The Volunteer Advisory Committee is Hard at Work for You

February - Since AirVenture 2014, the Volunteer Advisory Committee (VAC) has been hard at work planning for ways to improve the volunteer experience. They have reviewed the Volunteer Surveys, talked with Volunteer Chairs and EAA staff to develop aids that will help volunteers, as well as EAA members and guests who come to Oshkosh. In addition, the VAC has studied ways to recognize those folks who give of their time and talent to make Oshkosh a fun experience.

We are working on several items to continually enhance the volunteer experience:

Volunteer Pledge: EAA volunteers, as a group, have very diverse backgrounds but have one thing in common: We want EAA to continue for many generations to come.

The VAC helped create a Volunteer pledge to help all members understand what an EAA volunteer is and how important they are to the organization.

The Volunteer Pledge
I will maintain the high standards set forth by our founder
I will be respectful to members, guests, staff, and other volunteers
I will volunteer where I am needed
I will do my job to the best of my ability
I will offer helpful suggestions to improve the overall volunteer experience
I will pass my knowledge and experience on to other volunteers
I WILL HAVE FUN!

 Volunteer Handbook: The VAC drafted an outline for this handbook, which is is a welcome document to provide needed resources such as definitions of volunteers; how to volunteer; EAA staff and groups that interact with volunteers; contact information for the area in which they plan to volunteer; emergency numbers; guidelines for providing feedback to EAA about their volunteer experience; plus general information the volunteer may need. This is a general handbook, not a guideline for the specific area for which the volunteer may provide his/her services.

We also see this handbook as a constant work in progress and we will continually be adding to it to ensure that it provides information that is pertinent.  Please let Ginny Largent (glargent2@verizon.net) know if you have specific information to be  addressed in this handbook.

Volunteer Park Brick Award: The Volunteer Park Brick nomination process will be the same as last year. Please remember when nominating an individual for this high honor, give us as much information about the nominee as possible.  For more information, please check out this story.

Trams Operation Guidelines: Gene Zorn, Trams Volunteer Chair, and Chris Farrell, EAA Staff Liaison, have been working with VAC members Ginny and Rich Largent to compose guidelines for the volunteers in the Trams Operation.  Gene stated that he would like to see his volunteers have information about the Trams Operation, as well as, a document that would be helpful with training.  Chris, who joined the EAA staff last year as security director, welcomed documentation to help him understand this area.  This collaborative effort produced a guide that includes definitions of the various volunteer positions for the Trams area, their duties, a list of the Tram routes and stops, specific talking points for the Tram stops and pertinent volunteer and emergency contact information for the volunteers. 

Ginny and Rich have enjoyed working with Gene and Chris.  This exercise allowed them to understand a part of Oshkosh and hopefully will help the volunteers, members and guests to have an informed and fun Oshkosh experience.  The VAC stands ready to help other Volunteer Chairs improve and/or create specific guidelines for their areas. 

Weekend Work Parties: As you may know, the AirVenture grounds do not take shape by themselves.  Steve Taylor has one of the largest responsibilities within the organization, as he and his staff lead site preparation. Volunteers and Weekend Work Parties make that a bit easier.  The VAC group is promoting Weekend Work Parties to chapters and volunteers. Look for some testimonials and photos in future publications to discover a great way to get an inside look at Oshkosh!