AVP New York's Annual Gathering, Castle Gardens, Manhattan, NY
To our AVP family:
We are at an important crossroads for AVP/New York. The reality is that many of the people who put their time, energy and money into building what was an AVP program at Green Haven into a vigorous state-wide organization have now passed away, and those who came after them are now aging and moving on with their lives. It is exciting that younger people are joining us, especially those who were incarcerated formerly, but the present economic reality keeps them from giving the total commitment of those who started AVP/New York.
The other reality is that if we do not have a state-wide organization, we do not have workshops in prisons. Individuals cannot do AVP workshops in prison on their own; they must have the authority of a state-wide AVP organization that the Department of Corrections views as legitimate.
It is very important that you come to the state-wide gathering. We need you to be a part of the discussion and the decision-making as we look to our future.
AVP New York’s Annual Gathering will be held at:
Castle Gardens
625 West 140th St.
New York, NY 10031
(at 140th and Riverside Drive, next to The Castle)
Note that our schedule this year has changed to Friday evening, November 4 through Saturday, November 5:
Friday evening:
5:00 – 6:00 Gather
6:00 – 7:00 DINNER
7:00 – 9:00 Community Building (fun things from everywhere, so bring them)
and
Agenda for the Saturday morning gathering: bring your issues and ideas (for Task Group discussion)
Saturday morning:
9:00 – 10:00 Opening Circle
10:00 – 12:00 Task Groups Discussions and Committee Meetings
Saturday Afternoon:
12:00 – 1:00 WORKING LUNCH
1:00 – 2:30 Continuation of Morning topics
2:30 – 5:30 Annual Meeting
Saturday Evening:
5:30 – 6:30 DINNER
6:30 – 9:00 Report of International Gathering
and
Meetings of Newly Appointed Committees and Task Groups
Tentative Topics for Saturday Morning
What is AVP?
What are the essential elements of an AVP Program in a prison, a community and/or school?
What must be in an AVP workshop to make it an AVP workshop?
Can we have an international standard?
Do we, or should we, have guidelines for AVP Special Topic Workshops?
What direction should our structure/organization take?
What are our needs re an office?
What do we need to pay someone to do and what can be done by volunteers?
How will we financially support those needs?
What is the AVP Mission and Purpose?
What are its limits?
When are we stepping beyond experiential learning to therapy?
As AVP facilitators go to other parts of the world and work with other organizations to develop workshops (ie, reconciliation, trauma healing), what will our process be for deciding whether they should be a part of the AVP program of Workshops?
What is different about a prison workshop and a community workshop – or a school?
Is there a difference between a situation where participants have imposed time restrictions and one in which they are free to stay and work out feelings that arise?
Gold Certificates: Are they necessary?
If so, should the qualifications for being awarded a gold certificate be standardized throughout NYS?
· TENTATIVE ANNUAL BOARD MEETING
By-Laws Revision Committee Report and Proposed changes
Nominating Committee Report and appointment of officers and board members as needed
Financial Report
Review of Goals for 2010-2011
Reports of Task Groups and Committees
Setting of Goals for 2011-2012
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| To_our_AVP_family_1111.doc | 27.5 KB |
