VACATION

In 2.25 hours I'm OUT OF HERE! The family is heading to Washington Island, WI for a week of relaxation. I'll be working a half day tomorrow from home - the other half I'll be volunteering at Pierogi Fest in Whiting. I've chosen a couple (hopefully) good reads for the trip. I'll be back August 6!

other sites

Some sites are just too good not to share:
Create your own simpsons avator.

The Guild is hosting a fundraiser at a Valpo establishment called "Making Dinner Fun" where people can prepare meals in advance. It takes place 7.31 and 8.16. Great place to gather, raise funds and get prepared before school starts.

Is it the end of July?

We survived the computer upgrade...or whatever... on Friday. And, we survived the strategic planning exercises yesterday. It is amazing how far the Guild has come since November 2004, the last time Susan Hooker led the Guild through its compelling and restraining forces! We didn't "finish" strategic planning exactly, but we couldn't have accomplished any more in one day. It was nice to focus on planning without having to accomplish other board related work. Now I have to crank out a ton of work so I can leave on vacation with a clear mind.

we'll be out...

Tomorrow e-mail, network drives, web and the database will be down for maintenance. Monday the Guild Board will be in Chicago strategic planning all day. Lots on the plate!

Houston

I just got back from a quick trip. It has been a bit of a whirlwind. On Saturday, I attended Rachel Cooper and Andy Viano's wedding. Rachel was an intern for the Guild in Spring 06. She created the 75th anniversary slideshow of the Guild throughout the years. Then I caught a 6:35 am flight (after getting up at 3:30 am) on Sunday. Due to weather, the flight was late landing in Houston. I was in Houston to represent Valpo at the LCMS Convention. Though I didn't expect to see people I know, I saw Carolyn Schoenborn, Jan Struck and Mary Hilgendorf - all CWC 07 speakers. Sunday night I gathered with Houston area Guild members at Joanne Fry's house for dinner. I was impressed by the dedication and friendship between the members. Monday night was a reception for Valpo alumni, parents and friends from the Houston area or attending the LCMS Convention. Again, a great way to connect. Tuesday I traveled back with Deb Albers. The trip gave me the opportunity to spend time with some other colleagues - President Harre, Pastor Cunningham, Renee Shroer, Luke Bouman and Lisa Polito. Today I'll dig out from being away from the office. Diane tells me we have received about 84 ACPs back (over 10%) in a week.

ACPs

The Annual Commitment Plans (ACPs) are coming in. We have a meeting today to determine the best way to send receipts to Guild members. OIA takes care of the receipts, but the letter attached to the receipt is more about general VU accomplishments than the Guild. Last year the Guild followed-up with its own thank you which was a duplication of effort. We're going to try to streamline the process, but Diane and I don't want to cause too much trouble for the folks running the receipts. If one customizes, all will want to. We hope to find compromise.

Summer Events

For decades, Guild members have hosted summer "send-offs" to coordinate Valpo students locally before they start classes. A few years ago, the Guild, Alumni office and Valpo Admission Network started formally partnering to assist the volunteers in hosting these events. From our perspective, by being more involved we could provide a consistent Valpo event and initiate send-offs in areas where there were students but no send-off. The volunteers were never completely happy with this arrangement because the consistency we tried to bring compromised their uniqueness. This year, we've decided to take a step back and support events as volunteers initiate them. The Guild is hosting six events this summer. It is taking us some time to figure out first, how to support these events without the partnership of the Alumni office and the VAN and second, how to support these events under the Guild's new structure. Fortunately, Alumni and VAN are being supportive of Guild events by providing lists, giveaways, etc. So far, it seems to be working out. It is just taking a lot of effort to stay responsive to the volunteers' needs and transition this worthwhile project. Next summer will be easier, right?

in action

The computers are, for the most part, up and running. Several people sent me e-mail that they received their Annual Commitment Plan mailing (membership renewal) and ballots. We tried to simplify the process this year but there is always room for improvement. Send ideas our way!

welcome back

After a couple days off - enjoying Whiting's fabulous 4th of July parade, Summerfest, and picking balckberries - I'm walk into work this morning to learn that the network is down. No e-mail. It kind-of throws off the day. It is due to an AC outage at Kretzmann or something. Though it is bummer, I'm guessing that others on campus are facing a worse day.

physical plant

I just took a message off of voicemail. Last week we balanced our budget and I noticed a work order charge. I figured it was from set up related to the Christian Women's Conference. This morning I learned that it was for setting up 13 tables in the VUCA lobby - 12 hours of work. All I could do is laugh. What? One table per hour? Can I have THAT job?

The weather is beautiful. I have to get about five days of work into two days because starting July 4 I'm on vacation the rest of the week. Wee-hee!