CIM and the BIG REVEAL!
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In mid-October, I had the pleasure - and the anxiety - of attending CISV in Motion (CIM) and participating in the football pool to choose our upcoming 2017 programs. (Want to know those programs? Come to our BIG REVEAL, Nov. 3rd, during our regular meeting.)
CIM is CISV USA's annual meeting, and it provides a mix of educational sessions and opportunities for the chapter representatives to connect - all designed to help us better our chapter through best practices. All good and fun, right!
But then there's the football pool, and while fun, it is also quite nerve-racking. The rest of the CISV year depends on this event, during which chapters receive their upcoming programs. And it isn't as simple as getting what we want; we are in "friendly competition" with the 20 other chapters across the States.
Here's how it works. Before the football pool, BV orders it "favorite picks" of available programs by chapter interest, price, length/difficulty of getting to the camp, and travel concerns (safety/travel warnings).
Once in Cincinnati, we review again and solidify our choices. Then it is time to gather all the chapters together.
We huddle in one room, and the energy is palpable as chapter representatives check and recheck their picks, nervously fiddle with the microphones scattered throughout, glance anxiously at the board prepping in the front of the room, and whisper strategies among themselves.
Then the picking begins, but we have a certain order we must follow. All chapters are ranked numerically based on past hosting history. Since BV just hosted a Village, for example, we are ranked high in terms of picking for that program, and we have a good chance of getting the program we want. However, we haven't hosted a Seminar for 14 years, so our ranking for that program is pretty low. The lower the rank, the less chance of getting the program(s) of our choice.
Throughout the entire process, we live with the knowledge that our number 1, 2, or even 10th pick could be gone before we even have a chance to reach for that microphone.
Finally, the pool begins: we get our first Village pick, but lose our first Step-Up choice; no time to lose, we are seeking our coveted JC spots. And the process goes on.
Then, suddenly, it is all over. After several, fast-paced rounds, the football pool has ended, and, overall, we are thrilled with our upcoming programs!
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" A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to World Peace"
by Marion Henderson
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This year, our JB decided to celebrate Peace One Day with a game of kickball in the park, so a few parents showed up to support.
I got excited as I reminisced with nostalgia about my Middle School days of kickball fame and was pretty pumped to impress the youth with my (albeit, rusty) skills.
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Relaxing after a strenuous game of kick ball
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When my turn came to kick, I heard a low cry of collective surprise from the crowd at the kick's force that got me, handily, to first base. Not bad for an old chick! After the next player's kick, I bolted to 2nd base at lightning speed. Only there was one problem. My MIND bolted to 2nd base. My legs didn't get the memo!
While my torso went full steam ahead, my legs felt like lead weights, grounding me in place. The physics of that nearly led me to fall flat on my face, but with deftness, I caught myself. "Yessss!" I thought. My athleticism of old was paying off! But alas, my celebration was premature. My legs were now moving, but at a bizarrely slow pace and, this time, nothing could stop gravity's pull from toppling my rather large, heavy body.
The funniest part was that I experienced this incredibly ridiculous spectacle as if I were watching it in slow motion. As I lay on the ground, laughing hysterically, I was forced to accept that my triumphant memories of Middle School had been abruptly replaced by the stark reality of the Middle Ages. (It seems that the "new Fabulous-ness of 50" doesn't necessarily manifest in the same ways it did in previous decades!)
While I was pretty embarrassed, I walked off the field feeling surprisingly good. A philosopher once said, "Young people have the energy to give their all. When we give our all to the issues before us, we can forge character and build a firm an unshakable life."
That day in the park, I was proud that I mustered up my Middle-Aged energy and "gave my all" for the sake of an organization that I care deeply about, one that has helped forge the character of my children which, I pray, will leave an impact on this earth long after I'm gone. At times, my contributions are graceful. Other times, I end up falling on my rear end. But if a scraped elbow and bruised ego is the price to pay for helping my kids build a world where people can respect one another as equals and work together to find solutions to our planet's most pressing problems, then it's a small price to pay.
The generosity of BV chapter members' time, effort and money enables us to continue this important work. Please click
here to sign-up
today for one or more of the chapter volunteer opportunities still open this year. Let's show our kids, by example, how to build a "firm and unshakable life."
Meanwhile, I'll see you at the gym!
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A Hidden Gem
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After digging through six or more piled-high stacks of boxes, in the process of unloading old, and now worthless CISV papers, Janet Reynolds discovered a few golden nuggets
The most
special of a
ll: a gold-embossed document declaring that, yes indeed, BV was "now an official chapter on October. 30, 1992." The charter is signed by none other than Phil Long, current CISV USA President. So thank you, Phil Long, for agreeing to include our chapter into the CISV USA fold!
