The shortests OS events for Rotary in Siberia (Russia)- long!

Elena A. Marchuk marco at mail.nsk.ru
Tue Aug 27 20:17:11 PDT 2002


Hi all, who is interested in short events,

I know, you and me also are not happy with short variants, but if there is
no more time and situation - to be or not to be... I still used the 'to be'
variant.

and all with the Rotarian audience - 'normal' and young - Rotaract (if I'm
not mistaken, from 14 up to 28 years old),

They say that the membership grew very considerably after 911, as many
people did understand that we need to encrease our efforts in mutual
understanding, so Rotary which has the main goal of it's activities -
international exchange and mutual understanding and is the biggest (1,2 mln
members around the world) non-political, non-religious, non-profit
organization could be a one possible way of interaction and good will.

Sorry, did not mean to give you long advertizement

So,

The first event - 1,5 hour OS - was in the first Rotary conference of
Russian part of District 5010 (The biggest in the world, as it includes
Alaska (US), Yukon (Canada) and East part of Russia - From Ural Mountains to
Far East (actually 2/3 of Russia). As the main Head Quarter of it is in
Fairbanks, Alaska, not many members can go there on the annual conference in
May, so this year there was a decision made to provide one for Russian part
of the District5010, it is not very easy also, but still there were more
then 100 participants. The parallel event was for Rotaract members, which I
can not comment, as I was not there.

As we did have a good experience last year with OS for our Assembley, the
organizers did try to include it in the usual way of doing PETS
(President-Elects Training Seminar) and Conferences of District (which are
usually held in different time, but we asked for combining them, or we would
not have presidents on the Conference and other members on the PETS....

but that was not the only surprise and exception for Russian Rotary, the
second was - OS. All previous PETS were held in different parts of the
Siberia and Far East and were nicely organized, but all participants came
and said that ... there were no place to talk about their needs...

So inspite of 'severe' american rules of providing PETS organizers from
Barnaul 1st Russian Conference on the 6-9 of June, include 1.5 hour OS. You
can imagine how I was happy and unhappy... but what to do. Lena, you will
have WHOLE 1,5 hour for your OS.

The topic was "Components of Successful work of Russian Rotary" and I had
half an hour for opening and session (one session of course) topics posting
(and participants signing), half an hour for session, and half an hour for
closing session.

Our  american friend and former District Governor Alana Berg told me (when I
declaired that we would have 30 seconds for each person in a closing session
(actually the number of OS participants were about 40, not 100, though they
miss a great opportunity!)),  THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE, FOR RUSSIANS TO SPEAK
ONLY 30 SECONDS - IT IS NOT POSSIBLE...

when we were done in 25 minutes - she did not believe, and even some
participant, who just passed our microphone (the role of which the tape
recorder played - so I did recorder all the oppinions!) on the first circle,
took advantage and add some words.

The main was of course - too short, but so exciting and even being short
helped people to discuss questions so nicely and so constructive, and in
such a short time, though it could be very long and without results..., so
it is a good method to teach Russians to work very productively! - I have
all oppinions, but would not take your attantion for so long - half an hour!

One more - it is a legal way of doing the work which is usually made in the
corridor, by catching an interesting person and asking him/her your question
in an area of work with youth exchange students, or matching grants or
professional exchange and so on...

if you are not tired yet, while reading, the other one was for Rotaracts 4th
Forum which was held in August on the Island Olkhon on the Baikal Lake.
Alana Berg who is responsible for Rotaracts this year asked me if I can
provide OS for Rotaracts? I said that I would be happy, and especially on
Baikal Lake - it is my Motherland which I did not visit for more then 20
years. So with or without OS, I thought, I will go there.

Still I thought that Alana was going to say something about OS when program
will be organized... Surprise for me - when I really decide that I will go,
and wrote to organizers about Alana's invitation and possibility to come,
they asked me ... what is OS?

To make long story short, I did come to Irkutsk, I did explain what is OS,
and we did find .... 2 hours for OS after dinner after two days of training
in fundraising and working with population and mass media....

If you remember your 20 years, and probably it is only for Russians... they
did not sleap all 3 nights we were on the island and after 3 days of
American 'Ethics in Rotary' and 'Ecological projects for Rotaracts' and 2
days of Russian trainings I THOUGHT, that nobody will come to OS, they were
still like sleepy, when I asked them to post topics, but then .... 12 topics
were posted, and 2 sessions worked nicely... (we had another half an hour!
great!) and a half an hour for closing session which ended in the dark
already (no electricity on the island! just sometimes generator for food
preparation...) - nobody left and wait for their turn to say something in my
recorder, so I have another set of the oppinions... and they are great, the
people evaluate OS as the most important event for them, and some said that
next conference should be held in OS format (the same idea as for Rotary
PETS).

they made some nice ideas for their activities, and said they answered
themselvers the questions they had no answers before and so on...

