SERVICE PLACEMENTS THE NEARLY NEW SHOP It is customary that new members begin their service with May Court with a weekly commitment to the Nearly New Shop. You can choose to work Monday to Friday 10 am to 1 pm or from 1 pm to 4 pm. The Saturday shift is from 10 am to 2 pm. Choosing to become a spare is available to those who don t mind being called upon from time to time to fill in. Shifts can be scheduled to accommodate members who travel. Please speak to the Shop Director to discuss options. When working in the Shop you will be a team member in one of the following positions: cashier/payouts or take-ins. Members are expected to work at least two Saturdays annually. Members who work at the Shop love it! It is a great way to get to know other members and to form lifelong friendships. If you like working with other people, both members and the public, this is the place for you! CHAIRS AND CONVENORS All of the service placements, fundraising committees and social groups require chairs and convenors!! They can be shared responsibilities. Without these leaders, our programs, fundraisers and social groups cannot happen. Say yes! MAY COURT PUPPETEERS Puppeteers requires a weekly commitment every Tuesday morning, from September to end of May. Our current play, What Would You Do? offers elementary students an entertaining way to get the important message across that bullying is wrong and how to deal with bullying appropriately. Performances are held 3 times a month and once a month a rehearsal is held to practice puppet manipulation and to become familiar with the script. Memorization of the script is not required. The show is taped, therefore there is no need for speaking, only movement of puppets. Experience is also not necessary; it s easy get the hang of the puppets. Performances are held in schools within Oakville, free of charge. Puppeteers are asked to wear black for performances. The time commitment is approximately between 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. for the performances and rehearsals. Transporting the parts of the stage and puppets is a shared responsibility. Members are asked to inform the convener(s) of vacations or absences. Socially, the puppeteers meet after the show or practice for a cup of coffee and to chat and hold holiday and end-ofyear pot-lucks. A love for children and knowing that you are helping children deal with bullying is all that is needed for this important service. There is an opportunity to work from home booking the shows if you prefer not to be a performer. Contact the Puppet Convenor or Membership Director. LUNCH BOX The Association of May Court Clubs of Canada invited all May Court Clubs to develop a project in their community that addressed the specific issue of nutritional needs of children. The May Court Club of Oakville has been delivering non-perishable snacks to needy elementary schools in Oakville and Burlington since 1989. Members of this placement are responsible for the purchasing and delivery of the food to their assigned schools, typically 3 to 4 times a year for 2 to 4 schools. Each committee member is responsible for keeping in touch with their schools to determine 1
when and if re-stocking is needed. Food lists are provided for each member. Purchases are made by the member and reimbursed by the Club. Time involvement includes 1 ½ to 2 hours of shopping and calling, 2 hours of driving depending on location of schools, 3 to 4 times a year. This member should have a car with a decent size trunk. The need to provide nutritional snacks are greater than one might think and this is a very important and welcomed service our Club provides to local schools. This placement allows members to have a more independent schedule if desired. Helping to feed the hungry tummies in our school system is very rewarding. FOOD 4 KIDS Food 4 Kids is a registered charity, operating in Halton and Hamilton, which strives to close the gap of needy children. Specifically they provide weekend food packages for children ages 5 to14 identified by their respective school as being in need of service. Without this service these children would experience hunger over the weekend due to a lack of food being provided at home. As of September 2017 up to 400 children in Halton area may be identified as in need. The May Court volunteers current role is two-fold. A team of approximately 6 volunteers goes to a shared food warehouse once per month during the school year to pick up and put together weekend food packages. Other volunteers deliver the packages to the designated schools each Friday. The work is coordinated by a F4K volunteer coordinator, who is Jennifer Steventon. A new service is currently being tried. Along with food packages we are including toothbrushes donated by a local dentist. To obtain a permanent supply of toothbrushes we would like to secure one or two direct sources. WELLSPRING Wellspring Birmingham Gilgan House (Halton Peel) is a Cancer Support Centre located at 6 th Line and Dundas in Oakville. Within the warmth of this home-like centre, cancer patients and their loved ones will find people who understand as well as free programs that address the everyday challenges that cancer brings. Although the issue of cancer is sad, Wellspring is a happy and uplifting place to go to and to work at. This placement involves a three hour shift (usually 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. or 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.) once weekly or every two weeks. The positions available include; front desk volunteer, peer support, organizing children s parties and driving clients. Some of the new positions available at Wellspring include assisting in the Nourish and Kitchen series programs. From time to time Wellspring requires assistance in the cancer exercise program and with the newly expanded centre, Wellspring welcomes gardening help as well. The facility determines positions for each volunteer and arranges the training that is required. You will be contacted when training becomes available, based on when there are enough members to train. Therefore. there may be a bit of a wait. Wellspring has been renovated as of December 2012, and it was beautifully done. This home is warm and inviting for those who visit. The renovation allowed for more programs to meet the needs of the community. The May Court Club of Oakville raised funds for this renovation and the Art Therapy Room is in our name. Working at Wellspring is very rewarding since you have the opportunity to see and feel the difference the centre makes to cancer patients and their families, in their time of need. WORKING WITH SENIORS Wyndham Manor, Assisted Living Residence for Seniors - this placement allows for many varied volunteering opportunities and great flexibility. You can go weekly, as most of our volunteers do, or bi-monthly if that is more convenient for you. You can spend time one on one with a senior resident or in a group format - your choice. Some 2