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How to Connect with BV
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Please allow Brandywine Valley's e-mail address: brandywine@cisvusa.org. through your spam filters. In addition, don't forget to check our chapter's updated and interactive Website, which houses all information on local, national and international levels. We also connect on FB: Connect on our Brandywine Valley CISV group page. JBers are encouraged to join the CISV Brandywine Valley JB page as well. Lastly, for up-to-the-minute news, connect on Twitter and allow notifications from BVCISV. Great for meeting reminders, upcoming events and a fun way to see what is happening in our chapter. You can also follow all other chapters' twitter accounts and learn what is happening in their world as well. |
Want to Contribute?
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Do you know a member you feel deserves to be highlighted in our Member
Spotlight? Maybe you have some event pictures you would like to share with others. Is there a subject related to CISV's mission that you feel strongly about, so much so that you would like to write a piece about it for the CISV Brandywine Valley newsletter. If so, please email Jodi Knapp
. We look forward to hearing from you.
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October 2016
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Brandywine Valley
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Mark your Calendar
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West Chester Halloween Parade: October 26th, BV CISV is walking in the parade this year, so let's get our Halloween on. See
Ghosts, Goblins and JBers.
Adult Board/JB Meeting: November 3rd, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Fugett Middle School. (See all
meeting dates).
Party for Peace: November 5th, McKenzie Brew House,
451 Wilmington-West Chester Pike, Glen Mills, PA. Not to be missed! We will celebrate
Dia de Muertos while affirming CISV's raison d'etre!
Register here.
Open Houses: November 7th, 7:00 - 9;00 pm, Fugett Middle School, and
December 11, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm., Westtown School. Please invite interested, potential new members.
Ten Thousand Villages: December 4th, 1:00 pm. - 5:00 pm. Come shop! Fifteen percent of all proceeds go to CISV. Main Street at Exton, 271 Main St, Exton, PA.
JB Lock-In: December 9th to 10th, 7:00 pm - 8:00 am, Westtown School.
For a full list of upcoming BV activities,
click here.
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Everyone in CISV is needed to help recruit.
We have had a lot of fun choosing our programs - to be revealed Nov. 3rd - but now the real work begins.
We have a lot of great programs for 2017, so we need leaders and probably some delegates - especially 11-year-olds for Village. So please put on your thinking caps and spread the WORD about CISV!
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Calling all Ghosts, Goblins and JBers
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 This Wednesday, October 26th (rain date: October 27th), we will be participating in the West Chester Halloween Parade!
Come out and wear a traditional outfit from another country or wear your favorite CISV shirt!
We will be marching and performing some energerizers, as well as handing out candy and a small flyer about CISV! Sign up here!
The parade itself starts at 7pm, but participants are to gather in advance, so we will meet up
at 6:00 pm in front of St. Agnes, 233 W Gay St, West Chester. We can then walk up as a group to our line up location between Darlington and New Streets on Market Street. Or, just meet us at our designated line-up spot before 6:15.
BV CISV's line-up spot is Division 2, Order #3.
Remember if you haven't filled out a membership form, you must do so before walking in the parade. Here is a
link to the form; please bring a printed copy to the event.
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Party for Peace
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Our Party for Peace is taking inspiration from the global festival Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead).
Day of the Dead, celebrated throughout Mexico, is a multi-day holiday that focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and to help support their spiritual journey.
We will celebrate CISV's goal of a journey to peace at McKenzie Brew House on Nov. 5th, from 6 to 9 pm. Lots of laughter, raffles and dancing.
Help ensure a healthy and happy chapter by supporting us in this festive fundraiser.
Click here to register or
here to help out.
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JBers Rock CISV
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Here at BV, we believe our chapter is only as strong as our JB. We want to encourage - and indeed we need - our JB to contribute in any way they can. To that end, we wish to congratulate the new members of the JB Development Team; six BV JBers of all ages committed to supporting the JB Board with planning activities and engaging new members at monthly JB meetings.
But the opportunities for every JBer to Step Up and shine do not stop there.
If you are creative and want to help design graphics for our new website, if you like to write and want to contribute to our monthly newsletter, or if you want to help plan fundraising events, all of this is open to you. AND more! Please reach out to any member of the JB board or Ad
ult Board to ask how you can help!
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Selection Dymystified
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Have you ever wondered how certain delegates of our chapter are chosen from the group of candidates who apply to represent BV in our programs?
To us die-hard CISVer's, it is a mystery why CISV is not in every community - like Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts and Rotary Clubs. If so, there would be more opportunities for children to open their minds to the world - to build bridges not barriers - to those whom others may describe as 'different.'
