[This is a topic I brought up a couple weeks ago on the trad-dance-callers list. Discussion on it there seems to have died down, so I'm seeing if I can get some more ideas here.] I'm wondering what any of you, or other organizers of local dance series that you know about, do in the way of special events for volunteer recognition. For example, you might have an occasional (annual?) volunteer appreciation dance. Or maybe at some point during a popular event like a series anniversary dance or holiday ball, a key organizer takes the mike and publicly distributes small gifts (things like compact discs, custom mugs, ...) to people who have helped the dances happen over the past year. Perhaps you do other things. Whatever you do, I'd be interested in significant details. If you have an special event (dance, dinner, ...) is it open to all or just to volunteers. If participation is limited, how do you draw the line? How does the funding work? (E.g., if volunteers get free admission to the volunteer appreciation dance, does the organization pitch in to help compensate the band for lost revenue?) If there's work involved, who does it? The same volunteers who are ostensibly being honored? (And is that a problem?) What else should I know? Of course I realize that there are many ways to show appreciation to volunteers, not the least of which is by lots of people pitching in to help, so that, for example, the person officially responsible for closing the hall on a given night isn't in there alone for an hour sweeping the floor, stacking chairs, putting away flyers, and doing all sorts of other things that would go much faster with a few more pairs of hands on the job. But my current query is about the kinds of things organizers might do once a year or so rather than week to week. Thanks for any suggestions or experiences you have to share. Cheers, --Jim _______________________________________________ Organizers mailing list Organizers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers