MOVERS AND SHAPERS  

HISTORY, VISION AND ORGANIZATION

The Movers and Shapers (M&S) was founded in 2005 as a special kind of support group for The Monarch School (TMS).

The M&S “Core Team,” originally consisting of eleven members, met several times in 2005-2006 with Dr. Marty Webb, Head of School and John Barone, Director of the Monarch Learning Center. This team eventually established the M&S volunteer group, defining its goals, structure and direction, described more specifically herein.

The M&S Core Team’s structure presently consists of the following members: M&S Chairman; M&S committee facilitators; six at-large M&S members, and two Monarch School parents who serve as Liaisons to M&S. The Core Team’s responsibilities are to guide the execution of the goals of the M&S, to work actively in the recruitment of new M&S members, and to oversee and advise the M&S committees on all important matters and issues to ensure that they are functioning in ways that reflect the group’s vision and guidelines, and are approved by TMS Head of School. The present members of the M&S Core Committee consist of: Justin Fox, Chairman; Miranda Bennett, Stephanie Wheatley, and Marion Defalco, all committee facilitators; and Susan Meek, Carrie Logan, John Hardesty, Madelyn Browder, all members-at-large members; and Kandace Shyer & Stephanie Wheatley, co-Liaisons between Monarch and M&S..

The M&S Core Team serves two (2) groups:
(1) the students, faculty and staff of TMS;
(2) the volunteer members of our entire M&S group itself.

To serve TMS students, faculty and staff, the M&S Core Committee will:
• solicit requests for volunteer projects;
• present ideas for projects to the appropriate individuals or groups;
• take responsibility for projects appropriate to our individual committees;
• timely report progress on our various projects to the M&S Chairman and all Core Team members;
• periodically evaluate the success of projects and propose improvements.

To serve all the members of our entire M&S group, we will:
• offer well-organized, positive, and meaningful opportunities to support the work of TMS;
• keep volunteers timely informed of all major M&S activities;
• develop projects appropriate to the talents and interests of volunteers;
• place volunteers’ desire to help ahead of our desire to do things “our way;”
• seek creative ways to involve new people in service to TMS;
• assess volunteers’ experience and use this assessment as the basis for improvement;
• respect volunteers’ time.

There currently are about 20 individual M&S members. It is hoped that this number will increase as the M&S further develops. One of our primary missions is to recruit dedicated new members for our M&S group to help keep it vitalized and improving all the time.

Each new M&S recruit is first invited to a tour of TMS (preferably on one of the “Tuesday Tours” of TMS), then completes an application form and interest inventory, followed by approval of TMS staff. Thereafter, the new M&S member chooses to join and participate in one or more of the four M&S committees (described below), and to be available for “work groups” for specific projects.

There are two types of M&S memberships:
(1) Active members, who have the necessary time to devote to attend the regular meetings, committee meetings and other activities and functions related thereto;
(2) Auxiliary members, who are in good standing with M&S and who contribute with individual projects, but do not have the time to fully function as active members.

The primary purpose of the M&S group is to support the mission of TMS and to assist the school in a number of creative and innovative ways.

More specifically, the M&S group is divided into four separate committees, namely: (1) The Builders; (2) The Developers; (3) The Educators; (4) The Heralds.

Each of these four committees is headed by one or two facilitators, whose main job is to convene periodic committee meetings, and to oversee the committee’s activities and projects. The committee meetings may be held at a time and place convenient to its members, such as at a restaurant, residence, office, or TMS.

The M&S Core Team, as previously described, normally holds its meetings every month or two. One week prior to each meeting, the committee facilitators email to the Chairman a succinct summary of their respective committee’s recent activities and completed projects, which then is disseminated to the entire Core Team. During the Core Team meetings, the pending and future activities and projects of each committee are discussed. After each Core Team meeting, a thorough summary of the minutes of the meeting is posted on the M&S blog, which is located at: http://moversandshapers.blogspot.com.

THE BUILDERS COMMITTEE: Includes any project that involves construction, demolition, remodeling, redecorating, and maintenance of TMS buildings and campus areas. Its primary specific responsibilities, on a periodic basis, are to: (a) clear the TMS trails; (b) maintain the Apprentice campus flower beds; (c) work in the Discovery Garden of the Houston Zoo. It also oversees the Monarch recycling program, compiling of a TMS scrapbook, and will assist in the development of the new TMS campus, to be open in 2009, as needed and as requested.

Facilitator: Stephanie Wheatley

Members: Penny Weiss, Stephanie Wheatley, Carrie Logan, Scharlene Fox.

Established projects:
Apprentice: Grounds, pond and trails maintenance (faculty contact: Debrah Hall);
Challenger: Zoo butterfly garden support (faculty contact: Richard Klein);
MLC: Painting (faculty contact: John Barone).

Recent projects and plans of the Builders Committee:

• Weeding, mulching, re-planting and painting of the tool shed at the Discovery Garden at the Houston Zoo, initially done by selected TMS students on Thursdays, is now being organized for that purpose at another time on an on-going basis.
• Doing various projects at TMS involving renovation and refurbishing, including recent shelving installed for one of TMS work rooms and painting of another room.
• Weeding of TMS trails.
• Assembling Monarch scrapbooks, complete with photographs and other TMS documentary memorabilia, to chronicle each school year of TMS’s existence from its inception in 1997 to the present time.
• Assisting in the selection of the audio/visual system for new TMS campus.
• Completed “Apprentice Campus Spruce Up” yard work and cleaning in 2007-08 school year and plans similar maintenance at new school campus in 2009.

