Behind the scenes at this year's PETS I will be attending the first sessions of our new board, already beginning the planning for my PETS, 2012, before this one has even been completed.
I starts Thursday with a tour of our new facility. We have been at the same resort for nine years, since Multi District PETS came into being. We have outgrown the faciloity and have been forced to limit attendance, excluding, or not encouraging spouses, etc. that we think are important. Our district is the only one the pays for spoused to attend and the others have not been encourage due to lack of space. Since my class will be the first at the new facility it will be up to us to work out as many wrinkles as we can for the next class.
On Friday at 4:00 PM we have our first planning meeting for the 2012 PETS. This past year we met twice as a group on our own and discussed the upcoming year, we also sat in on all the 2011 PETS board meetings just to observe and learn. There are five of those meetings each year.
Saturday morning at 9:00 AM our board meets in its second session. This one lasts the entire morning.
Saturday afternoon, after PETS is adjourned, we have a wrap up meeting including this year's board an ours. We have one year to make next year's PETS better, the goal of every board.
I look forward to updating this blog on both PETS and the progress of our new board, the new facility, etc. once this is over. For now it is just preparing for this next week.
Until next time.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
This Week = PETS!
This upcoming Thursday - Saturday is All Florida PETS, President Elects Training Seminar. Once we, the District Training Team, got past Pre PETS and Area Leadership Training if was full ahead working on PETS although almost all the preliminary work, the format, etc. was already determined.
In Florida, all the districts get together for one big PETS. With this pooled resource, we can bring in some pretty impressive speakers. As an example, this year the Rotary International President Elect if flying in from India to take part. I attended the last District PETs when I was a president nominee. It was good, but it was all the district folks you saw at everything and there really were no imported high power speakers. The following year as a PE I attended the first multi district PETS. Wow! What a difference! New faces as PDGs and RLI folks from all over the state, some from each district, are used as presenters and the guest speakers? Wow! I have been to nearly every PETS since, I think all but one, for one reason or another, twice as a spouse when my wife was PE and incoming AG. This year it will be more important than ever before. Next year I have to do this for my district. I have a lot to learn through observation this year.
I have one, hour long presentation on Friday titled "How Can We Help You?" It goes through resources from the Presidents Manual, District Leadership (the five standing committees) websites and even R.I. Support. If I were a PE this would be very important to me and I am looking forward to presenting it. I have completed the presentation and handouts and just have to practice. The pressure is pretty much off now.
Agenda.
On Thursday morning my skills will be used as a stuffer, adding our district information to the PETS packages the PEs will receive when they register. Thursday afternoon takes me and my Florida classmates on a tour of our new facility for next year - yes, we have outgrown the current one. Registration begins at noon and there are voluntary sessions on the District and Club Databases and Public Relations and Branding.
Friday things really crank up with District Breakouts beginning at 9:00 AM. These breakouts is where District Specific information is passed along to the PEs. After lunch there is an AG breakout and there are 16 breakouts for PEs, split into groups by club size (and RLI training) so the intruction is as relevent as the issues are different. These sessions are on information in common to everyone regardless of location, club size or any other reference point. There is a banquet with speaker that evening.
Saturday begins with a breakfast and speaker. This day the classes are reversed with the District Breakouts in the afternoon and the All Florida breakouts in the morning. There is a speaker at lunch.
As I said earlier. The most important thing I want to come away with is a good handle on how everything worked. Unfortunately, I will not be able to judge the content of all the sessions as I will have PETS Board work to do - see next post - but I do have a copy of the curriculem.
In Florida, all the districts get together for one big PETS. With this pooled resource, we can bring in some pretty impressive speakers. As an example, this year the Rotary International President Elect if flying in from India to take part. I attended the last District PETs when I was a president nominee. It was good, but it was all the district folks you saw at everything and there really were no imported high power speakers. The following year as a PE I attended the first multi district PETS. Wow! What a difference! New faces as PDGs and RLI folks from all over the state, some from each district, are used as presenters and the guest speakers? Wow! I have been to nearly every PETS since, I think all but one, for one reason or another, twice as a spouse when my wife was PE and incoming AG. This year it will be more important than ever before. Next year I have to do this for my district. I have a lot to learn through observation this year.