So it worked, though with my some efforts in gathering them for closing
session, as SHAMAN of Baikal waited us at 10 o'clock in the evening, we
still were a little late, like 10 minutes. Sorry, Shaman...

Ok.

The reports were made on my prepared in advance forms, I did take them home.
there were 10, as some groups worked together, and I typed and send them the
other day I came home, as the Russian practice would be waiting for long
time for this reports to be send to everybody, so I did show them the way it
should be and hope they will be interested to do all the stuff next time
themselves. They did decide to use OS for the next gathering next year,
which will be held in Nakhodka (Far East), so I would be happy to be able to
go there (as Rotarians don't have expance compensations for there
gatherings - they supposed to be rich, if they are ready to help
others....like orphans, old people, sick people and provide community
service... so we do try to do this.

Actually, if I'm already started, you can join us in 2002/2003 Rotary
Program (We have Happy New Year on the 1st of July, when all presidents are
changed! hip-hip- horrey!), and it is really great one Program - TO
ERADICATE POLIO IN THE WORLD,

1988 - 350,000 cases - 125 countries
2001 - 600 cases        - 10 countries

The goal for this year is US$80 million in donations and pledges, by 30 June
2003.

and the promise of Rotarians is to eradicate polio by 2005.

So we try

Best wishes to all of you, who come to the end of this letter, and to all
who did not.

Elena Marchuk, Ph.D,
Regional Development, Seniour Researcher of the Institute of Economics,
Director of the Regional Development Center "Ceres", non-profit organization
Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia
----- Original Message -----
From: "Edward Ball" <OpenSpace01 at aol.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 5:25 AM
Subject: Re: Help with reports from short OST


> Doug,
>
> Be prepared to be surprised at all that comes out of the event!
>
> At a recent 3-hour OS event with two 45-minute discussion sessions we:
>
> 1. Had the reports written on a sheet of flip chart paper (Issue,
Convenor, Participants, Discussion Summary, Next Action Step, and
Champion(s) were on the sheets the folks picked up to take to each
session)using flip chart markers;
>
> 2. Had the reports posted with a blank sheet of flip chart paper just
below the report so other folks could make comments and even cast their
energy votes just before the closing circle;
>
> 3. Had one person with a laptop who typed up the comments to be posted on
the organization's website with copies available at a local Kinko's for
anyone who wanted a hard copy within 90-minutes of the end of the event (we
e-mailed the Word files to Kinko's during the Closing Circle); and,
>
> 4. Learned that when people care about an issue and feel that more time is
required they make arrangements to continue their discussions and action
steps planning during the Closing Circle.
>
> Doug, you will have many surprises during the short period of time -- one
surprise will be the planning to continue that will take place.
>
> With kindest regards,
> Edward C. Ball, Associate
> Hanna & Associates
>
> 4678 West Hoffer Street
> Banning CA 92220-1283 USA
>
> E-mail: EdBall at Hanna-OpenSpace.com
>
> Voice: 909-922-0856
> Fax:   909-922-0956
>
> Websites:
>    www.Hanna-OpenSpace.com
>    www.Hanna-PolicyGovernance.com
>
> *****In a message dated Sun, 25 Aug 2002 9:00:22 PM Eastern Standard Time,
76066.515 at COMPUSERVE.COM writes:
>
> Hi--
>
> We finally got a building for our 9-11 OST called, "What Good Can We
Makeof 9-11?" and so I feel like celebrating!
>
> Our team of Inviters thought it best for many reasons to shorten the time
of the event to 3.5 hours, allowing for two 50-minute sessions. We are
planning on 400 participants.
>
> Our hope is to have--from several groups--some concrete plans for
grass-roots action to improve things in our county.
>
> It seems to me it will be difficult with those time-frames to prepare and
distribute reports at the meeting. How would you handle this?
>
> My thought is to get handwritten reports, post them on a wall, and then
scan them onto my website (not sure how easy that would be), where people
will then be invited to continue their discussions and plans.
>
>  But someone here will be sure to have a great idea....
>
>                               :-Doug. Germann
>
> *
> *
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