of the popular activities include reading, playing board games/cards or simply having a conversation. Recently when there was some interest, they started a crock-pot cooking class! You are encouraged to suggest and introduce new activities that you might like to share with others. Matching your interests with a current resident s is an easy way to begin making a difference in someone else s life and a great starting point if you are looking for one.. COMMITTEES (Standing & Special) There is no better way to learn the many different aspects of our Club than to join a Committee. You will feel connected to the Club and build great friendships with your fellow members. If you find that you are unable to be a part of a service placement, the shop or a fundraising committee, then either (or both) a Standing or Special Committee may be perfect for you. STANDING COMMITTEES Finance Committee: The Finance Committee chaired by the Treasurer and is responsible to produce an annual budget for the Club, which must be approved by the Board of Directors and then the General Membership. This Committee is responsible annually to determine the amount available to be used to award Scholarships and the amount available to be given to Registered Charities supporting the needs in our local community. Both of these amounts must then be approved by the Board of Directors and the General Membership. Grants Committee: The Grants Committee is chaired by the Vice President. This Committee receives the Applications for Funding and is charged with vetting the applications to determine if they are from a Registered Charity and that the requested purpose is in line with the policies of the May Court Club of Oakville. Once the Finance Committee determine the total grants amount available in the fiscal year, the Grants Committee can determine the amounts to be given to each successful applicant. The Board of Directors and the General Membership must approve the gifts to the Registered Charities. Governance Committee: The Governance Committee is chaired by the Past President. This Committee is responsible for nominations for Officers, Directors, Members of Standing Committees and Chair/Convenors for all other activities. These nominations must then be approved by the Board of Directors and the General Membership. The Governance Committee is also responsible for reviewing annually the Constitution, By-Laws and Policies, and it also reviews and updates when necessary all job descriptions and forms used by the Club. All changes must be then approved by the Board of Directors, the General Membership and, where necessary, the appropriate Government department. Membership Committee: The Membership Committee is chaired by the Membership & Placement Director. This Committee provides support and advice relating to Club membership services and new member recruitment. The Committee reviews policies relating to new and existing members, including annual dues, member recognition and social groups. Changes 3
proposed by this Committee must be then approved by the Board of Directors and, if required, the General Membership. This Committee is also involved with member events such as the New and Prospective Members Information Sessions and the Associates Luncheons. SPECIAL COMMITTEES May Day Committee: This committee assists members with difficult life circumstances. This may be in the way of mailing cards, sending flowers, etc. It is a caring touch that means a lot to our members. It is always good to know that people care. Telephone Committee: This committee informs and/or reminds members of upcoming and important events, such as General Meetings for those members who do not have access to the internet. This placement is done out of the member s home. Communication is key and this committee helps ensure that all members are informed. Archive Committee: This committee oversees the keeping of records for the sake of the Club s history and for our internal needs. It is incredibly interesting learning about our past. Communications Committee: This committee assists the Communications Director in updating the Gmail club calendar (linked to our maycourt.ca website), snail mail buddy lists, Gmail distribution lists and other duties as assigned related to support our Club's internal communications. This committee is chaired by the Communications Director and meets on a regular basis. It is recommended that candidates be familiar with the internet and sending/receiving email. Scholarship Committee: The May Court Club of Oakville has its own Scholarship Program. This committee executes the program. Involvement includes collecting applications and interviewing candidates typically during the months of May and June. Members rotate on a yearly basis, opening one to two positions a year. If you wish to be on this committee, you may have to wait several years, but it is a very worthwhile committee to be involved in as we are touching a young student s life in a positive and meaningful way. Your name will be kept on the list. OTHER Mentors: Mentorship is an important part of our Club. Most often a current member brings in a friend to join our Club and they will be the new member s mentor if possible. However, we do have a need for current members to mentor a new member who come to our Club on their own. If you are interested in mentoring a new member, please let the Membership Director or Mentorship Coordinator know. Being a mentor requires that you occasionally phone or email a new member to see how they are doing and invite them to sit with you at a General Meeting or event. A 4
mentor should make contact with a new member when a new event or meeting is being held. The more we can keep in touch and make new members feel comfortable, the better for our Club. BOARD POSITIONS Please consider taking on a Board position. Board positions will allow you to learn the most about our Club. A Board position is very rewarding and educational. If you are interested in learning about any Board position, please contact the current Past President/Governance Chair. 5