I have one, hour long presentation on Friday titled "How Can We Help You?" It goes through resources from the Presidents Manual, District Leadership (the five standing committees) websites and even R.I. Support. If I were a PE this would be very important to me and I am looking forward to presenting it. I have completed the presentation and handouts and just have to practice. The pressure is pretty much off now.
Agenda.
On Thursday morning my skills will be used as a stuffer, adding our district information to the PETS packages the PEs will receive when they register. Thursday afternoon takes me and my Florida classmates on a tour of our new facility for next year - yes, we have outgrown the current one. Registration begins at noon and there are voluntary sessions on the District and Club Databases and Public Relations and Branding.
Friday things really crank up with District Breakouts beginning at 9:00 AM. These breakouts is where District Specific information is passed along to the PEs. After lunch there is an AG breakout and there are 16 breakouts for PEs, split into groups by club size (and RLI training) so the intruction is as relevent as the issues are different. These sessions are on information in common to everyone regardless of location, club size or any other reference point. There is a banquet with speaker that evening.
Saturday begins with a breakfast and speaker. This day the classes are reversed with the District Breakouts in the afternoon and the All Florida breakouts in the morning. There is a speaker at lunch.
As I said earlier. The most important thing I want to come away with is a good handle on how everything worked. Unfortunately, I will not be able to judge the content of all the sessions as I will have PETS Board work to do - see next post - but I do have a copy of the curriculem.
Pre PETS and Area Leadership Training
Wow. These past couple months have been brutal as we, the District Training Team, put together presentations and handouts for two major training programs. The were combined into one day, one in the morning, one if the afternoon, as part of our goal to take fewer days away from Rotarian families for training. It was also meant to cut down on duplication of information.
Pre PETS was made up of all the President Elects and the incoming Assistant Governors. Area Leadership Training included this same group, plus the other two upcoming classes of Assistant Governors.
Pre PETS is training that the President Elects will not receive at PETS and three subjects were covered. Preparing for PETS, How to Run a Successful Club and Meeting and The Club Leadership Plan. There was a general session at the beginning where the incoming Governor introduced her team, went over her experience at the international assembly and introduced the club leadership to the R.I. President's theme for the upcoming year. As a part of the training team I was responsible for creating and delivering the Successful Club/Meeting presentation. We set up three rooms in RLI format and broke the attendees into three smaller groups. The the three presenters moved from room to room, delivering the same presentation to each group.
The afternoon was set aside for Area Leadership Training. This is a new title replacing what used to be called District Leadership Training. In the past, each District Chair got a couple minutes to mention their program and it was decided to eliminate that. It was determined that time did not permit an adequate presentation, so why bother. Instead, we will get that information out in another format. The purpose of the Area Leadership Training was exactly what is sounds like, to get each area working as a team. Again there was a short general session followed by three topics. Goal Setting, Communication and The Area Tri-Leadership Plan. I was responsible for the tri-leadership program which received a major face lift this year. It is not a secret that it was not a successful program and each past governor has tried to make it more rel event and, as a result, the program is getting better. This is the most current attempt help areas get the information they need to be effective. Since I designed this latest incarnation, it is likely to only receive a minor tweaking next year for my training, but I am sure our DGN will keep a close eye and make any changes he sees as being helpful. Anyway, from the program I created a presentation and, as in the morning session, delivered to to each of three groups.
All in all I think it was a very successful day and, again, the incoming governor is to be commended on coming up with the idea of a training team for continuity from year to year. The one thing we did decide was three presenters giving six, forty minute presentations is probably too much - and definitely too much standing. While you learn each time you make a presentation, and probably get a little better each time, you also start to wear physically and that can pull some enthusiasm from the presentations. Next year we will use multiple presenters. But I thought the format was excellent. The small groups really was powerful as opposed to a large gathering. Thank you Rotary Leadership Institute.
Pre PETS was made up of all the President Elects and the incoming Assistant Governors. Area Leadership Training included this same group, plus the other two upcoming classes of Assistant Governors.
