Field Day / Family Fun Day Coordinator

Number of People: 1 or 2 (plus helpers)

Budget: $60 for supplies.  Some of this money may be used for watermelon ordered from conference services

This event happens on Wednesday afternoon during the Children's Program time 1:30 - 3:00PM.  There are no children's groups scheduled at this time, so that families can do activities together.  In the past few years, what used to be field day (silly games and competitions such as the sack race and watermelon seed spitting) became "family fun day" instead.

Several events are scheduled, such as:  Hunting for snakes under rocks, Blowing HUGE bubbles on the front lawn, Tie-dying on the Brookfield Porch, Goat Walk around the Island, kite flying and other multi-generational pursuits.

Recruit helpers to lead family fun day activities and communicate with them before coming to the island so they can bring supplies if needed.  

Give a list of family fun day offerings (and where they will meet) to the chairs and the Starboard Scribe by Tuesday.  Help coordinate supplies if any are needed from conference services.  Collect receipts from anyone who purchased supplies, and give them to the Treasurer, so they can write checks for reimbursement.  Make yourself available to those running events in case they need something, and direct families to different events if they have forgotten where to go.  Some families do several events over the course of the time.  It is often hard to find the snake hunters and goat walkers, but other groups are easier to find so that people can switch to a new activity half-way through.  Offer your help to any events that may require clean-up, such as tie-dye or bubbles.

Last edited by Kathy West June 2018

In case you want to change it back to a "Field Day" model, here are notes from the past

In 2009, this is a Wednesday afternoon event and will occur during Children’s Program time.

Bring from the mainland about 100 water balloons - small ones are hard to fill although there is a faucet adapter that helps. Give the receipt to the treasurer for reimbursement.

Plan the events - best done ahead of time.

Gather supplies

• Ribbons and pins or tape for "awards" (optional)

• Water balloons as above

• Ropes for boundaries: these items are in storage area in Brookfield. The bellhop must go up with you so arrange this at the desk.

• Three sturdy plastic cartons to hold the water balloons. Request them from Conference Services on Saturday. One of those folks is available on the green bench before meals. Have them delivered to Brookfield deck or beside the front steps of Oceanic (NOT the soft ball side!!) depending on where you are located.

• Watermelon and accoutrements need to be ordered by the Chairs. Confirm with Conference Services that the watermelon will arrive cut AND WITH SEEDS. If not, they will also need to provide you with knives. These items will magically appear if they've been ordered.

• rope for tug of war

• chairs

• baseball bats

• whistles would be helpful for getting peoples attention.

Helpers - need about 5 - the majority are Young Adults who have graduated from the Children’s Program. There are some additional adults assigned as well.

• One or two to accompany you to the storeroom to carry down supplies

• Four to fill the water balloons on the day of the event. Don't do this yourself unless you want to! The filling is done in the two bathrooms between the Marine Lab and Brookfield. They're placed as finished in the plastic cartons and stowed under the deck covered by the burlap sacks. The other supplies are hidden under the deck (or porch) also.

• A couple to help with the actual events

• A couple to guard the watermelon from marauding kids and adults. It's served near the end.

Please contact the chairs before the end of May to make sure seeded watermelon is on the Food Order List (they must submit the order before June 1st).

Be creative and have fun! Just remember to keep the pace moving along as the young ones get restless easily.