In advance of the Red Tape Diaries this Thursday, here are four articles of interest related to the public service.

Read up and get thinking about some questions to pose to our panel!

The mentorship kickoff, a memorable event for the year, was hosted on Thursday March 10^th at Brewsters Brewing Company and Restaurant in Oliver Square. This event introduces the new protégés with their connected mentor and formally initiates the mentorship program. It also allows for a debriefing of the prior protégés and mentors and gives our group and new members to the group, the opportunity to learn from their experiences over the past year.

While consuming various bits of appetizer, we were addressed by VP internal Adam Clarke who provided a forward for the 2011 mentorship program. This forward provided guidelines and helpful insight into how to maintain an effective mentor relationship. Did you know there are five different approaches to mentorship? Or that you shouldn't attempt to clone the protégé after yourself (in the figurative sense mind you).

Parting thoughts that I had leaving this event: 1. Chicken wings are not good conversation food unless everyone is eating them, 2. What a great group of volunteers interVivos has, and 3. I should really get myself a mentor, it looks like a lot of fun!

So...

Mentors and protégés, our thanks at the least, please excuse my unsightly chicken wing feast

Submitted by: Derek Rennie, interVivos Board Member

Join interVivos as we present Red Tape Diaries - Memoirs of a Bureaucrat!

Thurs Apr. 7
Doors 5:30-6:00, Program 6:00-7:30

Devlin's Cocktail Lounge, 10507 82 Avenue

$10.00 online or $15 @ the door

This week I am reading Finding the Words: Writers on Inspiration, Desire, War, Celebrity, Exile and Breaking the Rules. Edited by Toronto-based writer Jared Bland, it contains contributions from 31 writers including David Bezmozgis, Rawi Hage, Emma Donague, Annabel Lyon and Linden MacIntyre. It is an incredible compilation of writing with all proceeds going to an important organization working to defend freedom of expression in Canada and abroad: PEN Canada.

It’s been awhile since I had some time to jot down a quick blog entry about what interVivos has been up to. It’s been even longer since three of our Board members went to the Board Development Program Open Workshop put organized by Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Grant MacEwan University and Volunteer Alberta.

We went because continuous learning is a key in bettering ourselves and our organization. We always strive to soak in as much as we can about ways on how to make our board more effective and efficient. This full day workshop was fantastic. The instructors covered a lot of ground in such a short period. Everything from governance to ethical and legal responsibilities to roles and responsibilities to policy development and ways to manage the workload were presented in this overview workshop. I also enjoyed hearing examples from what other boards are doing and what problems they are facing. Personally as VP, Internal, I found the workshop was excellent for me to get some wider perspectives and new ways on how to implement some things that I have always wanted to, but never knew how to. I would recommend this workshop to new members of the board on any board, granted if they provide a bit more food for lunch.

Adam Clarke
interVivos VP Internal

When: December 20, 2010
Location: Accent Lounge
Speakers: Scott Hennig and Scott McKeen
Moderator: Paul Mennier

Highlights: About 35 people filled a festively decorated Accent Lounge to see Scott battle Scott! Both speakers were fantastic as they outlined their thoughts on municipal taxation. Reading from a well written speech, Mr. McKeen talked about Edmonton being a low tax city, which has resulted in a loss of some programming. He also mentioned that 95% of taxes go to the federal and provincial governments. Noting that he isn't a socialist, he concluded that paying taxes isn't and doesn't need to be a burden.