Connecticut Conference Volunteer Tasks and Leaders
General Synod 26

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Local Arrangements Committee

Co-chairs:

Sue Butler Woodward (sbwoodward@mymailstation.com)
Jonathan Lee (pastor@rhccucc.org)

1. Hospitality

Co-chairs: Bonnie Bardot (rev.up@snet.net)
Bridget Hughes (bhughes@fccgranby.org)

Welcome

Airport Arrival Chair: Paige Besse-Rankin (wuccpastor@sbcglobal.net)

These volunteers welcome those arriving in Hartford by air on Thursday and Friday. There will be a table set up on the concourse to welcome and answer basic questions for those delegates, guests, and visitors. There is a training session scheduled for early June.

Hotel Arrival Chair: Susan Waldron (swaldron01@snet.net)

These volunteers will be stationed on Thursday and Friday in the lobbies of the 34 Hartford area hotels that are registered with the General Synod. They will have general information to help answer questions about shuttle bus schedules, etc.

Civic Center Welcome Chair: David Kingsbury (solardek@netzero.net)

These volunteers will be stationed at the outside doors & escalators to give a warm welcome, direct and assist at or near all the exits to the Civic Center main floor. Volunteers will be ushers in the arena especially to those who are elderly or may have a disability. Friday - Tuesday

Welcome Table Chairs: Cindy Maddox (pastor@kingstchurch.org), Linda Scott (lldscott@hotmail.com)

Located in the Civic Center, the Welcome Table volunteers will assist with questions about schedules, basic information about restaurants, entertainment, medical building locations, anything to do with the area around the Civic Center, lost and found, message board, Band-Aids, etc.

Synod in the City (Saturday only) Chairs: Donna Cassity (healthychurches@comcast.net), Dolores Szyszko (dolchar@juno.com)

Volunteers for this special event will welcome, assist and direct at the various venues where Synod in the City events are taking place. These include Bushnell Park, Civic Center (Arena and Assembly Hall), Capital College, Center Church, Christ Church, Hilton Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Ballroom, 960 Main and Market St.

Special Needs

Chairs: Karen Peiffer (revkarenlpeiffer@sbcglobal.com), Ann Marino (amarino_767@msn.com)

This committee oversees a Special Needs table, scooters, wheelchairs, sign language interpreters for delegates and visitors.

Prayer Chapel

Chairs: Jim Silver (revjs13@sbcglobal.net), Bill Hawley (hawleybill@aol.com)

This committee will attend to prayer requests and spiritual needs of the delegates and visitors to Synod. Since there is no actual prayer chapel, it will be a mobile unit!

Cookies

Chairs: Margie Kreitler (margiekreitler@sbcglobal.net), Melanie Enfield (jtinkham@cox.net)

This committee oversees the donation of 14,000 dozen cookies from local churches. Volunteers will oversee the “Cookie Room” down in the basement of the Civic Center.

Volunteer Identity

Chairs: Patti Buccheri (ucc_tees@yahoo.com), Bonnie Bardot (rev.up@snet.net)

This group oversees the design, production and distribution of the golf shirts for volunteers to wear during Synod.

VIP Hospitality

Chair: Gina Finocchiaro (GFinocchiaro@fccmadison.org)

This Committee will work with VIPs attending Synod as presenters, denominational officers, etc. They will assist with driving from the airport to the Hilton Hotel, and acting as liaisons for presenters. Friday – Tuesday (especially Saturday during Synod in the City).

Child Care & Children’s Programs

Chair: Marcia Eveland (McayuseE@aol.com)

These programs will be run Friday and Sunday through Tuesday at Christ Church Cathedral adjacent to the Civic Center. Volunteers will provide supervision and resourcing for safe and fun programming, interface with parents, and need to undergo appropriate background checks.

Tote Bags

Chairs: Peg Giles (pggiles@aol.com), Bridget Hughes (bhughes@fccgranby.org)

This group oversees the production and design of the tote bags.

Lodging for Volunteers

Chair: Nancy Normen (NanANor@aol.com)

Oversee and coordinate lodging for local volunteers who may want to stay in the Hartford or the surrounding area during Synod. They will be matched with local church members who are willing to offer their homes during that time.

Thank yous

Chair: Susan Waldron (swaldron01@snet.net)

Thanking all those who volunteered for Synod.

