FA/New Volunteer Orientation

ORIENTATION
Orientation is the presentation of information and skills that every member of the committee requires regardless of their role on the committee. This differs from training which is the information and skills required for a particular role on the committee.

The orientation should exist in 3 forms;


 * a full prose version available in the office (Orientation Binders);
 * a shorter point form version for the person conducting the orientation to refer to,
 * an even shorter point form hand out version covering only major, important points for the potential volunteer

HOW: The orientation should be given one on one, verbally, supported by such handouts etc as appropriate. DO NOT simply hand the person a pile of handouts and assume that they have been oriented. If it's not important enough for you to tell them in person, then its not important enough for them to read.

Time: No longer than 2 hrs/session with a 15 min break in the middle. (ie. have more than one orientation session)

Points to cover in the Orientation

Explain the committees' purpose (and Noble Purpose, if known); emphasize the importance of the committees work to PERC, & the issues (peace, env, SJ) respectively.

Explain importance of the work that the volunteer will be doing (if known) to the committee, and hence PERC, etc

History of the committee (get more detailed as you get closer to the present, even describing what went on at the last meeting. Be sure to use the names of people who are still with the committee so that the person will start to get familiar with them);

When, why (reason at that time)and how the committee started and major changes since then. Significant successes and failures the committee has had, and the reasons for each (as known) Explain the committees' structure:
 * Who is on the committee
 * What each one does (their role)
 * Who has decision making or other authority on the Committee
 * Note particularly who will train the volunteer
 * Who will supervise volunteer's work
 * Who can volunteer go to for help, with problems, complaints
 * How the committee works (groups, individually)

Describe:
 * a typical meeting of the committee,
 * a typical "month" for the Committee
 * a typical "year"

Discuss:
 * committee strengths, weaknesses (be honest)
 * committees goals and plans, both short and long term
 * major challenges the committee faces
 * relevant organizational Policy and Bylaws that affects the volunteer and committee (have a comfortable prose version available - never use the legalistic original text(s)) and the reasons for them
 * committee policies and their reasons

Describe fully: It is important that the volunteer can expect to be doing something relevant to the committee fairly quickly. Depending on how long it is until the next meeting (hopefully when they would start taking part in the work) it may be appropriate to have work or tasks ready for the volunteer to begin immediately (assuming the committee will not be meeting for several weeks). This can include: **a phone list of members of the committee; **a short version of the orientation;
 * commitment expected from the volunteer, including - how many hours, how much responsibility) and schedule (is the work spread out or does it come in spurts)
 * training expected, including meeting and group skills (agenda, facilitation, hand signals if used, minute taking etc) as well as skills relating directly to the committees' function
 * the role that they can expect to take at the next meeting of the committee, and when they can expect to meet other committee members (if that is different from the next meeting)
 * training
 * fairly simple straightforward tasks
 * study of handouts and/or other relevant material
 * Run through hand-outs (if any) verbally. These should include: