Branch Coordinator

1. General.  In general, coordinate all the regular activities of the VSC in your area, including meetings and any outreach activities.  All of the following specifics may be delegated as long as the coordinator is responsible for their occurring.

2. Finances.  Pay for, or arrange payment for, any expenses related to the branch.  Advance payment can be obtained through the VSC Treasurer, or you can pay for any expenditure yourself and get reimbursed by submitting a receipt to the Treasurer.  Expenditures of $100 or less do not require prior Board or Executive Committee approval. The board or Executive Committee should be approached about any speaker or program that requires more than this amount.

3. Meetings.  

For small meetings, or meetings in a members' home, a lot of these specifics may not be necessary; use common sense.  For larger meetings, attention to detail becomes more important.

(a) Reserve space for all meetings.  Arrange for payment for the space.   

(b) Be there at the beginning of the meeting to make sure the space is secured and the door is unlocked. Be the last one to leave, making sure that all doors are locked and the area is cleaned up.

(c) Arrange for identifying stickers for food (e. g., green for vegan, orange for nonvegan) at all potluck events. The default expectation for most events is a potluck, though that is not necessarily always necessary. 

(d) Arrange for name tags, and be responsible for assigning an order of some sort for lining up (usually, numbers). Arrange to collect money for the event as appropriate. Supervise collecting the food and putting on the table, if necessary. Insure that drinks are available (apple juice, tea, etc.).

(e) Arrange for programs as seems appropriate.  This could be a speaker on a topic of interest to vegetarians, appropriate entertainment (music, magician, etc.), or arrangements for  appropriate games (volleyball, frisbee, "Trivial Pursuit" type games). 

(f) Especially for larger events, try to make sure VSC merchandise and literature is available, and that someone can sell books, etc.  You can get this from the Merchandise Coordinator.

4. Security.  Notify the appropriate authorities (VSC President, the landlord of the space we are renting, in an emergency the governmental authorities) of any problems relating to the security and safety of the VSC members, the proprietors of the space, or anyone else in the area for whom the VSC might be considered responsible.  Examples: someone spilling something on a carpet, someone drinking too much, a VSC volleyball game near a place where children are playing. Be familiar with the policies and procedures of the landlord of the space and handle any problems or questions that may arise.

5. Special Events. For special programs with big-name speakers which the VSC as a whole is sponsoring (e. g. Howard Lyman, Dr. Greger, Vesanto Melina) coordinate the necessary details with the President or the Executive Committee (extra volunteers, more money, etc.).