership as being inflexible. Remember, you all are a team and need to work together and help each other out to be successful.
B. Come to Meetings Prepared
Let’s face it, people don’t want to spend lots of time in meetings when they have outside demands on their time. Keeping meetings short and to the point, insures you can be in and out in minimal time. Prior to the meeting, it’s important that the chapter officers organize an agenda that covers all the topics of discussion. An agenda provides organization and help the meeting move along faster. If necessary, all officers should meet or at least e-mail each other once every week or two to update the president and vice president of their progress on projects or reports. Attachment A is an example of an agenda.
C. Food, the Great College Motivational Tool
If all else fails to help encourage attendance, provide food at every meeting. You would be surprised how the mentioning of free food at every meeting can improve attendance. The best part is that it is a relatively inexpensive form of persuasion. Such things as pizza, sandwiches, chips, fruit, microwave popcorn, bottled water, and sodas are relatively cheap and easily accessible as well as an essential part of every college student’s diet. Food at the meetings also helps to attract new members or those people toying with the idea of joining Silver Wings. If all else fails give this option a shot and the number of members and possible associates that show up may pleasantly surprise you.
D. Chapter Awards
Finally, one way to encourage those around you to work harder can be found in presenting awards for outstanding dedication. You could even create several awards to be handed out at each meeting that recognizes different categories such as outstanding recruiting, hard work, etc. An example is the John Burdette Binkley Cup of Fame. It’s awarded at every meeting to the member who works harder than everyone else did that week. The person who wins the award then fills the cup with something (candy, a gift certificate, or things of that sort) and presents it to a new person at the next meeting. Awards help to give recognition to those members or associates that are working hard to take Silver Wings to the next level and provides motivation to others as well.
E. Socials = Party Time!
Nothing gets college students more motivated than the sound of a good time. Socials are a great way for members and associates as well as members and potential associates to meet and share ideas in a relaxing atmosphere. Encourage members and associates to invite others who may be interested in Silver Wings. Associates can host socials for members as a team building side project and it creates friendships amongst everyone in the organization. Another use for the social can be to help build better relations between Silver Wings and Arnold Air Society. Some chapters have expressed problems forming working relations with their Arnold Air counterparts. Differences aside, everyone like parties. Holding a joint social with your Arnold Air Squadron can lead to better relations between members of both organizations. To get interest in Silver Wings sparked amongst the cadre, it also doesn’t hurt to invite members of your detachment’s cadre and their spouses.
II. How to Avoid Burn Out
At some time everyone reaches a point where they are at their wits end and can’t take it anymore. Stress is a major problem with millions of people in the U.S. and as a chapter officer or member it can affect you also. Thankfully, stress can be managed to a certain extent before burn out occurs. Burn out is the point where you just can’t take it anymore and anything within arms reach has the possibility of being tossed against the nearest wall. The following are some ideas on how to best avoid or at least keep at a minimal the amount of stress in your life so that you can avoid burn out.
A. Stay Organized!
Organization allows you to know what is you’ll be doing tomorrow, next week, or even next month. Day planners are excellent tools for keeping track of just about everything and they can be purchased relatively cheap. Wall calendars that give space to write on are useful as well. And if you can afford it, Palm Pilots are the latest in technological organization. For those of you that have to deal with massive amounts of paperwork, binders with dividers are always an effective way of turning mountains of paper into highly organized and easily accessible information. The best thing about all of these is that they can be used for schoolwork, Silver Wings activities, and even helping to keep track of your work schedule. Day planners and binders in my opinion are a must for just about every chapter officer. By being organized you can allow yourself to be better in control of your time. Organization is a must these days, since for most people, time is in short supply.
B. Delegation...A Must For Every Chapter President and Vice President
The greatest “D” word in the dictionary for those in upper level positions. As much as you would like to believe you could, you aren’t going to be able to do everything within your chapter. Delegation helps to even out the workload so that those people in the upper level positions with more responsibilities don’t burn out trying to stay ahead of due dates and project deadlines. As a leader, you have to realize your own time limitations and allow others to aid you in getting the work done. Don’t be afraid to give assignments to others. As long as you keep track of everyone’s progress, the task will be accomplished and no one will feel overloaded or suffer from burnout. Just be sure that as the leader you are doing your fair share of the work as well (see the Leadership section of this packet). Delegation is a necessity so don’t be afraid to use it. We’re all here to help each other succeed, so seek help before it’s too late.
