General Synod 2017 Comes to Baltimore!

(June 28, 29) June 30 – July 4 (July 5, 6)

From Cleveland 2015 to Baltimore 2017

From Cleveland 2015 to Baltimore 2017

Why Baltimore?

Why does Synod matter?

General Synod matters because…

Synod offers to continue and enhance the work of the Stillspeaking

initiative:

Encourage members of our churches to identify with the values of the UCC

Highlight important ministries in all settings of the church

Promote the distinctive voice of the UCC to the public throughout the Conference

Raise dollars for important Conference mission initiatives

General Synod 2017 Venue –

The Baltimore Convention Center

Convention Center

General Synod 2017 Venue –

The Baltimore Convention Center

Baltimore Hotels

Baltimore

Hyatt Regency

Marriott

Inner Harbor

Renaissance Harborplace

Hilton

The Road to Baltimore: What is our Job?

National General Synod

Planning Committee

Agenda

Plenary Sessions

Workshops

Worship

Exhibit Hall

Anything related to the Program of Synod

CAC Local Arrangements

Committee (LAC)

Hospitality – Extravagant Welcome

Operations - Functions

Environment, Worship and Stage Design –

working at the direction of National Staff

Fundraising

Special Events

Anything related to Hospitality and Operational

aspects of Synod

Central Atlantic Conference Responsibilities

General Synod Host

Conference Duties

Special Events

HOSPITALITY

Service Projects

Other duties as

assigned….

Logistics

OPERATIONSBob Ziegler

LAC Co-Chair

Sia Barbara Kamara

LAC Co-Chair

Hospitality Sub-Committees

Welcome and Reception at Hotels

and Snacks

Guides and Greeters

Children’s Program/Childcare

Special Accommodations

Local Arrangements

Office

Managed by Operations

Delegate and Guest Services

Center

Managed by Operations

Welcome and Reception At HotelsKerrie Shahan, Chair

Provide an Extravagant Welcome and information in each of the General Synod

hotels during the primary check-in-periods.

Pre-packaged Snacks in bagsLinda and Steve Matthias, Co-Chairs

NO

Cookies

NO

Snacks

donated by

Associations

Churches

Snacks will be distributed at hotels and site to be determined for commuters

Guides and GreetersNathan Queen and Sue Myers, Co-Chairs

Be a welcoming presence at entrance areas for the Exhibit Hall and

Plenary Hall, and any other area designated by the General Synod

Administrator to verify that those entering are properly registered

delegates or guests.

Children’s Program/Child CarePortia Harris & Libby Fuss, Co-Chairs

Provide child care for infants

and toddlers;

Design and implement a

children’s program for K-6 at

General Synod

Special AccommodationsDavid Denham and Anne Lusby-Denham,

Co-Chairs

To provide services that assist delegates and guests who require special

accommodations in mobility and hearing to fully participate in the activities of

General Synod.

Operations Sub-Committees

Volunteer Recruitment

and Scheduling

RegistrationSupport

Exhibit HallSupport

Informationand

Communication

Shuttles andPublic

Transportation

Volunteer Support

Floor Stewards Youth Stewards

Technical SupportFor GS

CommitteeProcess

EducationalLeader

IdentificationLAC Sales

Volunteer Recruitment and Scheduling

Nelson Murphy, Chair

► Tracking volunteers as they access the

recruitment website

► Working with other committee chairs, assign volunteers to the committees

Volunteer Support / LAC OfficeArnetta Jones, Chair

Care and feeding of

volunteers

Local Arrangements

Committee (LAC) office

Information & Communication / Guest &

Delegate Services Karen and Paul Lovelace, Janese Murray, Co-Chairs

identifying, collecting and developing,

information that will be helpful to

delegates and visitors.

lists of nearby restaurants

convenience stores and pharmacies

to information specific to specific

interests (i.e. where can I find out about

trains in Baltimore)

answer delegate questions around

plenary and agenda

Registration Support Connie Heasley, Chair

Works largely at the

direction of the National staff

Prepares delegate tote bags

with the required contents

Assists national staff in

welcoming and registering attendees

Exhibit Hall Support Bill Cooper, Chair

Assisting visitors in the exhibit

hall

Assisting National staff with

checking exhibitor badges

Helping to clear the exhibit

hall at designated times

Shuttles and Other TransportationDoug Griffin, Chair

Research local shuttle options for

National

Researching other transportation options (light rail, taxis, etc.) and

making the information available

to the Information and

Communications Committee

Determine the feasibility of

providing “park and ride” locations, with associated shuttles

for volunteers to use

Floor StewardsBradley Thomas, Chair

One of the roles of the floor stewards is to act as the “gate keeper” making

certain that only appropriately

credentialed persons are in the

designated areas

Another role is to assist in the

distribution of materials required by

delegates

Youth StewardsKim Sexton, Chair

Youth are selected to be youth

stewards – it is a position of honor

Their primary roles are

to staff the microphones

serve as runners and messengers for

the Moderator and Parliamentarians

Process for nomination of Youth

Stewards will be forthcoming

Technical Support for the Committee ProcessRenee Fink, Chair

provide word processing support

to the committees as they deliberate their assigned resolutions

Educational Intensive Leader IdentificationAlton Pollard and Al Fuertes Co-Chairs

identify and recruit persons with an

academic background in each of the topics to be deliberated upon

who will be asked to present

unbiased information to the delegates

LAC SalesKelly Sisson, Chair

selling patens, chalices, tee

shirts and perhaps other logo

material (TBD) to general

synod attendees

“Other duties as assigned….”