Youth Stewards

Chairs: John Hudson (pastorjohn@westconcordunionchurch.org), T. Michael Rock (tmichael@robbinsdaleucc.org), Mark Diters (mark@southchurch.necoxmail.com), Kristen Kleiman (kristen@wappingchurch.org)

Recruit, train, and work with 8-10 youth from churches around CT who work on the floor during plenary sessions. Friday-Tuesday. These youth will work with a male and female advisor and stay at the University of Hartford.

2. Operations

Chair: Charles Miles (charles.miles@ge.com)
Vice-Chair: Mike Novak (m.novak@comcast.net)

Office Support

Chair: Jill Shaw (gmshaw@juno.com)

Connecticut volunteers are asked to support the National Staff persons running the office, creating and revising documents, duplicating and collating reports, and other general office tasks.

Transportation

Chair: Don Mitchell (revnmr@comcast.net)

The overall responsibility of the Transportation Sub-committee is to provide information about transportation to the General Synod meeting site. One of the major functions is to provide volunteers at the meeting site who will be available to direct Synod attendees to the appropriate transportation on Friday and Saturday evenings for the return trip to their respective hotels.

Other responsibilities may include:

1. Liaison with shuttle company providing bus service between meeting site and hotels.
2. Provide information about parking at the meeting site.
3. Assist Special Needs Sub-committee with arranging and providing transportation for people with disabilities.
4. Provide other transportation-related information or assistance to other committees or sub-committees on an as-needed basis.

Registration and Information

Chairs: Peggy Wright (pwchoir@aol.com), Hannah Howe (hhowe.ucct@snet.net)

• Registration

At the various hotels on Thursday night and all day Friday.

Each hotel will have a registration table for delegates and visitors staying there. , Upon arrival, they will show a coupon they have received from the UCC. It will tell whether they are fully registered. If so, they will receive a tote bag, official nametag holder, and other materials. Coupon, nametags and meal tickets will be mailed to delegates ahead of time. If they are only signed up for Synod in the City, they will get a badge that they will wear all the time.

The Registration Table at the Civic Center will handle the following:

1. those who registered after the deadline of May 8th
2. those not staying at Synod hotels, no matter when they registered
3. All registration related concerns throughout the Synod

National Staff will assist our volunteers at this location, so this will be registration central.

Our volunteers are scheduled for 4 hour periods.

• Information Table

This table will be near the Registration Table at the Civic Center and will have materials available about the Synod program itself. It will need to be staffed through Tuesday also. We will be working with a national staff person, Hans Hoznagel, who will provide the materials we will need to distribute.

Logistics and Communications

Chair: Bob Inderbitzen (bobmike@cox.net)

This team is tasked with helping coordinate communications with the whole Local Arrangements Committee and volunteer group. The team oversees an online database to help manage and organize new volunteers and volunteer scheduling. During Synod, this group will help with distributing information, messaging, and radio communications.

Technology

Chair: Alan Thompson (apt41@comcast.net)

The Technology Committee will provide computer support, office machine support, and AV support to Synod volunteers. They will provide base-level setup and troubleshooting support, calling in designated contractors as required. In addition they will provide assistance to users of a web-based volunteer management application, including coaching and report generation.

Floor Stewards

Chair: Sue Dickerman (dickermans@macucc.org)

During the business portions of General Synod, floor stewards are the on-site officials designated to ensure that delegates and officers are provided necessary documents, to count votes, and respond to requests from plenary leaders. These local volunteers are essential to the effectiveness of Synod business.

3. Environment and Design

Chair: Brenda Pelc-Faszcza (therevbpf@comcast.net)

Much of the welcoming atmosphere of General Synod begins with the visual environment of the plenary hall and related venues. This subcommittee works with planners from the national offices to ensure that the worship and business environments during Synod are appealing and inspiring. This committee procures materials for stage and set designs, works to maintain thematic visual consistency in all Synod venues, coordinates volunteer ushers and Communion servers, and attends to the many details of design associated with a large-scale worship and business event.

4. Heritage and History

Chair: Ralph Ahlberg (ralphahlberg@comcast.net)

The Heritage and History subcommittee is tasked with publicizing and educating Synod delegates and visitors about the rich religious past of Connecticut and its churches. This work happens primarily through design and launch of a website of ongoing local events, opportunities and resources, as well as through planned offerings during Synod. The work of this Committee encourages those attending Synod—those from outside New England especially—to come early and stay late.