By: Josh Esch
As an open and inclusive community we like to hear what issues each member sees within the community that other may not have noticed. We do this through discussion topics of our Community meetings that we have on a weekly basis. This helps members understand the struggles that each individual member faces and how we as a whole can help and accommodate/compromise to make them comfortable with whatever the topic is and the what result will be. Since the founding of SCA Massachusetts AmeriCorps we have been a consensus community where everyone gets their own voice on the path we take. This is important because everyone gets the chance to say their needs and feelings towards to the discussion topic that arises so not one persons needs aren’t met. These may take an hour or two, but they are the gears that keep our community running without lingering issues.
After we have finished every discussion topic we move to our communication and risk management segments. Communication is one of the gears that help with communication between members and staff. This is usually represented with skits or activities that different members of the community design to be fun and educational. Risk management is where members of the community tell us all what risks or near misses that they encountered during the last week/weekend. This can be from crazy drivers to widow makers that fell behind them on a hike. Even such things as getting a tick or a bee sting. We like to talk about these so we can minimize the risk of impact on the community as a whole. With that every time, we encounter an area that is risk maybe there we like to take 5 for safety to understand the risks and how to avoid them.
Announcements are pertinent information that a member or staff has to tell the community when everyone is there. Generally its information that we are telling everyone but we do not want feedback from the community, but it’s accepted at most times. It maybe a community wide event, or something that one person has to tell everyone. Also we have a portion that is all for staff. Well questions for them to clarify questions no one in the community can answer. Also we like to ask policy and procure question that we have thought of on our off time that will effect the whole community.
Finally, to end on a high note we like to do shout outs to what/who ever did something we really appreciated. Usually this will help everyone smile about themselves or something funny that happened that last week. So yeah that’s our community meetings; they may take a long time and have a lot of tedious parts, but they are what make our community operate at max efficiency.