REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON SIZE AND INTIMACY August, 2001 Task Force Report Contents Executive Summary Introduction Overview - Four Approaches Respecting the Individual Volunteer Opportunities Small Groups Community-wide Activities Appendix A Appendix B Respecting the Individual Small things matter in creating a feeling of intimacy, and should be reinforced to create a feeling of belonging. These small acts can help compensate for the feeling of being a "small cog in a big machine" that some have expressed, and show our support and gratitude for individual contributions to building our community. Recognizing Members of the Community for Their Actions - BJ should encourage "validating experiences," such as recognition, thank-you's, and honors. These experiences publicly identify members of BJ for their actions in support of BJ, and express our shared appreciation. Addressing Anonymity - Small efforts like introducing everyone at a meeting will help create a feeling of belonging. Encouraging members to introduce themselves to those they do not know at services and other BJ events also will help members to feel less anonymous. Identifying Board members and other community leaders at community forums and similar events will enhance members' sense of knowing whom to talk to about issues, and reduce concerns about "not knowing" who is making decisions about BJ. Institutional Responsiveness - A prompt response to members seeking guidance or help from BJ conveys that the member is important as a person, and valued as a member. For example: all phone calls from members to the BJ office should be returned within 24 hours by someone in a position to screen calls substantively and respond to the caller, or have it handled by the appropriate department. Opportunities to Volunteer Many members feel more connected to BJ when they are actively contributing their time to the community. Providing additional opportunities to participate as a volunteer, and making volunteering as easy as possible, are important to members feeling a sense of ownership and participation. Means that might enhance volunteering include: Tailoring volunteer opportunities to the time members have available (such as one-time volunteering activities); Publicizing volunteering opportunities through "volunteer want ads" in our publications; Identifying areas of members interest, and creating volunteer opportunities to match those interests; Creating additional opportunities for multi-generational volunteering, similar to the AIDS walk in which entire families participate; Providing additional training for members who supervise volunteers. << Previous Back to top Next >>