Betsy Taylor,
2001
Before the
Conference:
At the
Conference:
A: Do training.
B: Launch families.
1.
Get list of people who have registered from
registrar. Clarify ages of teens
who will be in families (vs. Youth Program or Teen Family), names of children's
program teachers (so you won't put them in a family), general ages or special
needs of newcomers (mobility, etc.), people who are missing more than
1 day.
2. Pair up facilitators in good working duos, experienced
folks paired with new facilitators.
Let facilitators know ASAP who they will be working with so they can
plan their first family meeting together.
(At least before breakfast, earlier if possible)
3.
Find one or two facilitators for the transitional
family. Same person for the whole
week is good. If there is a
shortage, ask someone who is in the transitional family.
4.
Divide conferees into family groupings of about 10,
being attentive to gender, age and newcomer/old-timer distribution and
spreading out bio/step/adoptive family members. Assign rain spaces.
5.
List each family (with rain space) on large
paper. Use peel-off labels if possible as
there is always some moving around of people that happens last minute. Post in Gould Sunday night or before
breakfast Monday morning. Someone
can be available Mon am to facilitate resolution of
complaints/conflicts.
6.
Make list of family members for each pair of
facilitators.
7.
After Conference Hour, find a way to get families
together with their facilitators.
Be creative. This can verge
on bedlam. Emphasize quiet. In 2001 it worked well to have each
pair of facilitators stand, read family members, sit back down and no one go
anywhere until all the families have been read. Be attentive to the needs of newcomers who may not know
anyone in the group (might each group have a color?) Be sure to announce the transitional family as
well.
8.
Take down the lists as soon as it makes sense, after
all family members have arrived, to help protect confidentiality.
C: Transitional Family.
1.
Be sure there is a list posted for transitional family
that will remain up all week with rain space and facilitator(s)
name(s).
2.
Each day after conference hour, invite people who have
just arrived to meet at a designated place (front of the room?) with Trans Fam
Facil. (This is another logistical moment that can use creative
management.
D: Family Facilitators' daily meetings
These
are generally held 4:45-5:45 near the source of evening refreshments. See if someone can unlock, so cold
drinks can be available.
It
is important that this meeting not fall into a recounting of the morning
or a focus on particular problem personalities. It helps, at the beginning of the week (training and first
meeting) to establish a culture of learning, increasing qualities of presence,
acceptance and speaking from the first person (I
statements).
We
found it useful to begin with 5 minutes or so for pairs of facilitators to
check in with each other about that day/s family meeting, then have a few
minutes of silence to gather and reflect on what might be needed from the whole
group, then build an agenda.
Content
can follow a few different channels depending on your wishes and the
wishes/needs of the group.
1.
Explore facilitator's own process as they are
getting caught, stumped, annoyed, lost, etc.
2.
Skill building in regards to various aspects of
facilitation or aspects of group rhythm (joining, deepening, need for closure
and preparation for reentry into larger world). This can also include games, family "portraits", use of role
play, closing rituals, etc.
The
last day is a good time for celebration, gratitude for the energy the
facilitators have invested in the week, and some kind of closing
retual.