C. Get Out
Unless you’re a machine there is only so long that you can just do school work, Silver Wings projects, and/or working at a regular job. Everyone needs to get out some time or another, if for nothing else than to relax. If you feel stress taking over then step back for a minute and get out. Getting out can range from just taking a short break by yourself to gather your thoughts, catching a quick bite to eat, watching a movie or going to a club with a group of friends. Now you might be saying, “Well that sounds a good and nice but I don’t have time to take a break.” A break doesn’t have to be that long. In most cases a few minutes is all you need to bring your stress level down. The less stressed you are, the better you’ll work as well. In many cases a five-minute break can lead to more productive time versus not taking a break and struggling along for hours on end. When you feel burn out coming on, find a way to stop for a moment and relax!
Attachment A
Silver Wings- John Burdette Binkley Chapter
Meeting Agenda
5 April 2001
I. Pledge of Allegiance
II. Call to Order (5:45pm)
III. Introduction of Gladys Abbott, Honorary President and Troi Reppart, Advisor
IV. Officer’s Reports
A. Mike- V.P.
B. Angelic- Treasurer
C. Christine- Secretary
D. Marissa- Development Officer
V. Action Items
A. None
VI. Discussion Items
A. National Headquarters-Mike
B. Golf Tournament- Zach
C. Separate National Project-Jason
D. JBB Vigil with AAS-Quinton
E. Fund-raising-Angelic
VII. Announcements
A. Pinning Ceremony-Marissa
B. Look at Positions for Upcoming Elections (April 19)
C. Account Balance
D. Any Other Announcements
E. Next Meeting April 12
VIII. Any questions or comments from Gladys Abbott or Troi Reppart.
IX. Meeting Adjourned
Michael R. Rouzer, V.P.
JBB Chapter
Ten Tips on How to be a Good Leader
1. Lead by Example
As a leader you should be at the front of everything. You should be the first to volunteer and the one to who everybody turns to for direction. If you are putting forth your best efforts then it helps to inspire those around you to do the same. If you’re lagging behind, it only causes others to lose faith in you. As the leader, all eyes are on you as well as all responsibility for the success of those you are in charge of. So don’t let them down!
2. Don’t Let Your Position Go to Your Head
Like the old saying goes, “No matter how rich or powerful you are, you still put your pants on one leg at a time like everyone else.” As a leader, power and position must not be allowed to cloud your judgment. Silver Wings is a large organization made up of many chapters who are in turn made up of many members. These members form a team that together can and has accomplished many things. No single person could accomplish what has been done as a result of all of us working together. Leaders must not make themselves out to be better than everyone else. Otherwise they might find themselves as a leader without a group to lead.
3. Listen to Your Subordinates
One person can have a great idea every now and then but a group of people can churn out great ideas all the time. Your subordinates are not only those people who work with you but are the people to who, as a leader, you are responsible for. The people you work with are here to help you make Silver Wings the best that it can be. They can help a leader to discover areas that can be improved or need changing. Listen to your subordinates because they are many more sets of eyes and minds to help the leader lead.
4. All Decisions should be for the Good of the Group
A leader has to make decisions all the time. These decisions can be minor or they can be ones that are critical to the group. Despite the severity of the decision the leader faces, one thing must be constant. The leader must put the good of the group before his or her own good. History has shown that leaders who made decisions for their sole benefit didn’t remain as leaders for long. Always remember that the organization can flourish or wither under leadership, so always put the group before your self.
5. Always do Your Share of the Work
Leaders should be the first to show up and the last to leave. This creates an impression upon others that you are very dedicated and hard working as you should be. In the section on how to avoid burn out delegation was discussed. Delegation is a necessity for a leader but make sure to avoid over-delegating. A leader should be doing as much if not more work than the people around him or her do. If you over-delegate it gives people an impression that you really don’t care to work that hard and would rather pass off the time consuming jobs. So be sure to always do your fair share of the work.
6. Make a Decision, Take the Initiative
There is nothing worse than a leader who can’t make decisions. The main job of the leader is to form a plan, make decisions, and lead the group to the ultimate completion of that plan. Some people are timid on making decisions because they fear they might be wrong or fail. Being right or wrong is irrelevant. People are going to make mistakes. You should do your best to avoid making them, but from time to time you’re going to mess up. The leader will be the person who takes the initiative and makes a decision on what to do. If the leader is right then they have succeeded. If they are wrong, then they learn from that mistake, try again, and eventually succeed.
