Guide to Building your CAACURH 2006 Delegation
The CAACURH 2006 Conference Team is working tirelessly to prepare for your arrival to “The Cougar Diner”. We’re all very excited that you have made your reservations and look forward to seeing all of you NEXT FRIDAY (in just SEVEN days) to celebrate CAACURH’s 15th Birthday!
Here’s your guide to preparing an awesome delegation for the CAACURH 2006 conference:
Ø Pay your registration fees!
o Just a reminder, CAACURH / NACURH Inc. policy strictly states NO PAY, NO KEY! In order to check in, your registration fees have to be paid in full (no exceptions will be made). Any questions about conference finance can be sent to Peter Cailloux, caacurh2006finance@umbc.edu, CAACURH 2006 Finance Chair.
Ø Complete your conference registration
o If you have not already, please have each of your delegates / advisors sign the participant liability forms (can be found on the CAACURH 2006 website) and either fax or mail to the conference team.
o Make sure the conference team is aware of your arrival travel information. If it have changed since you have registered, please contact the conference team.
Ø Go to the CAACURH 2006 Website
o Many of your questions about the conference can be found on the CAACURH 2006 conference homepage, www.umbc.edu/caacurh2006. If there is something you can’t locate or have any questions, please feel free to e-mail caacurh2006@umbc.edu or IM the screen name CAACURH2006.
Ø Build your delegation!
o Have a couple of fun meetings and team-building activities (going shopping for spirit items or going out for coffee) prior to the conference. This can be an opportunity for returning delegates to share their experiences with first-time delegates. Have each delegate in charge of different aspects of the conference (presenting programs, making your banner / display, choreographing roll call, making spirit items, collecting canned food for the philanthropy project, or finding swap shop items), so everybody feels involved and invested in the conference experience.
Ø Bring on the spirit!
o Outfits / delegate wear!
§ Matching outfits for your delegation might seem ridiculous but you’ll stand out like the coolest cats on the block when you get to the conference! Come up with awesome shirts and/or costumes you can design and show off your school spirit!
o Spirit Supplies & Giveaways
§ CAACURH spirit doesn’t have to cost a lot of money – have your delegation make a bunch of simple little trinkets with your school name to give away to get your name out there! The most popular item is of course the legendary clothes pins – spray paint clothes pins and design / put your name on in marker or puffy paint. Other things you can do include making stickers, buttons, or stress balls (balloons with sand inside). Get creative, and show off that CAACURH spirit!
o Cheers
§ C-Double A-C-U-R-H, CAACURH, CAACURH!!!! Cheers are your key to delegation spirit!!!! Have your delegation check out the CAACURH Cheer Packet before the conference and rehearse them at both your delegation meetings and during the trip to Baltimore! Get ready to show CAACURH your spirit the moment you step foot onto the steps of the BWI Marriott hotel!
o Swap shop
§ Want to pick up some cool schwag from other schools and get your name out there as well, if so swap shop is your place! On Saturday after the banquet, you have an opportunity to trade your stuff with fellow delegates. Some ways you can pick up items to swap are going to campus offices and departments to solicit donations, seeing if there are any extra publicity from RHA or res life programs, or seeing if your athletics department has extra shirts or items they don’t mind parting with.
o Ride that pony!
Ø Roll Call
o An awesome roll call is a memorable way to have CAACURH remember your school and your delegates for years to come. More information can be found on the CAACURH 2006 conference website (click on ceremonies). Please make sure to keep your roll call tasteful and under 2 minutes and 30 seconds!
Ø Philanthropy Donations
o Want to make a difference in the community during the holiday season? The philanthropy project this year is working with the Maryland Food Bank to help feed those that go hungry on a daily basis. We are asking each school to bring at least 20 items of canned food to the conference to support this cause. More information can be found on the conference website (click on Philanthropy).
Ø Preparing for programming
o The schedule of programs with the program descriptions (what you are going to find in your binder) are going to be posted on the conference website before the conference. Take some time to pick with your delegation which programs would be beneficial to you and your delegation and plan on whom on your delegation will attend those programs.
o If you are planning to present a program, don’t wait till the last minute (I have planned programs on the plane or the night before in the hotel, and they didn’t wind up as good as they could have if I would have spent more time to plan). Prepare handouts or flyers you can give out to attendees that they can bring home to their institutions. Another thing to consider is presenting a “dry run” of your program to your delegation and seeing what advice they can provide you to enhance your program.
o The display contest has been changed this year to bring programming into Friday night! We encourage each school to submit at least one (up to two) displays to show CAACURH the amazing things your organization does on your campus. More details on the display contest can be found on the conference website (click on Programming then Display Contest).
o If you have any questions about programming, please contact Milton Jones, caacurh2006programming@umbc.edu, CAACURH 2006 Programming Chair.
Ø Affiliations Materials
o Have your RFI report and affiliation fee ($90 for large schools / $70 for small schools) ready for check-in. While you’re at it, go ahead and affiliate your NRHH chapter! Any questions, please contact the NIC or your lovely ADAF, John Borawski at johnab@bgsu.edu.
Ø NCC’s:
o There will be NCC Business Meetings on Friday night and most of Saturday. During this meeting you will be choosing the host school of CAACURH 2007, deciding the recipients of the Program of the Year (POY) & Student Award for Leadership Training (SALT), and voting on various pieces of legislation. For those new NCC’s, you will be receiving an NCC Survival Guide soon from our lovely RCC for Special Projects, Kary-Ellen Sherlock, that outlines what’s going to happen and gives ton of helpful tips for the boardroom.
o Things you should remember to bring:
§ CAACURH Governing Documents (can be found at www.nacurh.org/CAACURH)
§ Printed copies of all bids and legislation (which you need read in advance)
§ Filled out pro / con sheets
§ A creative voting placard
§ NCC Secret Buddy Gifts
§ An open mind ready to think critically!
Ø Plenty of sleep!
o Be sure to get plenty of sleep prior to and during the conference. It may seem cool to stay up all night to hang out with your newly found friends, but it is important to get enough sleep so you can focus on programming sessions on Saturday morning.
Ø Positive Attitude
o You’re going to meet a ton of amazing people over a couple short days, take advantage of the opportunity! Show off how much you love your school and what you do by giving out high-five’s, hugs, and random recognition to your fellow delegates! Be sure to get screen names, myspace / facebook names, and phone numbers so you can keep up with all your new friends after the conference.
Ø Goals to bring back to your campus after the conference
o The CAACURH spirit does not end on November 12 when you leave Baltimore! After the conference meeting again with your delegation and debriefing, to discuss what you learned from your experience at “The Cougar Diner”. Create an action plan of what you can do to take the ideas you have learned make changes on your campus or to your organization. By taking the initiative in attending the CAACURH 2006 conference, you have shown that you are an amazing leader that can make a tremendous impact in your community, it is now your time to shine!
On behalf of the CAACURH 2006 conference team, we look forward to seeing you and your amazing delegations at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County next week!!!
With all the Cougar Pride in the world,
-Jeremy Nevitt
CAACURH 2006 Conference Chair