Unfortunately, CISV program opportunities are finite. Each fall we receive program opportunities from other chapters (see CIM and the BIG REVEAL), based on how we have hosted in the past. And there are only so many programs on both a national and international level. In addition, the number of delegates that can be sent are defined by the program. In most cases the gender must also be specified. This number and mix is not arbitrarily set, it is derived from research that tells us how to make the program experience the best for all of the delegates. So the goal is to create the highest quality programs for those attending, not max out on the number of participants.
Our selection committee, all of whom have extensive experience working with youth and CISV, struggle with selection when we have a plethora of great applicants. Always the committee must carefully consider the best applicants and mix of delegates to meet the specific program's goals. It isn't easy.
Click here to read the rest of the story, learn more misconceptions surrounding selection, and discover ways to improve your odds of attending a CISV program!
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Scrip! The Gift that Gives Twice! |
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This holiday season, when you think of extended family members, friends, teachers, colleagues, team members, office staff, service providers -
those who deserve a little extra recognition in our lives - the task of finding gifts that reflect how you feel about them can be daunting. Sometimes
you are not sure the item you choose for them is what they would pick themselves. Yet you probably know them well enough to know which retailers they patronize to
purchase a gift card for them to use!
This year let me help you do your shopping and give you the opportunity to give twice - once to those special people on your list and once to CISV - without having to spend more than you are already planning! For the people on your list, please share with me the names of the retailers from whom you would like to purchase gift cards. I will research their offerings and let you know which denominations of cards they offer or if a specific denomination of card you desire is available. If you prefer to shop the list yourself, here it is grouped by type of retailer....
Gift Card Retailer List. (This list is a download that requires a pdf viewer.)
As a bonus, I will provide a
free Holiday gift card envelope for each card of $25 denomination or higher purchased. Just tell me which envelope theme you will need when you place your order: Christmas, Hanukkah, Holidays, Winter Solstice, New Years, or Birthday. I will be placing the first order on
Sunday, October 30th.
So, if you are not taking advantage of my 'shopping service offer' please be sure to
email your order to me by 9pm of the 30th.
It's
easy! Additional orders for this service will be made on November 13th for Thanksgiving shopping, November 27th for the December BV
Meeting, and December 11th for those late developing gift giving needs. See
Scrip Orders
for ordering details! Thank You!
Click on my name to email your questions or requests,
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Just What is that Pesky R-7?
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Every BV member (and his or her family) is expected to understand and agree to CISV's behaviour policy (R-7) before traveling or attending CISV events, including, but not limited to, local and regional mini-camps or international travel. While the The R-7
Behaviour Policy does not include all unacceptable behaviours, the absence of an action or behaviour in the policy does not make that behaviour acceptable. We expect all CISV members to use good judgment to determine what behaviour is appropriate and to act in ways that support the mission of CISV.
Appropriate behaviour is required of all members at every level of the organization in order to support and accomplish:
* CISV's mission to educate and inspire action for a more just and peaceful world
* CISV's educational goals and methods
* the expectations of participants and volunteers.
Check out the R-7 (here) and live by it! Thanks! (The R-7 is a CISV document that must be downloaded with a .pdf viewer like Adobe Acrobat.)
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Marion's call for Volunteers!
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Volunteers are the backbone for every non-profit and amazing organization like Brandywine Valley CISV. Look for this block in each newsletter and click on the link to Sign-Up Genius to get involved. Right now we need volunteers to help at the Party for Peace on November 5th, our annual fund-raising event critical to the success of BV from a fiscal point of view. Click here to see what role you can play in its success.
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What: Scrip is a
fund raising program BV uses to sell gift cards from
hundreds of retail chains -
retailers you already patronize - that can be used
in their stores or on-line at the retailer's web site, over many visits. To place your order, determine the
retailer names, the denomination of the cards offered, and quantity of each denomination you want.
repeating order with me (same address) which I will enter each month for you, based on the details you provide.
When: By 9pm on the Sunday before the monthly meeting (unless a repeating order which I will place myself), in order to receive your order that week.
Where: I will deliver the cards at the
Monthly Meetings to you if you attend, or to your JBer before or after the Meeting. Special deliveries can be made if requested in the order email you send to me.
Payment by check is preferred at the exchange (
make check out to BV CISV). Cash can be handled but it has to be the exact amount.
Why: Each card purchased generates revenue directly to BV, there is no waiting. So your purchase - for which you receive full value for what you spend - helps fund chapter activities and programs.
Talk about sustaining!
Clothing retailers offer some of the highest revenue opportunities to BV so
please use Scrip cards to support BV while funding your apparel purchases and gift shopping. Most Home Improvement, Restaurant, Drug, Grocery, and Entertainment chains participate,
Amazon too! Check out the 'hundreds of retail chains' link above to see what your favorite retailer offers.
Are you ready to order?
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JB/Adult Board Meetings
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Fugett Middle School (7PM - 9 PM)
11/3, 12/1, 1/5, 2/2, 3/2, 4/6, 5/4
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