Committee Members
What if everyone wants to be on the School Forest Committee?
A School Forest Committee of six to 10 people is ideal. Try to limit the size of your committee to a manageable, effective group. Prioritize the needs of the committee and list the qualifications you seek for each position. Examine the list of prospective members and find those individuals that best fit the requirements of the positions. Not all interested individuals need to serve on the committee. Think of ways to harness their enthusiasm and connect these people to tasks they will enjoy and at which they will be able to succeed. You can create subcommittees or task forces to accept the overflow of talented participants you have at your disposal.
Individual members of the School Forest Committee should:
- Perform their assigned tasks in a timely manner to facilitate the orderly running of the School Forest
- Participate in committee evaluation and future planning
- Attend all regularly scheduled committee meetings
- Devote sufficient time to consistently fulfill the duties of their position
- Be actively involved with school forest happenings
- Seek out and mentor others to be future school forest committee members
What if it is difficult to fill the School Forest Committee positions?
The idea of finding the right committee members might seem a bit daunting, but keep in mind that there are great committee members in your community. Identify the type of people you are looking for and then start your search. Seek out the advice of your school administrators and encourage them to offer suggestions of individuals whose involvement would be a benefit to the school in general. Contact the chairs of your local civic organizations, as they may be able to direct you to individuals who would be interested in working with the School Forest. Attend local governmental meetings and ask for a moment to address the group and make them aware of the need for active involvement by community members. When approaching individuals, make them aware that this is a directed invitation and not a general "cattle call." Let individuals know that their specific participation is being sought due to certain skills, connections, or interests they possess.