Dear Gardeners:

 

We all know the Eagle Heights Community Gardens are a special place. And Madison Magazine called it one of Madison’s 8 hidden gem gardens. But it takes a lot of behind the scenes work to make the gardens run so well.

 

Although our gardens run smoothly thanks, in part, to the efforts of our excellent part-time paid employees, we also rely heavily on volunteer efforts. One of our main volunteer positions is that of Garden Committee Chair. This position is held by two individuals (Co-Chairs), who share the responsibilities and duties. We, Jennifer Mirrielees and Diana Bottomley, will be stepping down from our co-chair positions in the upcoming months.

 

Candidates for Co-Chair must be current Eagle Heights or University Houses gardeners. Ideally, the candidates could also be UW students and/or residents of Eagle Heights, University Houses, or Harvey Street Apartments. It is, however, not necessary for both of the Co-Chairs to be students/residents.

 

Thank you for considering serving the gardens in this capacity, and please pass this message on to anyone you know who might be interested. Attached is a document that provides a description of the chair position and what the chair does.  If you are interested, please send in a statement of interest by August 8^th. The committee will discuss and vote at the September 9^th committee meeting.

 

Please contact us with any questions or join us at our August 12^th Committee Meeting at 6:30 at the Eagle Heights Garden to see what the chairs do and/or ask any questions at the end of the meeting.

 

Happy Gardening!

 

Jennifer Mirrielees and Diana Bottomley

Co-Chairs, Eagle Heights Garden Committee

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Chair Description

The description below outlines all the responsibilities the Chair has in the gardens. While we often refer to “The Chair”, remember that the position is split between two individuals, each acting as a Co-Chair. Communication between the Co-Chairs is critical.

The Chair of the garden committee is a volunteer position whose primary responsibility is facilitating communication within the gardens. The main duty of the Committee Chair is presiding at and moderating the garden meetings; the Chair also helps to moderate the forum and the discussion list. The Committee Chair has no particular power to make decisions but does have power to frame the debate, set agendas, encourage or limit debate, and bring issues to a vote. Because of this, the Chair has a special responsibility to make sure that all voices are heard and that everyone who is interested has a chance to participate.

Other aspects of the Committee Chair's role as communication facilitator include making sure that minutes are taken at garden meetings, taking notes at the Garden Oversight Committee (GOC) meetings, and being a representative from the garden committee to the GOC, along with the Registrar and Field Staff. The Chair also announces garden meetings and agendas and ensures that minutes and other relevant information is distributed. While the Registrar is the primary person who communicates with all gardeners via the e-mail list, the Committee Chair also has some responsibility to make sure that all gardeners are staying informed and are given the chance to be involved in decision making.

In addition to the communication role outlined above, the Chair is expected to help the Registrar and Treasurer prepare annual budgets and provide oversight to make sure that income and expenses are in line with projections. The Chair is expected to check in regularly with the Registrar and Field Staff regarding the hours they work and their completion of necessary tasks. The Chair also assists the Registrar in the general running of the gardens, for example by reminding the Registrar or other committee members of things that might be falling through the cracks, and by making sure that policies are clear and the pertinent issues are brought up at the garden meetings.

The Chair may also choose to take on special projects as desired. Ideally, the Chair would also set an example to gardeners and other Garden Committee members by providing leadership at occasional workdays.