THE DEVELOPERS COMMITTEE: Includes any activity to assist TMS in both fund raising and friend raising. Its primary specific responsibilities are to: (a) periodically work, as requested by TMS, on the new campus capital campaign and other fund-raising events throughout the year, including the annual Miracle Makers Morning (MMM); (b) develop new friends of TMS by recruiting new persons to attend the TMS’s Tuesday tour, make new influential contacts for TMS, and bring in new M&S members; (c) assist in other projects, as requested by TMS, including TMS annual Spring symposium, which entails hosting an outside speaker.

Facilitator: Formerly Julie Meaux, now presently vacant.

Members: Julie Meaux, Carolyn Trozzo, Susan Meek, Justin Fox, Brittany McGarvey.

Established projects:
MLC: Solicitation of off-campus workshops (faculty contact: John Barone);
Development: Tour recruitment (faculty contact: Shannon Woodruff);
Events: Training in raising more money (faculty contact: Shannon Woodruff).

Recent projects or plans of the Developers Committee:

• Designed and printed TMS vehicle logos.
• Assisted in mail-out of MMM flyers and at event itself.
• Established liaison with Houston chapters of the American Pediatric Society and the American Psychiatric Association, with view toward getting on their monthly schedules to make presentations about TMS.
• Working with TMS in new campus capital campaign, including procuring donor funds specifically earmarked for purchase of new campus audio/visual equipment.

THE EDUCATORS COMMITTEE: Includes all direct service with students and faculty, including academic support, mentorship, internships, guest speakers, special events for students and/or staff, faculty support, and off-campus practice opportunities.
Its primary responsibilities are to: (a) provide volunteers to help with the student reading at the Challenger campus; (b) proof read new sections of TMS website; (c) maintain the M&S blog; (d) oversee TMS input onto The Houston Chronicle website “News From You.”

Facilitator: Miranda Bennett

Members: Miranda Bennett, John Hardesty.

Established projects:
Challenger: Reading room (faculty contact: Neal Sarahan);
Apprentice: Summer program support for out-or-town parents (faculty contact: Debrah Hall);
MLC: AV/DVD mentorship (faculty contact: John Barone).

Recent projects or plans of the Educators Committee:

• Upcoming opportunities for volunteers to work with TMS students, to include internships for the students to learn new skills and to increase their confidence.
• Mentorships: speakers are needed to give presentations or mini-workshops to TMS students. These mentors could address students’ interests and/or discuss their life experiences, with an emphasis on making decisions and overcoming challenges. Lectures, demonstrations and hands-on instruction are encouraged.
• Proof reading of TMS website.
• Recruited several students from Univ. of St. Thomas and Rice Univ., through M&S booths at their campus fairs in 2007-08; more planned in 2008-09.
• Miranda Bennett instituted our M&S blog, designed our M&S pamphlet, made presentations to Monarch parents and students about Internet use and research, and oversees the TMS input on Houston Chronicle’s “News From You” website.
• John Hardesty, an accomplished pianist and composer, is to provide “music therapy” to Monarch students in 2008-09.

THE HERALDS COMMITTEE: Includes Informational Technology (IT), multi-media advertising, brochure design, photography, public relations, videography, DVD production, web-site design and maintenance, email design, Monarch Learning Center (MLC) promotion, etc. Its primary responsibility is to periodically spread the word about TMS through: (a) various mediums (e.g., electronic, radio, newspaper, mail, literature); (b) making presentations about TMS to influential persons; (c) gathering new email addresses for TMS etap.

Facilitator: Marion Defalco.

Members: Marion Defalco, Wanda Hughes

Established projects:
(a) IT: network infrastructure design (faculty contact: Kyle Nguyen) (b) IT: website proofreading (faculty contact: Marty Webb)
(c) MLC: email newsletter design (Faculty contact: John Barone)

Recent projects or plans of the Heralds Committee:

• Ideas discussed in the past for spreading the word about TMS included making connections with leaders of local professional groups, using TMS website to promote various events, developing email newsletter, establishing speakers bureau for TMS, and improving TMS website.
• Marion Defalco, Heralds facilitator, has been instrumental in several different areas, as follows:
• Introduction of TMS to officials of KPFT-Radio, 90.1 FM, which resulted in TMS hosting its first “Monarch Hour” radio program on 4/5/07 and another on 7/9/07; these programs were so highly successful that KPFT invited TMS back to host more radio shows in 2008-09.
• Listing of TMS with newly-formed Foundation for Autism.
• Creation of colored, portable 8x10 TMS banner.
• Continuing efforts to connect Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) and International Association of Realtors (IAR) with TMS and TMS’s website.
• Working with “Heroes with Handicaps,” a non-profit organization founded by Maj. Jonathan Etterbeek which aims to provide financial support for U.S. Army special needs children; coordinating future TMS online information to reach these military families.

The foregoing “M&S History, Vision and Organization” was compiled on September 1, 2008 by Justin Fox, M&S Chairperson.

Are you interested in joining Movers and Shapers? If so, then please contact Justin Fox, M&S Chairman at jfox45@gmail.com.

You also may obtain further information on the latest M&S activities and projects by going online to the M&S Blog at: http://moversandshapersblogspot.com.