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

Wed Feb 19 13:35:41 CST 2020

I trust in the intention and wisdom that each of you bring and of course
will accept a decision.

I will not be available Thurs. Just one thought-- the swap can be done more
than once during the day if it remains a simple unticketed piece of the
conference. This would likely not happen with tickets submitted at swap. No
need to reply; it's not an important comment. As I said, I accept any
decision reached which achieves consensus as all are heard.

Lorraine

On Wed, Feb 19, 2020, 1:09 PM Mamie Gray <mamiegray2012 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Tomorrow, 02/20/20, at 11a.m., is OK. Mamie
>
> On Wed, Feb 19, 2020 at 1:04 PM Angela Taylor <taylor3433 at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I am available to talk tomorrow at 11 but not available on Friday.  Also
>> I am very open to getting the NEW ideal figured out.
>>
>> On Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 12:48:44 PM CST, kuumba treahm <
>> kuumbatreahm at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Hello Everyone,
>>
>> It is clear that each one of us wants to make the Conference the best it
>> can be. Let’s look for a solution here. Moving forward, everyone should
>> feel good about what we are doing. We all make up CCGA, and everyone’s
>> voice is important.
>>
>> As the Conference Chairperson, I would like to find a solution before we
>> meet next Tuesday.  We have a lot to accomplish over the next few weeks and
>> need to keep moving forward. I would like to propose a conference call for
>> anyone who wants to participate. Is anyone available tomorrow, 11:00am or
>> Friday, 12:30pm?
>>
>> Please respond!!
>>
>> Gina Jamison
>> 2020 Conference Chair
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 19, 2020 at 12:01 Amy Olson<akeo at me.com> wrote:
>>
>> I think we have to try to stay focused on a solution and what it is we
>> want to provide at the conference. Having tickets or not is a logistical
>> question.
>>
>> Nobody said that gardeners are thieves and unruly, and I am so sorry if
>> what I typed below inspired that thinking. I was not behind the scenes at
>> past door prize tables, so I can’t speak to what Ellen meant by it bringing
>> out ’the worst’ in people. I don’t think she meant gardeners, but was
>> referring to the whole thing - planning it, procuring prizes, staffing it,
>> and distributing prizes to attendees equitably. At the meeting we had at
>> Whitney Young when she talked about it, my understanding was the biggest
>> reason is that it was not sustainable. That decision has been made, and we
>> have to move forward.
>>
>>
>> On Feb 19, 2020, at 8:32 AM, Mamie Gray <mamiegray2012 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Even though some of you appear to be hell bent on shelving the use of
>> tickets, the bottom line is that CCGA has no obligation to explain their
>> decisions to me. Yet I have heard any number of reasons including that
>> (some?) gardeners are thieves and unruly. This particular reason is beyond
>> the pale. I am finding it harder and harder to understand the true/real
>> reason. Although sustainability  comes close as more than reasonable, why
>> is it necessary to exclude the use of tickets?  Mamie
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 19, 2020 at 12:03 AM Mamie Gray <mamiegray2012 at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> 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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