“Other” Functions:

Special Events Service ProjectsUCC-Wide

Shelter Projects

Communications Reformation Other Logistics

Special Events – Radical Hospitality!June 28 – July 6

Special events include everything from:

Guided tours of Annapolis, HBCUs, Lancaster Theological Seminary, Civil War sites

Self-guided tours of various museums and historic sites

Baltimore after Freddie Gray event

Late night Boat tour of Inner Harbor

Crab Feast

Street theater with musical groups from local churches performing

Participation in the Synod choir

Youth Synod, Reformation, Service

Projects and….

National staff have recruited Rev. Barbara Kershner Daniel to coordinate the Youth Synod.

Youth will be incorporated more fully into General Synod

Youth Synod is NOT an LAC responsibility, it is however being planned and “run” by CAC folk

Reformation

2017 is the year we commemorate 500 years of Reformation.

Many “activities” are being coordinated by the CAC with National Staff

Service Projects

Homeless, Environment, Animals

Shelter Project

Communications

Volunteers – The CAC Needs You!

We are anticipating 3,000 – 4,000 delegates and visitors

We will need informed volunteers - people who are willing to “do what it takes” to extend

an extravagant welcome to General Synod

The LAC manual has set the number of volunteers at 300, we believe we will need more

Volunteers will not be needed until late 2016, however we are “taking names” right now!

If you know someone who might be an ideal volunteer for a committee discussed today, let us know, send them to www.cacucc.org/generalsynod2017 to complete the volunteer form, and / or make copies of the form provided today and distribute!

Some funding for volunteers will be made available

http://www.cacucc.org/generalsynod2017

Fundraising – The CAC Needs You!

What is the conference responsible for funding?

Financial support to volunteers

Assisting 3 international guests with travel and lodging costs

Equipping the Local Arrangements Office / Volunteer Support Room

Welcome bags for delegates and visitors

Costs of background checks for child care volunteers

Software to manage the volunteer database

Excluding contingencies, financial support for volunteers is >55% of the current budget!

Fundraising Efforts as of June 2016

Number of

Contributors

Amount

Catoctin Association Churches 8 $ 40,294

Chesapeake Association Churches 3 $ 3,966

New Jersey Association Churches 2 $ 7,000

Potomac Association Churches 4 $ 11,171

Shenandoah Association Churches 0 $ 0

Conference Board of Directors 9 $ 6,250

Paramus Trust

Trinity Trust

TOTAL $112,681

Financial Commitment to Volunteers

Every volunteer working 2 x 4 hour shifts (total 8 hours) or more will have their

registration cost paid in full

Future fundraising efforts will determine ability to cover other volunteer

expenses:

Parking

Mileage

What else are we doing to help lower

costs for volunteers?

We are seeking alternative housing arrangements at local colleges

Hotels cost ~$200 per night

Local college dormatories have been quoted at $42 per night

We are looking for “park and ride” opportunities to reduce parking costs

Parking on the “fringes” of the city offering volunteer shuttles

We need your help as we consider alternative housing and transportation options. Please stop by the General Synod table in the exhibit hall to complete a brief survey regarding housing and transportation.

What we are asking YOU to do

Stop by the General Synod table in the exhibit hall and complete the brief survey

Ask questions! Use the index cards on your tables to write down any questions you may have – we will respond to these questions in CAC general emailing after Annual

Meeting (if we don’t have your email, write it on the card!)

Index cards with questions can be returned to the General Synod table or any member of

the LAC

Visit the CAC website and complete a volunteer form

Promote General Synod within your local congregations – this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of our local members

What we are asking YOU to do

Make a pledge

Commit to supporting the CAC and UCC by making a pledge

Write your pledge on an index card found on your table, place it in the

envelope and return it to the GS table in the exhibit area or mail it back to the

Conference office

Encourage your church to make a pledge

Why should YOU and YOUR CHURCH

make a pledge?

Given today’s social and political situation, the voice of the UCC is needed now

more than ever

We have a critical role in the conversation about the future of our nation

Synod is a place where that voice is determined and amplified

Your investment, and that of your congregation, pays off both nationally and here in the CAC.

Conferences that host Synod can leverage the experience to meet the evangelism and

stewardship goals for their churches, associations and the conference

Why should YOU and YOUR CHURCH

make a pledge?

The CAC is recognized throughout the Church as a leader in so many ways:

Promoting the UCC value of Extravagant Welcome

Stillspeaking was birthed here

Our public policy work in the areas of marriage equality, abolishing the death penalty, racial and economic justice

Let’s lead the way again by showing our own church family a truly Extravagant Welcome!

A successful Synod is only possible with the investment of time, talent and treasure by all of us

www.cacucc.org