Does anyone do team building activities with their board? Our board for this coming year is big and has lots of newcomers (yay!!) and I'd like to make sure everyone feels welcome, included, and comfortable in the group. The ideas we've come up with so far are a cookout before our first full board meeting, and getting together to volunteer for a charity (this has proven difficult with scheduled vacations). Does anyone have any ideas that might work for us?

Thanks!

i was at training this weekend for a new job, here is 2 team building exercises we did that can work. Have everyone stand in a circle they must state their name and an adjective that descripes them that starts with the same first letter as their name. Then as you go around the circle you need to repeat everyones adjective and name in front of you and add yours last. Good way to see how people precieve themselves. Another one was a small rubber ball that passed through everyones hand and if you drop the ball you were letting down the kids. It took us 20 seconds at first then down to 10 but the goal was under 1 second. It was a challenge to figure it out but once you did you feel more like a team because you work together... The rules for it are simple, you must go in order and the ball must past through everyones hands without being dropped. email me at bridget625@live.com for possible solutions.

Hi PRS VP-
That's great news that you have a large group with new members!

Came across these team building exercises -- they say they are for corporate but I think you could use them at your cookout or some other board setting.
Best Way - Corporate Team Building Activities | eHow.com

Also, wanted to make sure that you've seen this article on building a strong board.

Build a Strong Executive Board - PTOToday.com

We'd love to hear from more groups about any team building activities they do with their board.

Lisa @ PTO Today

Hello,

Every year in August our Board hosts a Chairperson Training Workshop. We created a manual and provide each Chair with a summary report from the previous chair. Intead of reading the manual to our Chairs (BORING!!!) we created a Chairperson need to know TOP 10. At this workshop its nice that everyone gets to have a few hours of interaction and learn more about our organization. We typically privide dinner and this year we are in corporating a few team building activites.

Take a look at our website Home ?(pewaukeepto)?

visit the Chairperson menu and you will see how we do it.

Best of Luck to you!!