Liaison Meeting with Ghost Ranch December 2005

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Intermountain Yearly Meeting

of the

Religious Society of Friends 

Office of the Liaison with Ghost Ranch 

20 December 2005 

Tom Kowal and Ted Church (both as Liaison with Ghost Ranch) met with Chris Rogge (Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director), Gary Salazar (Ghost Ranch Partnerships Office), and Cindy Piatt (Program and Education Coordinator), during the afternoon of November 30.  Informal discussions also took place at dinner and for a few hours the next morning, 1 December. 

Administrative changes

   IMYM

            The Nominating Committee’s list of appointments,  September 2005, was shared

            The description of the Intermountain Yearly Meeting’s Relationships with Ghost Ranch, up dated on 08-24-05, was provided the participants.

            How the paper describing Intermountain Yearly Meeting’s Coordinators with Ghost Ranch - draft 1 was constructed by copying and pasting relevant portions of the list of appointments to the relationships paper and deleting less-pertinent sections of the latter was discussed.  It turns out that the first two pages of the third paper (see attached) pertain to topics for which Gary Salazar has prime responsibility and the third and fourth pages similarly refer to Program topics for which Cindy Piatt is responsible.  In each case, there are other Ghost Ranch staff responsible for details.  

   Ghost Ranch personnel changes

            Some elements of the Ghost Ranch organization are changing their supervisory relationships in the next week or so. (See the last page of these notes.)  We need to remind our clerks and coordinators that, as a Ghost Ranch Partner, our arrangements and activities are the responsibility of Gary Salazar and his staff.  

Following on Evaluation of June 2005 gathering

     Some portions pertaining to Ghost Ranch of Eric Wright’s, Continuing Committee Clerk, summary of the evaluation forms turned in after the June 2005 IMYM gathering were reviewed. 

      Names on Doors

            To minimize room jumping and to assist in locating participants, we agreed to recommend that the plastic holders (5 ½” x 7") on each door be used to hold an identification card showing the names of those persons assigned. 

      Golf Carts

            The Louisville insurance and safety office of the Presbyterian Church is tightening their requirements on the processing of forms for potential drivers of the golf carts (and any Ghost Ranch vehicle).  Ghost Ranch has a form that obtains the necessary driver information and includes a waiver allowing a check to be made of the driver’s record.  Ordinarily, the form, with a photocopy of the drivers license, is returned to the Ranch well in advance of the driver’s arrival.  The photocopy of the drivers license enables a background check by the Motor Vehicle Department of the State that issued it.

   Two possible methods begin with either 1) using the IMYM registration form, or 2) by

providing the Ghost Ranch form, with instructions, in the registration packet. 

            For option 1), to keep the registration form as simple as possible, only the desire to be a driver would be indicated.   The Registrar would give the Operations Coordinator, as soon as practicable, a list of potential drivers with their contact information. The Operations Coordinator would then forward the Ghost Ranch form, with appropriate instructions, to the potential drivers.

            For option 2), there would be a surfeit of unused Ghost Ranch Forms in an already thick  registration packet.  The forms could be returned either to the Operations Coordinator or directly to the responsible Ghost Ranch staff person.

   We attempted to figure out how, within the IMYM registration procedure, each potential driver could provide the pertinent information from their drivers license and that required for the Ghost Ranch form to the IMYM Operations Coordinator who would then convey the information to the responsible Ghost Ranch staff person.  This can be done, however, a photocopy of the drivers license is ultimately required upon the driver’s arrival at the Ranch.

   It is recognized that there will be some drivers who are not known as ‘drivers’ until their appearance at Ghost Ranch.  These will be handled with appropriate urgency as they may appear but the number should be minimized.

   The Operations Coordinator and the Registrar, together with  Gary Salazar’s Administrator, Rosie Trujillo <rosie@ghostranch.org>,  who provides the Ghost Ranch form and to whom it is returned filled out,  need to determine the appropriate routines for this matter before the registration packet is printed.  

Time of Breakfast Serving

    Ways of providing an earlier breakfast so that many participants in the following Worship Groups would not feel ‘pressed’ were discussed.  Extending the breakfast time, either earlier or later, increases the Ghost Ranch cost as hourly paid kitchen workers are involved and the normal time has to be retained for Ghost Ranch staff to eat.

    The normal Breakfast serving time is from 7:30 to 8:00 am with both hot and cold ingredients available.  It appears reasonable to have the times from 7:00 to 7:30 am and from 8:00 to 8:30 am for participants only in cold breakfasts. Materials would be set out as usual for self-serving.  The time from 7:30 to 8:00 am would continue to be for participants in both hot and cold breakfasts.   This arrangement could help disperse breakfast participants over a longer time period.  

Early Days becoming more programed

    After reviewing how the early days activities have evolved, it was agreed that both Ghost Ranch and IMYM coordinators need to become alert to ways each organization can improve participants’ experiences.  The Ghost Ranch College Staff is available four to five hours per day to provide activities for children and young people [but not babies]. Cindy Piatt <CindyP@ghostranch.org> is responsible for their scheduling.  

Meeting rooms and equipment

   Claudia Tammen, < ghostranchclaudia@yahoo.com > ,   continuing in her position as Hospitality Coordinator, needs to be informed early on about video and audio equipment needs as well as other meeting requirements (easels, seating arrangements, etc.).      Our Registration packet, in asking Friends to identify worship sharing groups, interest groups and other activities, needs to ask people to identify physical abilities not compatible with mesa, arroyo or distant meeting locations and if transportation would be helpful to them.  

