[CINC] clarifications

[Catherine French]

Perfectly stated, Dave. I offer my assistance too, to anyone who needs it. If you live in Ventura, Oxnard or Port Hueneme, I am happy to come to your home and help you with the system on your computer. Just let me know. I personally, love the new system as it is instantaneous and who doesn't love immediate gratification once and a while? Thanks, David and Shauna for all your work.



Sincerely, 
Catherine French
cfrench1366 at aol.com 
805.815.3523
805.570.0432 mobile




-----Original Message-----
From: David_Begun at nps.gov
To: channel_islands_naturalist_corps at rain.org
Sent: Sat, Mar 26, 2011 12:17 pm
Subject: [CINC] clarifications


In light of the recent discussion thread about volunteer spot, I would like to make some clarifications about what is being discussed:
 
Administrators do not have the ability to see the entire month in detail at a glance. We use the pdf report, which is the same one that we are sending to you weekly, combined with clicking on individual dates for any updates. This pdf report has all the information that used to be on the old calendar (including the time and harbor that all boats depart from) that Clare maintained on the park website. We can not give everyone in the group administrator access.
 
The old calendar was not updated immediately every time a change occured. Clare updated it about once a week, which is as often as you get the pdf reports. In addition, because volunteer spot updates your sign ups immediately, you actually have more updated information on the new system, even if it means clicking on individual dates to see the changes that have occured since the last pdf report was sent out, which we also have to do. With the old system you would not see updates until Clare's weekly changes were entered.
 
Regarding having to compete at 7am on day one of sign ups and not being able to get spots, the old system of e-mailing Clare (after the initial one event sign up at the meetings) was set up so that Clare assigned trips based on the time stamp of the requesters e-mail. This is exactly what happens with volunteer spot. The difference is that volunteer spot lets you know immediately if you have an assignment, while the old method required you to wait for Clare to review the e-mails, make the assignments and then notify the person of the assignment, and then update the website calendar. This month as an example, there were still open spots for all activities on weekdays and weekends for days after the open sign ups began.
 
I acknowledge that this is a different system, but remind you that it basically does the same thing. We do not have the resources to administer the sign ups as we did in the past, and this new system does work. I have offered repeatedly to help out anyone who needs it to learn how to use volunteer spot. Only a few people have taken me up on that offer and they seem to be using it just fine now. My offer of assistance still stands for anyone who would like it. We have also offered to do sign ups manually for anyone not able to use volunteer spot. A couple people have asked me to do that on occasion and I have done so promptly. That is still an option, and is no different than the old system of notifying Clare, having her make the assignment and posting it.
 
Change is not always easy, but is sometimes necessary and it happens regularly. I have worked hard to minimize the impacts and make the sign up process as easy as possible within our means. While some members have expressed dislike for the system, many others have expressed their happiness with it. I am reading in some messages that there is a silent undercurrent of dissent about it, but if that is the case it is necessary for those people to express their concerns directly to me. If this is done I can work with those individuals to help them find a way to work within the current sign up system. 
 
I value all of your efforts, your time and your committment. I am doing what I can to keep your experiences positive, but we all need to recognize that this was a necessary change and that we all have to try and adapt to present circumstances.
 
Thank you,
 
Dave
 
 
David Begun 
Channel Islands National Park
david_begun at nps.gov
805-658-5731

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