Is Volunteering for Me?

 

“At the core of every community you will find groups of people working together to enrich quality of life, stand up for their values, and protect the environment in which they live. These groups, large and small, formal and informal, are the organizations that serve as the catalysts for citizen engagement. They are a crucial voice in public policy dialogue, and they drive social innovation.”

 

If you share our Vision, you are an adult or a teen willing to work under the direction of an adult, enjoy working with and learning from others and have an interest in and an appreciation for the ecology of the Kootenay-Columbia Basin, volunteering at the Discovery Center may be for you!

 

What Do Volunteers Do?

“Volunteering is fundamental to a healthy and democratic society; all citizens have a right and a responsibility to contribute in the manner that works for them.”

 

Volunteers may donate available time to operational activities including:

• Assisting with guided indoor and outdoor tours
• Providing technical, clerical or teaching assistance at meetings, presentations and courses
• Participating in the development of programs and activities for various demographics and interest groups
• Participating in stakeholder meetings
• Providing billeting for visiting guests
• Providing general indoor and outdoor supervision of the premises

 

Volunteers are expected to participate in on-the-job training and, because Volunteers are often the first and sometimes only contact with visitors to the Discovery Centre, they must carry-out their work on- time, honestly and in a polite and enthusiastic manner.

 

What are the Benefits of Volunteering?

Volunteers are an important and valued resource. KCDCS is committed to providing a safe and friendly environment where volunteers are treated with dignity and respect. By participating in day-do-day work at the Discovery Center you will gain useful experience with, and knowledge of, our natural environment, its culturally rich history and the Discovery Centre’s role in preserving it. Besides all that, we want our Volunteers to enjoy their roles and celebrate our accomplishments, however small or large, every day!

 

How Do I Find Out More?

Please Contact Us with your questions, to request further information or tell us about what kind of volunteering you would like to do or what skills, education or experience you might lend to us!

 

 

Become a Director

 

KCDCS is governed by a Board of between 5 and 10 directors.  Directors are elected at the Annual General Meeting for a tenure of 2 or 3 years. Vacancies may be filled between AGM’s by majority vote of the Board.

 

Qualifications

Directors must believe in and support the Mission and Vision of the Society and be committed to following generally accepted principles of good governance, including the bylaws, policies and procedures adopted by the Board.

 

The Board is committed to the principles of diversity, human rights and capacity building.  Candidates must commit to devoting 3-5 hours a month to regular meetings and, in addition, participating in committee work and training.

 

Applying to be a Director

The Board accepts applications from the public.  Application forms are available to fill out ONLINE or can be downloaded below.  Successful applicants must submit to a criminal records check and sign an acknowledgement of Responsibilities and Expectations.

 

Applications will be reviewed by a Nominating Committee who will screen applications and make recommendations for appointment or nomination, to the Board.

 

Are you serious?

If you are interested in joining us, feel free to talk to a member of our Board.  If you fill out an application (below), we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

 

Being a Board member is not only a great opportunity to help us, it is a great way to build experience and capacity for other board work and to gain valuable experience working as a team member.  By the way, we also have some fun. Seriously!

 

KCDCS Board Member Application