7. Have Confidence
A leader can’t be someone who says “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure”. Leaders are always going to have to make decisions that might not be popular with those they work with or represent. They will have to be able to convince their critics, it is the right decision. Nothing helps to convince people than showing confidence in your decision making. Wavering or not showing confidence leads people to believe that you aren’t even convinced that your decision will work. But if you show them you are convinced it’s going to work, then you have a solid foundation to begin convincing others.
8. Follow Through on Your Words or Promises
Napoleon made the statement one time “Promise them everything, give them nothing.” With logic like that it’s no wonder he was first exiled then poisoned. Your word is what others around you use as your measure of trust. If you tell a person something then don’t deliver that person is less inclined to believe you the next time you make a promise. A leader without the trust and confidence of those he or she represents is finished. A leader is given power because the group believes that person can make the group better. If the leader fails in this then the group will eventually look elsewhere for someone who can deliver.
9. Avoid Stretching Yourself Too Thin
There is only so much that one person or one group can do. If you take on too much or place too much on the shoulders of your members it leads to unnecessary stress which can lead to a breakdown in performance. The leader must decide what projects or goals are necessary or of more worthwhile, then make that the priority. If the leader helps to keep the group goal focused, more will be accomplished than trying to institute a multitude of ideas or programs all at once.
10. Explore New Ideas
The worst excuse for not trying something new is “That’s not how we’ve done it in the past.” We also aren’t dependent on catching and killing our food for survival anymore either, because we explore new ideas. As a leader you must never dismiss an idea as ludicrous just on the grounds that it’s never been tried before. Exploring new ideas and methods of doing things leads to advancement and, with any luck, the discovery of a new, successful way to accomplish things. Leaders must have open minds to explore new ideas because if he or she doesn’t, then the group is doomed to be stuck in a rut, as change passes them by.
Membership Survey
One way to get into the minds of your fellow members and find out what it is they like, dislike, and what ideas they might have for improving the chapter is through membership surveys. A membership survey is quite possibly the best way to bring out the criticisms of your chapter members or discover new ideas that others may be too shy to bring up at meetings. It allows the officers to more effectively run the chapter and explore ideas that may have gone undiscovered. The plum of it is, the survey is simple to create and takes only a few minutes. The following information will provide you with some ideas on how to create your own survey. A couple of samples are also attached. Good luck!
I. Inspire Criticism!
The first goal of your survey is to inspire the person filling it out to provide both positive and negative criticism, for both are useful to running a chapter. Positive criticism lets you know what members feel you are doing right while negative criticism lets you know what needs work, so inspire both. The first step to improvement is in identifying the problem then taking steps to solve that problem. Thus positive and negative criticism is necessary to root out problems and/or bright spots so inspire both!
II. Make the Survey Easy to Understand and Fill Out
Some people when asked to provide criticism are timid to do so. Others may not want to take the time to write a novel just to give their opinion. When creating your survey, a good idea would be to address certain areas and give a rating scale (say 1-5, one being poor, five being excellent) to gain opinion. This allows for faster completion while still attaining pertinent information. Including a rating scale and a few blank lines also allows for more elaboration of criticism and also leaves the survey open for members to share ideas or address issues that may not have been included in the rating scale. Also, it is a good idea to allow those filling out the survey to remain anonymous. This encourages more open and honest answers. Feelings won’t get hurt and it won’t turn people away who don’t wish to be identified.
III. Availability and Returning Surveys
Now comes the problem of getting the surveys out and collecting them (even the anonymous ones). Surveys can be easily disbursed at meeting or even via e-mail. If possible, it’s a good idea to maybe set up a box in your detachment office (with the permission of the commander first!) where surveys can be both picked up and dropped off with ease. The box allows for those who wish to remain anonymous to do so, however you may be able to come up with your own ideas to improve upon this. Remember to explore all options on disbursement and collection of your surveys.
IV. Be Creative and Enjoy
These are only a few suggestions that can help you to get started. Remember, not all chapters are the same or have the same needs. It is up to you to be creative with your survey so that it meets the needs of your individual chapter. The surveys are not meant to demean or hurt anyone. They are simply a tool for officers to use in order to improve their chapters. So don’t allow criticism to offend anyone. The survey is one of the best ways to help a leader to understand those they are leading. So use it to your advantage!
Example 1
Silver Wings- John Burdette Binkley Chapter
Quality Questionnaire
The purpose of this questionnaire is for you, as a member or an associate, to voice your opinion on just about anything that has to do with the chapter. If you have any ideas, complaints, or just something that you would like to see happen that will improve the chapter, please fill out this form. You are not required to put your name on this form and any comments made will not result in any actions taken against you. We merely want to hear what you think about Silver Wings and if there is any way that we can make it better. If you wish to keep your identity secret you may turn this form into the Silver Wings box in the corps computer room. Thank you for your time.
