IVA Committees
Ideally, every center would like to have committees helping to oversee the various aspects of Center operation. Specific committees are formed by the Trust of the Center and are responsible for it. Any old student with interest in a particular area of Center operation may be a member of a committee. Some service on committees can be done from home using phone and Internet, so is a good opportunity for those that may not have time to be on-site. Most Committees at Dhamma Pakasa are in the process of evolving and are in need of interested members.
Committees include:
Finance Committee
Oversees the management of center funds, including operating expenses, loans, and long-term investments.
- Processes dana, keeps electronic and paper files of all transactions;
- Assesses and responds to committee requests for funds Manages bank accounts and petty cash;
- Reconciles books, sets monthly and yearly budgets
- Oversees yearly audits and tax preparation
On-Site Committee
Manages various tasks related to kitchen, housekeeping, and maintenance activities for the Center.
Dhamma Pakasa is always changing…anicca of course! As the center grows and courses are wait-listed, the need for a regular server group has become apparent. Old Students who can come to the Center at the end of a course or between courses to help with kitchen, housekeeping, and maintenance tasks are very welcome. If you can commit to serving one weekend a month or a day or two between courses that would be a great help. If you can dedicate a certain amount of time to a regular task – that would make all the difference in helping to prepare the Center for the next course. Joining the new on-site committee of regular servers is a great way to get involved with Dhamma Pakasa, develop your practice and meet other meditators. If you have the interest and time to serve please contact Kate at [email protected] (or click here )or call 815-489-0420 for details.
Dhamma Service Committee
Promotes the value of Dhamma service and develops ways to support old students keeping them informed of opportunities to serve and other Dhamma activities. Assures that courses are adequately staffed, and refers interested students to committees needing help.
- Works with Registration Committee to ensure that courses have enough servers
- Keeps informed of committee’s service needs
- Writes and sends out announcements/ requests to old students
- Maintains database of available servers
Outreach & Publicity Committee
Outreach work consists of old students willing to help out in these areas: publicity, public talks, movie screenings, info packs, organizing and maintaining metta day library, organizing and facilitating yearly open house, help in creating monthly newsletters. This committee is a vital part of spreading Dhamma to those throughout our community by facilitating contact between the center and old or new students. There are things on and off site that can be done and time commitment may vary depending on task.
Here are some resources for old students:
- Guidelines & Application for World Contacts and Group Sitting Hosts
- Guidelines for Practice
- Code of Conduct for Dhamma Servers
- Talking Points for those interested in hosting an Outreach event in their area
- Dhamma Pakasa Committee Contact Information/Center Contact Information
Send an e-mail to [email protected] to express your interest in serving on this committee.
Technology Committee
The technology committee maintains the electronic equipment at the Center. This includes the phone system, the computers and other electronic equipment. The technology committee also works very closely with the Outreach and Publicity Committee to create and post periodic newsletters.
With over 40 people registering for each course, the center staff and registration committee are completely dependent on all of the equipment and systems working properly. There are also many other possibilities to use technology to improve the work-flow at the center.
In order for this committee to serve students as it is meant to, volunteers are needed to:
- Maintain and update the website
- Receive notices from committees and add them to website in a timely manner
- Upkeep of computer on site, updating equipment and software
- Help Management set up office systems
Contact the committee by sending an e-mail to [email protected] to express your interest in serving on this committee.
Building and Development Committee
The Building and Development Committee:
- Creates master plan for whole Center
- Handles short-term/intermediate infrastructure improvements and renovations
- Advises Grounds & Maintenance committee about changes to the physical site
- Communicates with Finance and Executive committees about projected costs and timelines
- Prepares visual materials for Metta Day to inform students about future plans
- Recruits/screens professional and expert personnel as needed
Other Committees
There are several other committees