Saying Good Bye

       Many of the groups that I have worked in or work with continually have members that I have worked with on other groups or in other projects before, so saying good bye doesn’t always mean good bye. It usually means until next time.  I live and work in a small town so most of the people I work with in one area of my life are a part of other areas as well. There are two groups that end every year and reconvene at a later time that actually have a formal good bye process and those are Vacation Bible School and Relay for Life.

            During Vacation Bible School at my church planning generally starts in January and the final result is a one week camp for the kids in July. Saying good bye to this team of people can be difficult because you never know who will return in January. Every night of Vacation Bible School we have a team meeting were we give what’s called “Big Ups” or special recognition for jobs done extremely well and we also talk about things that could use improvement. I believe this is important because we spend 6 months planning for one week of teaching so it is important for everyone to know that their hard work has paid off.  At the end of the week we have some kind of volunteer party where we serve desserts or just hang out to celebrate the victories of the week. At this party we commend everyone for a job well done. I have one rule, no negative speak. Things that need improvement can be discussed when we start planning our next Vacation Bible School. I think it is important to end the year on a high note and give everyone extra credit for a job well done to keep their spirits positive and wanting to return in January.

            Another group that formally ends every April is my Relay for Life team. This is the first year I was in this team and the leader didn’t really end it with anything special. We just went to the last event and that was it, it was a little anticlimactic. It left me wanting more and feeling a little underappreciated and I am contemplating whether or not I am going to be a member of that particular team again next year. I want to feel like the work I am doing matters and like I am a part of something important and I did not get that feeling from the team leader.

            Leaving this group if students will be difficult. Upon exiting this program I hope that I will maintain contact with some of the other students because they are great educators with a heart for children. It is rare, even in the field, to find teachers who share such common passion for children and want to share their passion and gained knowledge with others. I look forward to sharing information, resources and experiences with them later.