Today’s Date:
Name (optional):
Comments:
Please put this in the Silver Wings box in the corps computer room when you are finished filling it out. Thank you for your time and comments.
Example 2
Silver Wings Quality Survey
Dear Members,
The National Headquarters Staff is looking forward to having the opportunity of serving Silver Wings for this upcoming year. In order to make all aspects of Silver Wings more enjoyable and productive, we would like your comments on what we as the National Staff can do to make your Silver Wings experience as rewarding as possible. Please take a few moments to fill out this survey and return it to any member of the National Staff. All comments will be taken into great consideration. Remember, we’re here to serve you to the best of our abilities. Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
The Silver Wings National Staff
1. How important is your involvement with Silver Wings?
A) Not very important
B) Somewhat important
C) As important as other involvements
D) More important than most involvements
E) Most important involvement I have
2. How effective is communication in Silver Wings? Do you receive timely responses, information, etc.?
A) Ineffective, I never receive replies or information
B) Basically ineffective, sometimes long periods without response
C) Question doesn’t apply to me
D) Somewhat effective, I receive responses within a week or so
E) Very effective, I receive responses quickly
3. How beneficial are the following programs to you? (1= Completely useless, 2= Not very useful, 3= Not sure, 4= Somewhat beneficial, 5= Extremely useful!).
A) Silver Wings Website 1 2 3 4 5
B) Joint and Separate National Projects 1 2 3 4 5
C) National Publication (On Silver Wings) 1 2 3 4 5
D) Chapter Awards 1 2 3 4 5
E) Air Force Association Interaction 1 2 3 4 5
F) Interaction with Arnold Air Society 1 2 3 4 5
4. Please make any additional comments or suggestions on the back of this sheet. Thank you for your time in completing this survey. Remember, we are here to serve you and it is through effective communication and teamwork that we can continue to improve!
Fundraising
There are tons of great fundraisers that smaller chapters can put on. They were huge successes for these chapters and can be very profitable. If you are a smaller Silver Wings chapter inviting AAS and your detachment to join you in your fundraisers is very important. The more people you can get to help, the bigger you fundraising projects can be and the more money you will make.
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Soda Sale: If your detachment has a cadet lounge with a refrigerator this is a great Fundraiser. The chapter is responsible for keeping the refrigerator stocked
with sodas. The soda is then sold on the honor code to any cadet or cadre
that is thirsty. The difference between sale price and cost is the profit. The
startup cost is the cost of the soda. You can also turn the refrigerator into a
full vending machine by adding lots of food, this will increase your startup
cost and profit.
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POW/MIA Bracelets: These bracelets can be bought and then re-sold to the core at a marked up price. If you take orders and the money ahead of time then you will not have a startup cost.
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Penny War: Each flight gets a jar. Pennies in their own jar count for them, silver coins and paper money in the jar counts against them. Come up with a special
prize for the winning flight and your chapter keeps all the money as your profit.
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Car Wash: A car wash can be a fun and profitable fundraiser. Having it on an AF base will really boost your chapter’s profit. It gives the actives a chance to support Silver Wings and they get their car washed in the mean time.
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Can Drive: On the weekends go around to the apartments on campus and collect the beer and soda bottles from all their parties. After about three hours of collecting, your chapter could wind up with a little over $100 worth of recycling. And the best part is there is no startup cost.
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POC Auction: You chapter can auction off some or all of the POC’s to the GMC’s for a special amount of time. This requires a large commitment by the whole wing, but there is no startup cost and it is a great way to foster POC and GMC interaction.
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Jacket Sales: Have a clothing store make a jacket with Air Force on the back and the cadet’s name on the front. They must orders these ahead of time with their money, so you won’t have a startup cost.
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T-Shirt Sells: Design a special AFROTC T-shirt that the cadets would like to buy.
“Top ten reasons to be an AF cadet” is a good T-shirt topic. Then sell the shirts at a price a little bit higher than the cost. If you design a really cool shirt you will make a good profit, be creative!
Although you may have a small chapter, the list of ideas for fundraising is not. Here’s a list of more fundraising ideas from other Silver Wings chapters.
