Location: Margery's House, El Cerrito
Attendance: Margery, Bill, Chris, Natasha, Ryan, Mel, Juan (phone)
Notes by Ryan Clark

Retreat Recap

• ICO Dream follow-up meeting scheduled for February 21.
  
• Margery: Many (not all) of the 2011 goals achieved.
• Great class of new G-guides!

Season without Chicken

• Need a new lead for Instructor Training
  
• Bill is seeking a replacement Instructor Training
  
• Bill has called Delton, Damien, and Anja. Waiting for return calls. 
• Also need a TL for March 10-11 Tune-up/Instructor Training combination.
  
• We need more trainers. The BTs are thin on Trainers.
  
• Need someone to lead Beyond Basics training.
  
• Margery will lead one BB trip: May 5-6.
• The other BB trip needs a TL. will likely cancel. Maybe that's okay; we don't want to burn out before the season starts.
  
• We still have to address his Participant groups.
  

Selection & Recruiting

How many new applicants can we take?

• We already have two returning Basic Trainees (Corey and Jesus)
• We already have three Advanced Basic Trainees (Dave, Zach, Kristie).
• Trainer and Trip Leader resources are thin.
  
• Bill believes that we can handle 8 total (non-Advanced) Basic Trainees.
  
• It will be challenging.
• That means 6 new recruits MAX. (There are 9 applicants)

Scholarship Model

Are encouraging the wrong kind of trip?

• Current scholarship model is $500 per trip, regardless of length or size.
• Does this encourage small, one-day trips?
  
• Scholarship goal is simplicity.Often scholarship is not used.
  
• Many Trip Leaders do encourage two-day trips. 
• Group chaperone logistics are often a bigger obstacle than trip costs. 
• Often the choice is a one-day trip or no trip at all.
  
• Use of scholarship funds is increasing.
  
• As awareness increases, change policy to encourage multi-day trips?
• More precise numbers would be useful. 
• Let's discuss again in the near future.

SOPs Meeting

• Temporarily on hold.
• Lots of other important meetings going on.
  
• Don't want to distract with other stuff going on in ICO
• Don't want burnout
• Want good turnout.
• A reminder about SOPs-Discuss would be helpful.
• Discuss ICO Dreams are regular monthly meetings?
  
• Positive, open-ended way of getting people involved and energized.
  
• Much more engaging that SOPs discussions.

Off-River Jobs

• Lots of off-river jobs to fill.
• Jon would like to step back from both Finance and Fundraising Coordinator. Replacements welcome!
• Lots of volunteers in transition (injuring, relocation, etc)
• Will be an on-going challenge this year.
  

Next Meetings

• Steering Committee Meetings 
• March: None
  
• April 18 2012
• Regular Monthly Meeting
• April 4, 2012 at Margery's House
• May 2, 2012