[Communications] [Resources] Suggested wording for Swap Table for your consideration

[Mamie Gray]

BTW was there any negative comments in the surveys regarding door prizes?
Mamie

On Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 11:28 PM Mamie Gray <mamiegray2012 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello Amy! As I indicated at a Resources meeting in January, the following
> were considerEd key to the conference: workshops, catering, door prizes,
> and networking. Simply organizing the “exchange” should not undermine or
> distract from the goal for sustainability. Because I have not participated
> in any of the previous door prizes, I am not aware that it brought out the
> worse in attendees. I only saw many people looking quite happy. So, other
> than the concern expressed about the children, I am really surprise to hear
> of any Black Friday-type of behavior. It is truly news to me. I see no need
> to spend money or ask businesses for donations if you are getting
> good feedback back from gardeners willing to bring an item or two (clean
> out my garage?). What exactly is problem other than the claim that some
> people were obnoxious. Maybe a selection of simple, humble ware will
> encourage them to be more civil and sustainable. Mamie
>
> On Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 10:57 PM Amy Olson <akeo at me.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Mamie,
>>
>> I’m sorry this conversation became so difficult at the meeting. Speaking
>> for myself, thanks for your email. It helps me understand a little better
>> your perspective.
>>
>> When you say you’ve received emails about the past door prize events
>> being fun - are you referring to emails from conference attendees?
>> Did they also say that they enjoyed other aspects of the conference, or
>> just the door prizes?
>>
>> Because from ‘behind the scenes,’ people from the resources team, like
>> Pat and Ellen, described how this idea of ‘prizes’ really brought out the
>> worst in people.
>> Negotiating the purchase of the tools, soliciting donations, then
>> monitoring attendees so people would not steal stuff.. this is what Pat and
>> Ellen have described.
>> CCGA should not feel obligated to provide door prizes for conference
>> attendees for eternity.
>>
>> So, I think that is why Angela and Cordia proposed the idea of a swap. A
>> swap is about gardeners bringing things that they no longer use, or extra
>> plants, etc. and exchanging them for something else. Or not! Perhaps they
>> just want to donate something. It’s about giving and receiving. Not just
>> taking. Cordia and Angela - please share your thoughts!
>>
>> The energy behind this idea was not to ‘get out of’ doing any of the work
>> involved in a door prize/raffle. It’s to foster a more sustainable
>> conference. To eliminate the need to solicit donations from companies for
>> more ‘stuff.’ The Resources team already gives so much away on behalf of
>> CCGA. They are giving tools away on March 7, in fact.
>>
>> My own opinion is that we don’t need to give door prizes away at the
>> conference. I don’t think the majority of the attendees come to the
>> conference to get a door prize. I think they attend for the workshops and
>> also to meet with other gardeners. Ok, maybe they also love the seed table.
>> But it was never all about the swag, that was just extra.
>>
>> Putting my own opinion aside, I want what’s best for the conference, and
>> what’s best for CCGA. We can figure this out:
>>
>>    - If we want to continue with giving away door prizes, we can conduct
>>    that as the Resources Team did, and allocate money to purchase new things,
>>    and ask for donations from companies.
>>    - If we want to host a swap on behalf of the gardeners who attend, we
>>    will not promote it as any sort of ‘door prize’ event at all. It would be a
>>    sharing event. We have to think of it as the opposite of a door prize.
>>    Think of reuse, sustainability, giving, repurposing…reducing stuff.
>>
>>
>> Hope this helps in some way,
>> Amy
>>
>>
>> On Feb 18, 2020, at 10:13 PM, Mamie Gray <mamiegray2012 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hello! I do not think that an honor code/system is appropriate for
>> donated garden prizes. Yes, placing all items on a table would require
>> minimum effort. I was under the impression that garden-type, related prizes
>> would substitute for door prizes as done in the past. The emails that I
>> have received on this subject are about how much “fun” it is to participate
>> in the door prize event. If CCGA just don’t want to do the work required
>> for a drawing, I will volunteer. Please advise. Mamie
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 18, 2020 at 9:49 AM Lorraine Kells via Resources <
>> resources at chicagocommunitygardens.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I'm submitting wording for FB and the website about the swap table, and
>>> would like to present this at the meeting tonight.  We can add info at ccga
>>> for questions, comments.
>>>
>>> As Julie suggested no tickets are necessary, just a volunteer or two at
>>> the table which would best be among the vendor/exhibitor tables.
>>>
>>>
>>> *CCGA steps into the ‘sharing economy’ with a Garden Goods Swap*
>>>
>>>
>>> Consumption trends are changing, and "gift exchange" – sharing items –
>>> is a way to live more economically. We think gardeners are experts at
>>> thrift exchange rather than trashing what they may no longer use.  We know
>>> that in nature there is no concept of waste, simply something in the wrong
>>> place.
>>>
>>>
>>> Bring your gently used, clean, garden related item – whether a pair of
>>> gloves, a hand tool, a rake or shovel, gardening book or unused journal, a
>>> small plaque, a potted herb, a clay pot – anything you’d like to swap at
>>> our conference. We’ll have a table set up for this garden goods swap.
>>> Anyone who brings something can take something in exchange.  Swap as often
>>> as you see something put on the table, but always leave something.   It's
>>> best to bring an item that can be carried easily, no lawnmowers or compost
>>> bins at the table.  When you choose an item it must be taken from
>>> the table, our volunteers cannot hold items for you.
>>>
>>> All items left at the end of the conference will be given to a
>>> charitable donation organizatio. Anything that is recyclable will be
>>> recycled.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Resources mailing list
>>> Resources at chicagocommunitygardens.org
>>>
>>> http://chicagocommunitygardens.org/mailman/listinfo/resources_chicagocommunitygardens.org
>>
>>
>>
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