Pre PETS is training that the President Elects will not receive at PETS and three subjects were covered. Preparing for PETS, How to Run a Successful Club and Meeting and The Club Leadership Plan. There was a general session at the beginning where the incoming Governor introduced her team, went over her experience at the international assembly and introduced the club leadership to the R.I. President's theme for the upcoming year. As a part of the training team I was responsible for creating and delivering the Successful Club/Meeting presentation. We set up three rooms in RLI format and broke the attendees into three smaller groups. The the three presenters moved from room to room, delivering the same presentation to each group.
The afternoon was set aside for Area Leadership Training. This is a new title replacing what used to be called District Leadership Training. In the past, each District Chair got a couple minutes to mention their program and it was decided to eliminate that. It was determined that time did not permit an adequate presentation, so why bother. Instead, we will get that information out in another format. The purpose of the Area Leadership Training was exactly what is sounds like, to get each area working as a team. Again there was a short general session followed by three topics. Goal Setting, Communication and The Area Tri-Leadership Plan. I was responsible for the tri-leadership program which received a major face lift this year. It is not a secret that it was not a successful program and each past governor has tried to make it more rel event and, as a result, the program is getting better. This is the most current attempt help areas get the information they need to be effective. Since I designed this latest incarnation, it is likely to only receive a minor tweaking next year for my training, but I am sure our DGN will keep a close eye and make any changes he sees as being helpful. Anyway, from the program I created a presentation and, as in the morning session, delivered to to each of three groups.
All in all I think it was a very successful day and, again, the incoming governor is to be commended on coming up with the idea of a training team for continuity from year to year. The one thing we did decide was three presenters giving six, forty minute presentations is probably too much - and definitely too much standing. While you learn each time you make a presentation, and probably get a little better each time, you also start to wear physically and that can pull some enthusiasm from the presentations. Next year we will use multiple presenters. But I thought the format was excellent. The small groups really was powerful as opposed to a large gathering. Thank you Rotary Leadership Institute.
We Have a District Conference Venue
Wow. January 28th was a big day. That day I signed a contract for my District Conference in May, 2013 - almost 27 months, and two District Conferences away, but late according to my timeline.
My conference will by held at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota on May 16th -18th, 2013. My conference chair was able to get HUGE concessions on both food and room pricing...HUGE! He did an excellent job and I am really relieved to have a facility locked in. We found out that when a conference sight says that is as low as they can go, it isn't.
There are a couple neat surprises that I don't want to publish yet but I think it is a good facility and we will be able to have a very nice conference. For the most part, the conference is not on teh back burner where it will remain for a year, more or less. Stay tuned.
My conference will by held at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota on May 16th -18th, 2013. My conference chair was able to get HUGE concessions on both food and room pricing...HUGE! He did an excellent job and I am really relieved to have a facility locked in. We found out that when a conference sight says that is as low as they can go, it isn't.
There are a couple neat surprises that I don't want to publish yet but I think it is a good facility and we will be able to have a very nice conference. For the most part, the conference is not on teh back burner where it will remain for a year, more or less. Stay tuned.
Catching Up!
This post could also be called "Catching a Breath" as it has been a busy couple months. About the same amount of work but with the Holidays and a vacation in there, didn't leave a lot of time for goofing off.
First, let me just catch up on some calendar points and I will add detail in some additional posts.
November 29th was the District Mid-Year Meeting for two areas, hosted at our house. My wife is an AG for one of the areas so I ran for the food - we had it catered to relieve stress - and served as chief cook and bottle washer. It was still an important night for me as DGN as I watched the meetings of the current leadership and incoming leadership with a critical eye. I had attended several in the past but this time I looked for things that went well and things that could be improved on. By the end of the night I learned that I need to develop an orderly agenda. Not to limit dialog, but to keep it from wandering all over the place.
December 5th found us at one of our club's fundraisers. The club understands how busy I am and even tries to protect me by not asking me to take part in projects but I feel it is important to me not to lose that connection. Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to just stop what you're doing and go to your club meeting or function.
