Minyan Shaleym: Meta-Coordinator Guidelines

Meta-Coordinator Guidelines

What the Meta-Coordinator Does
Assigning Roles
Reminding Volunteers
Tips to Remember
Holidays

What the Meta-Coordinator Does

As meta-coordinator, you are responsible for finding volunteers to fill all the shabbat positions for one calendar quarter (12 weeks):

Start filling roles as soon as you've taken the meta-coordinator position. Make as many assignments in advance as you can. In particular, get davening coordinators three or more weeks in advance so they have enough time to recruit volunteers. If you fill about half of the shabbatot by the third week of your quarter, you're in good shape. Avoid filling shabbatot at the last minute.

Once these roles are assigned, it's up to each volunteer to find a replacement if he/she can't carry out his/her duties. Volunteers needing replacements should inform you of their situation as soon as they can.

Special Shabbatot and Simchahs

When you start coordinating, you'll be given a luach (a Hebrew calendar with the details of all of the shabbatot and holidays for the year). There's also an online calendar at the Orthodox Union. Although you don't have to give too much advanced warning for special shabbatot, davening coordinators should know if they've volunteered for a special shabbat and what variations are required to the service (e.g., Hallel, Birhat ha-Chodesh, two sifrei Torah, etc.).

In addition, the Minyan steerers should keep you informed of any special events taking place in your quarter, e.g., aufrufs or bar/bat mitzvahs. In these cases, you may need more than the normal number of people for setup, or you may need to inform the davening coordinators that they need to find someone with special skills for certain parts of the service. It is expected in such cases that the kiddush or full lunch that follows will be sponsored by someone connected to the event. You will still need coordinators to prepare and set up the kiddush and/or lunch, unless the lunch is catered. Coordinate with the Temple Sinai administrator if you need to use the Ehrenfried Auditorium downstairs.

Assigning Roles

The specific shabbat role guidelines are here.

When selecting davening coordinators, try to ask members who are comfortable with the details of the service and know the Minyan regulars. Generally, people who come most shabbatot and look like they know what they're doing are good candidates. Also, the davening coordinator role isn't the best one to start new members on, because they would be making a lot of phone calls to people they don't know.

Kiddush coordinators can sponsor their kiddush themselves or have the kiddush sponsored by members, non-members, or alumni. Upon request, the Minyan will reimburse kiddush coordinators for the cost of the food they buy up to $50. This policy encourages people who might not be able to afford it to participate and help out.

Setup is also a role that most people can do. But the details often seem overwhelming to the uninitiated. And although one person can certainly set up the room, it's much easier for two people. Special shabbatot with simchahs normally need two or more people for setup.

In order to encourage members who haven't yet volunteered for a role (and who might therefore be intimidated), you can pair that person (newbie) with a "veteran" as a mentor. Even with the written guidelines, it's often easier to work with someone who can answer questions.

Reminding Volunteers

Since people may sign up for a job well in advance, remind them by email or phone as their shabbat gets closer, particularly the davening coordinators. Include links to the relevant pages on this Web site.

Two to three weeks before a davening coordinator's shabbat, send an email reminder listing any special considerations for their shabbat and reminding them that they should start early to look for volunteers.
One week to ten days before their shabbat, send an email to the setup and kiddush volunteers, reminding them of their roles.

Here are two sample messages for you to use.

Tips to Remember

Have confidence. Minyan members aren't doing you a favor by filling these roles; volunteering is part of every member's responsibility to the Minyan. Instead of asking someone if they "Would be willing to volunteer for something?", say something like "What's a good shabbat for you to coordinate davening (or setup, or kiddush)?".

If everyone did one job a quarter, members would fulfill their Minyan responsibilities for the year!
Davening coordination is much easier than it looks, if the you knows Minyan regulars.
It's much more effective to get people to participate by calling or emailing them directly.

Avoid leaving phone messages or sending a mass email to the entire minyan list. Mass emails should be reserved for emergency situations.
If someone turns you down for an upcoming shabbat, respond by offering a role on a shabbat a few weeks or a month or two later.
Ask if there are special occasions that people would like to celebrate or honor by taking on a shabbat role. Sponsoring a kiddush is a common way to mark a simchah or special event. Members or others may also approach you about sponsoring kiddush. The kiddush sponsor and the kiddush coordinator do not have to be the same.
Take advantage of non-holiday Minyan events, like a Minyan meeting, or Chanukah party, before your quarter starts, or early in your quarter. Create a quarterly sign-up sheet, then bring it with you and pass it around.

Holidays

In addition to regular shabbatot, you're responsible for finding volunteers for the shabbatot during chaggim, the shabbat(ot) of Pesach, Sukkot, and Chanukah.

Generally, the Minyan steerer(s) will find special coordinators for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Purim, Pesach, Shavuot tikkun and morning, and Tisha B'Av.