Mentor Teleconference - October 30, 2018 | 5pm CT

@colleenyoung I'm signed up. Thanks!

@hopeful33250 @rosemarya @gailb and @debbraw glad you can make the teleconference. Please join @johnbishop and share the following in this thread:
You can also participate here in the conversation too. Please
1. Share a fun fact about you
2. What nugget of wisdom would you like to share with the new mentors?

Who else will answer these 2 requests?

****It's my turn.

My fun fact is-
Whenever we go anywhere like family gathering or gathering where there are kids and adults, I am the one adult who is down on the floor or in the play area with the little folks. Games, pretending, coloring - I prefer that to the adults.

My wisdom is -
As a mentor, I accept that I don't have an answer to every problem, but I can listen with compassion.

****Who is going next?

@rosemarya
I hope I don't bother you too often, but I just became a Volunteer Mentor yesterday (10/27). Is this Teleconference for a newbie like me? I would love to hear the discussion. I doubt that I'd have anything to add, but I've never done a Teleconference before and would be interested in hearing everyone.

Thanks for telling me what I can do about this. I don't know all of the VM rules yet.
@retiredteacher

Carol, Of course you will be able to participate. As a Mentor, you have access to any and all Mentor events and communications (Mentor/Moderator Group).
I know that Colleen (@colleenyoung) will be in contact with you about this. I am quite sure that it is on her agenda. Friday was a very busy day for you and you most certainly did not need anything else added to your agenda.

We have teleconferences several times during the year. You can see the agenda above. I invite you to begin to read the comments. You will get feel for what is happening so far within the Mentor/Moderator community.

Questions are always good!

@retiredteacher

We would love to have you join the teleconference, Carol. I'm sure you will enjoy meeting us all by phone and feel free to add any thoughts or suggestions that come to you. We always need fresh ideas for doing our mentoring work on Connect!

Thanks, @rosemarya and @hopeful33250. I signed up for the teleconference. I am interested to hear everyone and get my feet wet with knowing more about everything.
Hear you on 10/30.
@retiredteacher

@retiredteacher, indeed this teleconference includes you.

In fact, this particular meeting is to celebrate our recent inductees to the mentor group @contentandwell @debbraw @mamacita @retiredteacher. While she's been a mentor for a while, it will be the first teleconference where @alpaca will be able to join us from New Zealand.

During the meeting we'll get to know one another and get updates about our fellow mentors currently on leave as well as describe the new "alumni mentor" designation.

Mentors on leave:
– intend (health willing) to return to mentor on Connect
– still have access to the Mentor group
– are welcome to participate in mentor activities
– remain a member of Connect; reading, liking and posting as able

Currently, @gman007 @jimhd @sandytoes14 are taking some time on leave until they are able to resume being active as mentors.

Alumni Mentor allows past mentors to participate as members on Connect and at the same time acknowledges the service they provided as a mentor in the past.
Alumni Mentors:
– no longer intend to return to mentor officially on Connect
– still have access to the Mentor group
– are no longer obliged to take part in the mentor activities
– remain a member of Connect

And I will update everyone on the recent alumni status of @cynaburst and @kdubois

See the full agenda at the top of this discussion thread.

Let's continue the get-to-know @hopeful33250 @predictable @gailb @windwalker @travelgirl @dawn_giacabazi @IndianaScott @alpaca
- Share a fun fact about you
- What nugget of wisdom would you like to share with the new mentors?

@johnbishop I would love to still be working, but I lost my C/S position due to my manager stepping down and taking it! It ended up working out for the best because not too long after that I had my first HE episode and I would not have been comfortable working and taking sick days due to my situation. By the time I was OK again, finding a new job would have been very difficult due to my age. I actually enjoy working!
JK

Wanted to let everyone know that I won't be able to attend and will be reducing my role here on Connect. Having become healthy enough to return to work full-time for the first time seven years -- all thanks to Mayo Clinic -- I now lack the bandwidth to be able to juggle so many activities. I love my new job as the first technical writer ever hired in the history of HP Hood LLC's 140+ year history, and I am now also Assistant Team Leader / Co-Advisor of my daughter's robotics team (Greater Rochester Robotics FIRST Robotics Competition Team 340), which is an activity true to my heart that helps hundreds of kids each year. Please keep me posted about your ongoings and activities, and reach out to me every once in while. Love to you all... Kelly