Steering Committee Meeting Notes, February 8, 2012

Location: Margery's House, El Cerrito

Attendance: Margery, Bill, Chris, Natasha, Ryan, Mel, Juan (phone)

Notes by Ryan Clark

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

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.