Conference rdvax::grateful

I am bringing a parenting class into DEC and then to the local community,
I think I already said this, you don't have to teach it just coordinate it.
Anyone interested in doing the same to your area let me know, it looks good.
If you have a US West or/and H.P. around better yet as they are one of 
the co-sponsors.

  john

    
    I am a volunteer (I may have mentioned this in Grateful_old), for
    Literay Volunteers of America.  I was trained for 15 hours or so (6
    sessions), and was matched up with an adult with limited
    reading/writing skills.  I meet with him once a week, and the feeling I
    get from giving and contributing in this way each week is truly
    heart-warming.
    
    If interested, contact me and I'll tell you more...  I strongly
    encourage you all to do what Jefferson Airplane touted as starting a
    revolution.  It's one way of thinking globally and acting locally.
    
    Treemon

    
    
    	
    There is a Volunteer Fair happening April 25 at HLO.  This is 
    to Celebrate National Volunteering Week. 

I thought this might be of interest to a few folks in here...

I have responsiblility for a Bruins Charity Raffle to be held at the Bruins 
Alumni vs. Digital All-Stars hockey game on February 2, 1992.  The raffle and 
game are both being held to benefit the American Heart Association.  Everytime 
a DEC employee buys either game or raffle tickets or both, Digital will 
contribute the same amount to the charity.

The game is being held on Feb 2, 1992 at the Stoneham Arena in Stoneham, MA.  
Former Bruins players will include John Bucyk, Rick Middleton, Brad Park, 
Terry O'Reilly, Don Marcotte, John McKenzie, Ed Sanford, Doug Keans, and 
others.  Tickets are $8.

The raffle will be held during the game (you do NOT need to be present to win) 
and tickets are $2 per ticket -or- 3 for $5.  Prizes include:

		o Weekend at Boston Harbor Hotel, Rowes Wharf with 
		  2 tickets for 3/21 Bruins/Edmonton Game and
		  2 tickets for 3/22 Celtics/Golden State Game

		o Autographed Bruins Sticks and Jerseys

		o Autographed Boston Celtics Basketball

		o Autographed Larry Bird Game Jersey

		o Many more prizes being added...


If you're interested in buying tickets or simply making a donation please 
contact me at MR4DEC::WENTZELL or DTN 297-3461.

Thanks in advance for your support!!

Scott

    Just FYI re: the Bruins Alumni.  Yesterday the Bruins Alumni played the
    Londonderry Fire Department hockey team in Manchester NH.  I helped
    cover the game for CTV-20 (Community Television, Londonderry) -- we
    brought our equipment out and taped the game for subsequent
    cablecasting.
    
    Anyways, the Bruins Alumni games are lots-o-fun.  These guys are pretty
    awesome hockey players -- even at their ages.  (And I don't like
    hockey!)  They play down to the level of their competition, 'cause they
    could walk all over just about anybody they come up against.  There's
    plenty of good, clean play, and also a bunch of Globetrotter type
    antics (pie in the face stuff, Brad Park putting on an opposing team
    jersey and switching sides, Rick Middleton playing with a "two-ended"
    hockey stick, and so on).  Good fun -- even for someone who thinks
    hockey is only slightly more interesting than golf!
    
    If a game comes near you, I highly recommend spending the 8 bucks for a
    worthy cause and some fun.
    
    (or you could come to londonderry and watch our game on tape delay!)
    
    tms

Scott, this might be a hard question for you to answer, but what %age of
donations actually makes it to the charity [that is, what %age goes to 
overhead] ?

OK, I am a little frustrated here, not to mention terribly disappointed, and 
I'd just like to get it out.  Hit next unseen if you don't want to see me
climb up on my soapbox.

As part of a program sponsored by Digital I tutor students in the Burncoat
Middle School in Worcester.  As it turns out I have one student so we can
concentrate and the areas she needs the most help in, which are Math and Social
Studies.  Due to our work schedule, and the fact that the school closes at 2:30
we tutor in the housing projects on Thursdays at 4 (there are other DECcies
there tutoring at the same time). 

A couple of weeks ago the teachers requested to meet with us tutors.  Great ...
I'd love to meet with them and talk about my student and the assignments.
The only caveat is that the teachers were only willing to meet with us
the following Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday at 1:30 in their classrooms.

Now I am committed to this program, and to my student however at 1:30 in the
afternoon I am also committed to DEC and with my work schedule as it is right
now I cannot justify leaving the premises for 1�-2 hours in the middle of the
day for something that is not work related.  (although this program is
sponsored by DEC, everything about it is done during my free time and any time
I use -like Thursdays from 3:30-5- is made up during the rest of the week). So
I called the guidance counselor who is scheduling the meetings to explain this
to him and find a compromise ... my suggestions were 3:00 on a Thursday, before
school hours any day, 3:30 any other day, or in the afternoon at my office. 
The excuses I got why all these times were impossible were phenomenal! What
upset me the most however was his constant statement for me to "understand that
they have other commitments and can't stay here until 3:00".  I tried to
explain my commitments and the fact that I was willing to find a compromise for
this ONE meeting but I was not willing to sacrifice an afternoons work to do
so.  It was as if they didn't even see that these were compromises and that I
was still making sacrifices.  I resent the fact that the teachers are unwilling
to compromise and are of the attitude that only they have commitments outside
of the Burncoat Middle School.  Most upsettingly I am disappointed in the
dedication that these teachers have shown to their student!  Have they
forgotten why the teach? (and yes, I DID tell the counselor all that!) 