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Booths at Carnival Events
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Button sales
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Cadet Care Packages
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Calendar Sales
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Candy Sells
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Cupcake Sales
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Donut Sales
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Fruitcake Sales during the Holidays
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Garage Sale
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Holiday Oriented Sales
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Kiss Sales
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Magazine Sales
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Paper Drives
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Parking Cars
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Raffles
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Scavenger Hunt
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Selling Christmas Cards
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Shoe Shine Sales
Recruiting
Publicizing the chapter to the school and community is a must. You can’t expect people to join if they don’t know who you are. This can be done through flyers posted around campus, members introducing themselves to the corps at lead lab, and asking friends and family of ROTC members. Promote Silver Wings as an organization that promotes civic awareness and participates in various community service projects, as well as giving an opportunity for leadership that will be an excellent source for life after college. Asking ROTC members if they know of anyone that is interested is another good source in that they may have friends or family that are eager to support ROTC, and may be used as a stepping block to join ROTC for some people. If detachments have regularly published newsletters, keep the corps updated on what you’re trying to accomplish. If your university has any type of career fair, try setting up a recruiting booth. Be sure to include brochures (who what when where why how, use those as your guidelines), and make a template for prospective members to put contact information on. A poster board with pictures of the chapter’s activities may also get some people’s attention, it shows that the organization really does activities, have some of the people in the pictures on hand as well to show that they’re real people. Food is another useful tool.
Below is a short list of recruiting ideas:
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Set-up information sessions for a half an hour each in the campus residence halls and on campus. Serve popcorn and sodas.
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Pass out Silver Wings informational flyers in the center of campus during peak hours.
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Set-up a booth at your campus club fairs. Be sure and have attractive flyers and a large poster board with Silver Wings written on it. Wear your Silver Wings polo’s, have some snacks out on the table and get out a pen and paper to write down prospective club members name, email addresses and phone numbers.!
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Pick a day of the week and all members wear their SW shirts to class. If you don’t have one, you will be able to order them online very soon.
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Tape flyers to the cement in heavily trafficked areas announcing when and where the Silver Wings meeting is. Don’t forget to go back and throw the signs out after the meeting.
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Ask Arnold Air Society and Air Force Association members to help you recruit on campus, the more people on campus recruiting the better. Ask cadets in the detachment to help, they don’t have to belong to Arnold Air.
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Submit articles to your school newspaper after you complete campus and community projects, the key is name recognition.
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Submit upcoming activities to the calendar section of your campus newspaper.
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Bring speakers onto campus and advertise. Have information about your organization at this event.
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Utilize campus email announcements to get the word out about meeting times and upcoming activities.
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Challenge each member to bring a friend to the next meeting.
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Send an informational letter to the home of each AFROTC cadet so roommates and significant others can read it.
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Ask your Advisor if you could address the ROTC Cadets at Lead Lab, make it brief but informative and hand out a flyer with meeting information and contact numbers. Ask the cadets to pass it to a friend and/or family member.
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Mirror successful organizations on your campus. Find out what works for them and adapt it to your needs.
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Blanket your campus with fliers.
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Write on heavily traveled sidewalks with chalk.
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Ask a professor if you can write information on a chalkboard or overhead. Let students know you are having an informational meeting at a specific time and place and a little about the SW organization.
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Visit the meetings of other clubs. Find out when other clubs on your campus meet and contact a representative. Ask if you or they can make an announcement in one of their meetings.
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Have informational flyers at any community service, fund-raiser or professional event. The more information you get out to the public, the more likely it will land in the hands of a future SW member.
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Don’t give up. Try different things. Do as many as possible and then do it again and again.
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If you find something that works for your chapter let the National Staff know so we can it can be shared with other chapters.
Informational Meetings
This is your chance to tell people “Why choose Silver Wings and not another organization”. In other words, this is your chance to pull them in for good.
What to Tell
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Basic information about the club
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What the club expects of them if they want to become a member
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Stress the leadership opportunities available and how important the experience they give is when applying for a job
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Who wants to join a group without making friends? Play up the social aspects of the club
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Networking is the name of the game. Explain what great opportunities ARCON and NATCON are. The contacts made at these events might be useful after graduation.
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Eventually everyone is going to need recommendation. The working relationship between Silver Wings members and AFROTC personnel allows members to obtain meaningful recommendations from Air Force Officers.
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There are so many opportunities to get involved. Give examples or stories about service and social events.
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Opportunities to meet students from neighboring campuses and across the nation.
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Lifetime participation in the Alumni Association, there is always the opportunity for affiliation with of Silver Wings alumni.
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Membership leads to lifelong friend and can often open doors for professional opportunities.
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