by External Poster » Wed Mar 02, 2016 3:00 am
This posting is from: kumiko yvonne watanabe
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10 yrs ago, there was no orientation, but DLV was very different.
What helped me the best was being connected to someone more experienced,
which developed into the big sister program, that stayed with me until I
was comfortable, and began having confidence to do things on my own
initiative and by myself.. It followed the lead by example concept.
The big sister is instrumental is introducing the new person to other
attendees as the ice-breaker, coach, teacher, cheerleader, someone to
lean on, or even the madame dominix to push the new person to a event,
for the new person attending. Also orienting the new person on a
one-on-one approach with their big sister - a padawan to the jedi,
disciple to the teacher concept. This mentor has to be someone willing
to sacrifice their DLV time to help the new person, and that is asking
quite a bit.
But pairing can develop deeper friendships outside of DLV, and a starter
to get to know others for new people. It can also be good to get advice
from a more experienced person. It helps to bounce ideas off of similar
thinking minds.
Orientation is one afternoon, meeting the organizers and other new
people for that time. Orientation may be forgotten hours after, or just
the next day, including faces without makeup or with makeup and just a
different wig.
New people should be paired with returnees that are willing to teach or
give time to show the ropes to the new person, and the start of the
pairing can be the orientation, so things are not so easily forgotten.
Orientation should be they way to integrate someone new to the
returnees.
I remember printing every ones scheduled signed up event on a paper for
each attendee and given out at the opener. Only to find the time as in
days I put into this, cost of paper and printing, and the opener evening
wasted, when 90% of the printed individual sign-ups were on the floor,
left on the bar, left on the tables, thrown in the trash at the end of
the opener event. Did it improve getting people to their scheduled
signed up event? No. It went straight to the trash, and no one cared. It
wasn't my idea to do this, I was just a volunteer to help.
The problem with the orientation is its limited occurrence, and some new
people arrive after such orientations. But at the same time,
orientations cannot be done every day, so the big sister approach is
better, where being told once can be forgotten, but gently reminded will
keep things in memory longer.
Another is the level of CDing. Most may be brand new, but others more
experienced elsewhere and such isn't needed other than the explanation
of what to expect and the limits or boundaries DLV has set up. The more
experienced ones may not need any help from a big sister too.
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(This posting was entered by kumiko yvonne watanabe, an external user of MyDLV.)