Anyway, I am the first person to get on a "teachers are unappreciated" soapbox
and I sympathize and understand their frustration but dammit I am on their
side!!  I told the guidance counselor that as well, no mixed words!

However, as if this isn't enough to really upset little old idealistic me
I found out yesterday that it is much more deep rooted than a simple point
of convenience and compromise with respect to one of these two teachers.
Get this; my student's math teacher does not want to meet with me (and
didn't even want to participate in the program) because he doesn't like 
employees of Digital Equipment Corporation.  Why?  Well, it seems that
when proposition 2� was pushed through (this is at least 3 years old, and
very basically deals with the controlling of property taxes) there apparently
was a "high tech council" which was instrumental in it.  On that council was
one very vocal woman, from Digital Equipment Corporation.  Therefore, this 
man has decided to hold a grudge on the other 119,999 of us.

Yes, a small mind indeed and I should just be able to shrug it off.  He is
not the first small minded person I've run across.  But it upsets me.  He is
a teacher, responsible for the young minds of Worcester.  And I respect
teachers more than anything (besides my Mom who in effect is the best teacher
in my mind!).  Perhaps it is just a personal conflict.  I have always known
that teachers are "human" but I suppose I never pictured them as close-minded
as this man has proven to be.

My involvement in this program, and rewards are for, and will come from my 
student.  Those have already started (she pulled an A a week after I started
tutoring her! :-).  That is something I do not intend to loose sight of, but
I can't deny that the experience has hardened me, unfortunately.  ;^(

Thanks for listening, I just had to moan!

Lisa

    RE. -2
    
    In last years Digital Allstar/Bruins Alumni game 75% of the money went
    to the charities.  With the Digital matching gifts a total of about 
    $20K went to Charities after the $5k in expenses.
    
    -Mike (member of last years All Star team)

Lisa,

I was thinking of doing that volunteers into education program also (is this
the one ran by Barbara Auther?).  I just don't have the time to do it now in
my life.  

I found your note interesting to read and I can hear where you're from because
I have delt with BS crap like that before.  Very frustrating.

Have you considered writing some letters to the superintendent of the school?
Or, how about to the local paper?

JC

I am not too sure if it is sponsored by Barbara Arther JC, but I know that
there are many programs like this throughout DEC, each with a different
school system targetted.  Because this is basically out of Shrewsbury it
targets a Worcester school.

I thought about venting my frustration in a more vocal manner but I am hesitant
because if this guy is this irrational there is no telling if he is going to
take his anger for me (which is anger for DEC) out on my student.  I'd hate
to be detrimental to her school experience.

More than ever (and for that reason above) I want to meet this guy, and talk
with him.  Then I'll decide how vocal to get.

Lisa

Lisa that does indeed sound like a frustrating situation.  I know there are 
teachers who would be as appalled by this person's attitude the same way you 
are, so all you can do is keep doing your best!

JC, Mike has it right - Digital matches about 6 bucks on every game ticket sold
to DEC employees and the same ratio on raffle tickets, so I assume that is the 
amount of each ticket that goes to the charity.  The goal for this year I 
believe is to put $30K-$40K into the hands of the charity.

Scott

Hey Lisa,

I think you've got the right focus - keep the child foremost in your actions,
express your concerns and frustrations to the teachers/administrators involved
in a rational manner and if the results aren't what you would expect or desire
don't let it get you down.  Here's a couple of thoughts paraphrased from a book
I'm reading now. 

Practice Acceptance - leads to peace of mind.

Live without expectations - eliminates dissapointments, and enhances the
joys. 

Do your best, and feel good about it!  When something even better comes from it
feel even better!

Enjoy--'

Glenn

BTW - i started this 4 hours ago and just found it unfinished....

Thanks Glenn.  What book is it your reading, sounds like something I'd like.
Those three things are things that are always on my mind.

When things get me down and I get all irratated I do consciously try to 
practice acceptance, it is neat that you would quote that from a book.
The expectations part is tough though ... I know my expectations are way
high and I try to keep that in mind at all times but when I let down that
guard (if you want to call it that) my natural tendencies come back.  It's
easy to catch at least....

and as for my best, I have always strived for that knowing that it is the
most secure and confident of all places to be, knowing you have done your best.

Lisa

Well Lisa, it's the third book in the No-Eyes series written by Mary Summer
Rain called "Dreamwalker".  They're not really quotes, but the ideas are what
I've been concentrating on lately.  

The first and best book of the series thus far is called "Spirit Song", and you
really need to read the books in order. READ IT! It's really grate.  I'm
surprised no one else in here has read these books...  There are some GRATE
things to learn from these books written about the Native American way. 

FWIW - The second book is called "Phoenix Rising", which was a little
disturbing, but contained elements of "truth" (as I beleive them) that should
be considered by all seeking greater awareness.  The forth is called "Phantoms
Afoot", which I just bought for myself as a Christmas present. 

Enjoy--'

Glenn

	Thanks Glenn, it's on the list!!

    
    Thanks from me too!  Sounds like good stuff..