Chair

How to Chair in One Million Easy Steps

Here is a description of what happens when you agree to Chair the All Star II conference and a checklist of things you’ll be called upon to do. Check off what you’ve done or what’s so hopelessly overdue that it’s not worth doing.

Phase 1. On Island, in Portsmouth, and Upon Return Home

Once you have said, “Yes” to the current Chairs, you can spend the rest of the week getting nervous and watching to see how things work and putting together your Candlelight. Only a few days remain to match faces and personalities with a conference list, so that letter-writing later will be easier. It’s amazing to find out how many people you don’t know an dhow many events there are to which you’ve never been! Don’t go overboard – relax!

  • The current chairs hold a meeting with the Island Manager on Friday to wrap things up. They will tell you when it is; be sure to attend. It will provide you the opportunity to meet the Assistant Manager and Conferences Services person.

  • Don’t tell your children or friends that you have been asked – keep the secret until you are announced – it is much more exciting that way.

In order to keep the secret as long as possible, next year’s chairs do not sit at the Banquet head table. The new chair people are announced at the Banquet. Enjoy the big cheer and go up to the current chairs to receive your Chair necklaces. You are now the Chairs!!!

  • A modest word of acceptance is welcome but not necessary.

  • The Grand March will be led (you in front, outgoing chairs behind, followed by the rest of the past chairs) by people in the know. They will tell you what to do. Just follow along smiling happily.

  • The Friday Candlelight Service is given by the new Chairs. Past chairs will gladly help make connections for music as necessary, so that you don’t have to revel yourselves.

  • At this point the new Chairs take “power”.

  • You have to make the Saturday morning announcements. Be sure to announce:

    • Time of departure

    • Hand luggage on porch

    • Put Evaluations/Volunteer Job sheet in box on Front Desk – Stress this!

    • Pick up any artwork on the porch

    • Look in the Lost and Found for missing items

    • Pay your Hotel, Book Store and Gift Shop Bills (you may be given lists)

    • YOU WILL COME BACK!

  • You may want to buy Star postcards or stationery at the Gift Shop for use in writing to conferees during the year.

In Portsmouth:

  • You may also be given all sorts of miscellaneous junk that people think might be useful next year. We stopped collecting name tags in 2003.

  • Get the crate/bin filled with the binders from the past 4-5 years. Get their computer disks as well with all the materials they created so you won’t have to start from scratch.

Back Home:

  • Look through the binders and become familiar with the material.

  • Get the questionnaires/evaluations from the previous chairs as soon as they are done gloating over them and get the computer information and a review by the previous chairs of how the week went.

  • Enter the volunteer job request into the database and print out the 2 reports – Job Requests By Job Title and Job Request by Person.

  • Attend the All Star II Chairs’ Weekend sometime in the fall. This get-together is to discuss conference policy and to answer your general questions and have a good time. The Chairs from two years ago are in charge of running this gathering. Be sure to bring any questions about registration policy, children’s program staff, or whatever. Be ready to announce who your speaker/minister are and your theme for the week.

  • If you want, set up an email for All Star II communications. John Levine will set you up on his server if you ask nicely.

  • Enjoy yourselves!

A note on omnipotence: You may not realize it yet, but you have absolute power. You will get lots of advice, solicited and unsolicited, good and bad, from the “used furniture,” you can accept this or not, whatever your whims. There are no written rules, but, like the rest of the conference, there are traditions. Do whatever you think is right.

Phase 2. The Speaker, Sunday Minister, and Text for Brochure

You may want to write a friendly form letter to the whole children’s staff thanking them and telling them you’ll be contacting them when you know your plans for next year.

Everyone at Star agrees that the topic of electors is secondary to the quality of the Speakers. If your speaker is clear, interesting, humorous, not pompous, and fits in at Star, it hardly matters what the topic is. It is easier for an academic to be a Speaker, because s/he will usually be able to use material previously prepared.

The Speaker must do the following:

  • Give five 1 ½ hour lectures (Monday – Friday) that include a 10 or 15 minute question and answer period at the end of each lecture.

  • Optional: Give a talk to the children’s staff which will not be able to attend the regular lectures. Pels may be interested in this as well.

  • Get “roasted” at the Adult Stunt Night on Thursday.

And in return will receive the following:

  • Room and Board, boat fare, and parking for their whole family, up to a total of four people (not including snack bar or store bills). They also do not pay the conference registration fee.

  • A guaranteed place at Star!

Selection of Sunday Minister:

The Minister must be ordained, and his/her fees will be covered by the Star Island Corporation. All Star II will also cover their lobster, if desired. The SIC will also cover the cost of the minister’s partner. You are strongly encouraged by the SIC to invite your minister to reside in the Parsonage.

The Star Island Corporation will advise you of their deadline for the text for the brochure. It will be in late October or early November.

  • Write one or two paragraphs about All Star II for the “Bluebook”, the brochure with registration form that is mailed in January. Check with the treasurer for registration fee for next year’s conference. SIC will tell you whom to send it to.

  • Write the website blurb – for the All Star II webpage.

  • Ask the AS2 Treasurer to send you a financial statement summary from the previous conference as soon as it is ready, so you can use it as your rough budget. (You can probably do this at the Chairs’ Weekend.)

  • Ask your speaker(s) to prepare a list of books that the Book Shop should carry. The books must be in print, of general interest, available through a distributor in this country, and preferably be in paperback. The Book Shop Manager will send you a letter about it. Have the Speaker send the information to you or to the Book Shop Manager by April 1 (or other deadline if another is mentioned). Later in the spring, check with the Book Shop Manager that the books have been ordered – to avoid a last minute crush.