December 6th had meeting of our District Training Team and the Governance Committee of Rotary's Camp Florida, both of which ended up with homework. I have to prepare two training presentations, one for Pre Pets and one for Area Leadership Training for the district. For RCF I have a sections of the policies and procedures manual to review and update for the camp.
December 9th we made what turned out to be our final pre-contract visit to the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. It was a good visit but my convention chair still has some pretty heavy negotiations to complete with regards to food and lodging pricing before we can move forward.
December 19th we sailed away from Port Canaveral on a week long cruise. I have never enjoyed time away from my computer and cell phone more. Even as a lowly DGN I am learning that absolute downtime is needed, and not just a day here and there, but enough to actually unwind.
January 9th I picked up our visitors from Kenya at the airport. I reported on the DGE Homestay program a year ago, I think, when we had guests from India, and this was another wonderful example of international fellowship. Each day the following week we had a daytime activity, such as a tour and either a banquet or fellowship dinner somewhere as our district hosted more than twenty DGEs and their spouses in route to the International Assembly in San Diego. Absolutely a wonderful experience but there is no free time that week. A couple times my wife took them to tours and allowed me to catch up on work, but it was pretty much go go go all week. I will miss this program the next two years when I am one of the DGEs and then DG, but we will pick it back up again after that.
I am intentionally not mentioning club meetings, board meetings and etc. in January - but they are all there, trust me. But other odd life things did take place. I had to work, what a concept, and flew up to my manufacturing facility in Wisconsin for a week. As outgoing president of our condominium association I presided over my final meeting. I am still on the board, but just as a director.
As a die hard Packer fan I would be remiss if I didn't mention the game against our rival Chicago Bears on January for the right to play in the Super Bowl. We won!!!!!
Into February. Again I would be remiss as a die hard Packer fan if I didn't mention our little to trip to my wife's sister's house in North Carolina for a five day weekend. One highlight was, of course, the Super Bowl. Friends of theirs hosted a Super Bowl party and we attended, I in my inflatable cheese head and Packer shirt, where we ate and drank too much as we watched our team become World Champions again. What a fun evening.
February 12th was our Pre PETS training and our Area Training Seminar, morning and afternoon respectively. I will report on this under a separate heading.
February 15th I made a very quick three day trip to my company, returning home on an early flight on the 18th so I could attend a Charter Night Banquet for a brand new Rotary Club. It isn't often these days to have a new club come into the district. We have had a couple that have been rejuvenated but still under an existing charter. Unfortunately, I brought back a bug from my trip so while everyone was celebrating the creation of this new club I saw a doctor and got started on a regimen of antibiotics and anti viral medications. It took about a week to get my old self back, and the first thing I did was visit that club!!!
February 26th, yesterday, I facilitated three sessions of the Rotary Leadership Institute. It was enjoyable as always but, as we were up until 1:00 AM the night before printing PETS handouts, it was a long day.
Okay, that is a quick look at the past two months. PETS is next week and I arrive at the facility on Wednesday. Immediately following this post I will add one each for my Convention, the Pre PETS Training, the Area Leadership Training and the preparations for PETS, along with the agenda.
Today was a very sad day, however, as our District Trainer, how would have been my District Trainer next year, had to resign for health reasons. I am trying hard not to use names in this blog, to keep it generic, but she was a truly intrical part of the training team and will be missed. However, it also shows the need for continuity in training. If the incoming Governor had not had the foresight to create a training team, it would have just been her and the trainer - and now, with PETS, District Assembly, TRF and Membership Seminars still to go, it would have been just her. Instead, she still has a team of six, herself included, to move forward. That makes finding a new trainer a priority but not an emergency and will allow for considered decision making instead of a knee jerk reaction.
First, let me just catch up on some calendar points and I will add detail in some additional posts.
November 29th was the District Mid-Year Meeting for two areas, hosted at our house. My wife is an AG for one of the areas so I ran for the food - we had it catered to relieve stress - and served as chief cook and bottle washer. It was still an important night for me as DGN as I watched the meetings of the current leadership and incoming leadership with a critical eye. I had attended several in the past but this time I looked for things that went well and things that could be improved on. By the end of the night I learned that I need to develop an orderly agenda. Not to limit dialog, but to keep it from wandering all over the place.