Rental of vans

     Ghost Ranch has had good experience with CAPPS as a vendor of rental vans.  CAPPS is at 2200 Renard Place SE, Albuquerque (east of Yale and south of Gibson, near the airport), phone 505 848-8267. See www.cappsvanrental.com.

         This information came during discussions of moving participants on IMYM-AFSC Joint Service Projects and other Interest Groups where transportation may be needed.  

Location of IMYM registration and operations

     Construction will probably occur on the new worship center, between Ghost House and Cottonwood, in front of Willow, the existing road between Ghost House and Cottonwood is to be rerouted, and a new road will be built from Ghost House to Staff House.  There may be noise and dust associated with the construction, which would particularly affect the use of the Ghost House courtyard and the roadway.  The bids for this work were expected to be received in the next week after our meeting with the contract to be let quickly so as to minimize cost increases.

     We suggested that the breeze-way meeting place and adjoining meeting room at Staff House be used for those registration and operations activities along with a lounge area for Friends to use for visiting and meet-ups that have taken place at Ghost House the last five years. Phone and computer WiFi services are available here.  The movement of these activities should reduce safety concerns, particularly for children, and noise.  IMYM persons associated with these activities could be housed in adjoining rooms of Staff House. These could be Staff House rooms #12 & 13 for the registrars, unless a larger or more removed room is needed, which might be #22 at the South end.  Some of these persons may prefer to be housed elsewhere.  New or revised signs directing cars and pedestrian traffic will be required.  Operations staff please take note.

       The Committee on Faith & Practice which has used the breeze-way at Staff House the entire IMYM week, could be provided Ghost House to use as it sees fit.

      While beds in Willow will continue to be open to us, IMYM occupancy should be reduced to those late arrivals for whom other space is not as suitable or not available. Willow will be torn down after the completion of the Worship Center next year.  

Other Construction

     Currently under construction on the mesa, north of the campfire space, is a unit for housing several (13 ?)  families.  This facility has a contract completion date of 5 May 2005.  Additional time is required for Ghost Ranch to make the facility useful.  It is possible that the facility may actually be ready by 11 June, the first day of IMYM’s annual gathering. 

       We agreed that our registrar (Jonathan Cartland) should be kept informed of the possible availability but IMYM should not count on it until more definite occupancy information is available.

        We understand that this and the new worship center will not displace any current beds on the mesa or on the lower level, with the exception of Willow as noted above.     

Lunch on the last Sunday (18 June)

      We agreed that the arrangements for the making of sandwiches for lunch sacks on the final day of IMYM worked well in June 2005.  We discussed whether an optional hot or cold lunch in the Dining Hall should be provided and decided against such complications.  

Vegans and others with special dietary needs

      We understand that Ghost Ranch does not pretend to be able to handle restrictive diets but will continue to offer dual selections for vegetarians and omnivores, soy milk, and a salad bar.  Persons requiring special foods and supplements should be advised to bring their own materials.  Our Liaison with Ghost Ranch Kitchen Staff, Deb Stucklen < stucklen@att.net > , will need to work closely with the Supervisor of the Kitchen staff. 

Executive Director’s Reception

      The invitation to the Executive Director’s Reception on Thursday evening (7:30 PM) will be announced in the registration materials so that an early estimate can be obtained of the potential attendance. 

Welcome Greetings by the Executive Director

      We are asked to furnish, as soon as possible, the date and time at which Rob Craig, the Ghost Ranch Executive Director will welcome IMYM with appropriate remarks and provide special instructions.  This usually has been performed on Wednesday evening early in the Welcoming session. 

Junior Young Friends, Senior Young Friends and Childrens Yearly Meeting

      Coordinators, FAPs and clerks need to know that all activities, including High and Low Ropes and Water Front, need to be worked and scheduled with Cindy Piatt <CindyP@ghostranch.org>.   Cassidy Geppert will be assisting Cindy with these special activities this year but all contacts need to be made through Cindy.  

Horses

     Horses will be leased again this year.  The wrangler, from the college staff, will most likely schedule rides, as has been done in the past.  

Review of Registration Packet by Ghost Ranch

     The Registrar needs to provide an early draft of the registration packet to the Liaison to Ghost Ranch to coordinate its review of pertinent topics.  Last year several topics encountered major changes during a post distribution review!

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Ghost Ranch Personnel Update – 12/5/05

Front Office: Program/Hospitality/Partnership/Reception Departments

Supervised by: Truman Nabors, Operations Director:

Hospitality/Partnership Coordinator: Gary Salazar

                        Supervises:       Food Services

Housekeeping

Works with:      Maria Ulibarri to form Hospitality Team

Supervised by: Jim Baird, Program Director:

Educational Programming: Cindy Piatt

Hospitality/Education Coordinator: Marla Ulibarri

Supervises:

Registration Coordinator: Darlene Rodriguez

Registration Assistant: Sharon Craig (reports to Darlene)

Administrator: Rosie Trujillo

Hospitality Coordinator: Claudia Tammen

Front Desk: Sue Kraus

            Note: Linda Anderle, new reception supervisor (volunteer)

                                               Will arrive in March 2006.        

Other Changes:

In Santa Fe:

Jim Baird will supervise Helenmarie Zachritz, Operations Manager, Santa Fe

Pat Roach is moving to Santa Fe and will be working at the Santa Fe facility for the entire organization in Marketing and Community Programs and will supervise Anna Maria Gonzales 

In Abiquiu:

Roseanne Chacon will be moving from reception to the finance office.

Rebecca Walker will work in the Trading Post as a full time volunteer.

A Development Director will be hired in early 2006.

(Includes corrections as of 12-19-05)