ROAR

well my little intern pretties,

i was at a meeting this weekend with a university student group. They are in charge of putting together programs for their fellow classmates. We were discussing how to get volunteers together for a social/ volunteer fundraising event. I discussed the tactics that we use here at the IC and how dedicated my interns were. This person continually interrupted me and said, "to be honest" blablablablabala your plan won't work. I became frustrated.

So, what did i say? Well of course it can, i have students who attend large club meetings, participate in week long activities and go to socials all the time, granted my interns are the shiz-nit. The nasty nay-sayer responded with, "Well high school students aren't the same as college students, they don't have jobs, or homework, they don't have all these other volunteer commitments that keep them busy.

I nearly peed myself i was so angry.

But really, i needed the help of the group, and so i couldn't yell at her, or tell her off at that moment, so i just said, " you'd be surprised" and let her go on. In my gut i was about to walk out of the room. I felt so indignant, so insulted, and underestimated.

To the moral of the story, little minions, is that you ROCK! This twenty-sumthin know-it-all didn't even have the motivation to do a simple social event, and you work endlessly to make things happen at your schools. Her assumptions were ignorant, simplistic, and far to condescending for a group of young leaders whos' work would blow her out of the water.

Keep it up friends, you are amazing, hard working, renegades.

Thanksgiving?

Hellllloooooo interns and people!
I like lists. Lets make one.
1. The empty blog
2. Interfaith
3. I have a life again!
4. Thanksgiving?
Sooo. On the first note.
The blog is very empty. This is a no-no.
I have officially written in it, so I am not to blame.... =P
Secondly. Interfaith service was great! It was smooth, simple, and enlightening! Thank you for putting together the spiritual gathering. And happy 20 years of interfaith services!
Yeah.
Thirdly.
The musical at my school is OOVVVEERR! I will now be in the office much, much more! And I won't be at school until 6pm. Thank heavens.
And last, but not least.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I know I'm thankful. And I'm going to eat really welllll....Mmmmm....
I can't wait to eat. I love to eat, eating is the best.
I put a question mark on this one in my list for two reasons.
My first is the stream of "OMG HAPPY THANKSGIVING :)" texts I got was somewhat nightmare-ish. Obviously it's thanksgiving. Thank you for the twenty reminders. And half of them were from people who never talk to me otherwise. But, we don't rant in the Intern Goodness blog.
My second note is that through the stream of texts, I got a very negative one. I won't say who sent it, or what it said. But, it was sort of interesting, that poor thought all alone in my inbox.
So, I hope you have a happy thanksgiving.
See y'all soon.
- Love, food, and the love of food
And the smell of food from the kitchen...and the spatula slap on the hand when you tried to steal some cornbread.

Hahahah! This text is so totally random! Whoa! Oh, hey, guess what Interns? I cleaned my room yesterday! It's prettttyyy. I'm also bored, and was kicked out of the kitchen. Apparently I was 'hovering'. I can only be in the kitchen if I'm helping, which I wasn't.

Love you! xD

calendefunct

Woe is the Intern Coordinator, for what may she do if there is not an intern to be present?
And how may an intern be present, if none are scheduled?
with no one signing up to visit the office, the result is inevitable:
"is anyone in the office today???" a question texted, called, or emailed....
WOE, WOE, WOE!!

Club Application Help

So as you know this is East's first year for a club.
On the application it askes for the purpose of the club and possible activities.
I know why I want to have the club braught to East, but I dont know how to put that into words. Its really hard to put Anytown into a small little statement and make it sound offical.
Anyone got any ideas, alumni and current interns alike.
Also I only have the ideas from the manual for activities. [ Thank goodness for Maria and those manuals ]

Someone help!

Intern Family Potluck Dinner

Hey all!
Remember the Intern Family Potluck Dinner on September 4th at 6:30-8:00 PM.
It will be at the Inclusion Center Office. Please bring your parents and a sibling or two with you to learn about your work and who we are at the Inclusion Center. What will you bring?

Anytown

Well howdy trusted interns, old and new,

As you may have heard, Anytown 2009 ROCKED the house this year. With 43 youth and 24 staff, we had a full house, and the constant rain made sure we were kept inside it. What a week!
The only way i can describe this camp is to compare it to my delegate camp ('03). I remember sitting in the lodge on the night of 5 levels with a feeling of newness. An awareness that penetrated to my core, and the knowledge that i was sharing that feeling with everyone in the room. I guess that i realized how much i belonged to my fellow delegates... At this camp, i saw the delegates find that in eachother, a sense of belonging to one another.
Was this camp perfect? no. But like we asked the delegates after separation, what does perfect look like? The truth is that this camp carried with it the grittiness of everyday life, and the passion needed to get through it.
But you interns, you were amazing. Each counselor stepped up to the plate, handling issues and disruptions as if they were less than the dirt on your shoes. In all my time i have never seen a group do so well on their own, in creating AWESOME skits, great facilitation, and wonderful growth.
Thank you.

Preparation, Parades, and Pranks.

Hello, Everybody!

Anytown has come upon us and it's only a day away. I've come to this realization as I sat on the ground packing, an unusual, day before staff heads up. As I was doing this I began reflecting on past camps; looking at my "Hugs" and whatnot. I also began thinking of the recent events that had the "campy" feel to them.

Sunday was one of these events, Pride Parade. As the day began it was already horrendously gloomy. As I looked around I saw people preparing for their floats and looking to the sky praying, hoping Mother Nature would give us sunshine. We learned that day that Mother Nature is a Bigot. The rain fell hard on heads, just as hard as the Nineties hit Mili Vanili. We on the Inclusion Center float however, did not let this little bit of precipitation ruin our day. We carried on to Vogue and march our tired legs and feet. And at the end of the parade - one and all soaked, we had pulled through with smiles and Golf Clubs in hand. This attitude of taking the day for what it was - pride parade and not what it seemed, gloomy and unloving, had put me in the Anytown mood.

As tradition with almost any Camp that I've been to, I had thought I lost something. In the past it's been prayer bracelets, shoes, and headlamps. This year, I thought i had lost something before the camp even began, one of my recruits! After reminding one of the soon-to-be-delegates to begin packing, he had told me he wasn't comming. He claimed that one of the Anytown Counselors had told him not to come. After hearing this it was my duty to follow up, and follow I did. I called this counselor in question and after hearing a rushed explanation of, "He's been talking [smack] about me, spreading rumors, and pictures." Assuring this counselor that the said delegate would do nothing of the sort, I recieved a backlash of, "I can't beleive you're taking his side!" After abruptly ending the conversation I rushed my booty over to the Inclusion Center, seeking advice from the oh-so-wise, Emm. After being assured that everything was ok I carried on the day worrying but assuring myself that it would all work out. It was later that night when I recieved a call reavealing the whole ordeal as a hoax. Seriously guys, seriously?

As I look back upon these events I'm reminded of one thing; Anytown isn't a place, it's a way of life. Whether it be passing the judgement of first glances at anything from a gloomy day or person, to losing something and having it work out in the end, Anytown has taught me the best characteristics I have learned these past few years. Without the community that's built at each camp this would not be possible. So, I thank everybody that's ever been involved in any part of the process along with me, and those that continue the work for others. Thank You.