December 5th found us at one of our club's fundraisers. The club understands how busy I am and even tries to protect me by not asking me to take part in projects but I feel it is important to me not to lose that connection. Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to just stop what you're doing and go to your club meeting or function.
December 6th had meeting of our District Training Team and the Governance Committee of Rotary's Camp Florida, both of which ended up with homework. I have to prepare two training presentations, one for Pre Pets and one for Area Leadership Training for the district. For RCF I have a sections of the policies and procedures manual to review and update for the camp.
December 9th we made what turned out to be our final pre-contract visit to the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. It was a good visit but my convention chair still has some pretty heavy negotiations to complete with regards to food and lodging pricing before we can move forward.
December 19th we sailed away from Port Canaveral on a week long cruise. I have never enjoyed time away from my computer and cell phone more. Even as a lowly DGN I am learning that absolute downtime is needed, and not just a day here and there, but enough to actually unwind.
January 9th I picked up our visitors from Kenya at the airport. I reported on the DGE Homestay program a year ago, I think, when we had guests from India, and this was another wonderful example of international fellowship. Each day the following week we had a daytime activity, such as a tour and either a banquet or fellowship dinner somewhere as our district hosted more than twenty DGEs and their spouses in route to the International Assembly in San Diego. Absolutely a wonderful experience but there is no free time that week. A couple times my wife took them to tours and allowed me to catch up on work, but it was pretty much go go go all week. I will miss this program the next two years when I am one of the DGEs and then DG, but we will pick it back up again after that.
I am intentionally not mentioning club meetings, board meetings and etc. in January - but they are all there, trust me. But other odd life things did take place. I had to work, what a concept, and flew up to my manufacturing facility in Wisconsin for a week. As outgoing president of our condominium association I presided over my final meeting. I am still on the board, but just as a director.
As a die hard Packer fan I would be remiss if I didn't mention the game against our rival Chicago Bears on January for the right to play in the Super Bowl. We won!!!!!
Into February. Again I would be remiss as a die hard Packer fan if I didn't mention our little to trip to my wife's sister's house in North Carolina for a five day weekend. One highlight was, of course, the Super Bowl. Friends of theirs hosted a Super Bowl party and we attended, I in my inflatable cheese head and Packer shirt, where we ate and drank too much as we watched our team become World Champions again. What a fun evening.
February 12th was our Pre PETS training and our Area Training Seminar, morning and afternoon respectively. I will report on this under a separate heading.
February 15th I made a very quick three day trip to my company, returning home on an early flight on the 18th so I could attend a Charter Night Banquet for a brand new Rotary Club. It isn't often these days to have a new club come into the district. We have had a couple that have been rejuvenated but still under an existing charter. Unfortunately, I brought back a bug from my trip so while everyone was celebrating the creation of this new club I saw a doctor and got started on a regimen of antibiotics and anti viral medications. It took about a week to get my old self back, and the first thing I did was visit that club!!!
February 26th, yesterday, I facilitated three sessions of the Rotary Leadership Institute. It was enjoyable as always but, as we were up until 1:00 AM the night before printing PETS handouts, it was a long day.
Okay, that is a quick look at the past two months. PETS is next week and I arrive at the facility on Wednesday. Immediately following this post I will add one each for my Convention, the Pre PETS Training, the Area Leadership Training and the preparations for PETS, along with the agenda.
Today was a very sad day, however, as our District Trainer, how would have been my District Trainer next year, had to resign for health reasons. I am trying hard not to use names in this blog, to keep it generic, but she was a truly intrical part of the training team and will be missed. However, it also shows the need for continuity in training. If the incoming Governor had not had the foresight to create a training team, it would have just been her and the trainer - and now, with PETS, District Assembly, TRF and Membership Seminars still to go, it would have been just her. Instead, she still has a team of six, herself included, to move forward. That makes finding a new trainer a priority but not an emergency and will allow for considered decision making instead of a knee jerk reaction.
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