FACILITATOR FACILITATOR

In volunteering to be a facilitator for the Chautauqua Dialogues you are agreeing to complete the facilitator training and become familiar with the methodologies contained in this manual. And in so doing you agree to apply the methods when leading the dialogue groups during the summer season. In order to be familiar with the subject matter that will most likely be the point of discussion among the groups, we ask that prior to facilitating the dialogue group(s) (that you agree to lead) that, you attend as many of the daily 10:45 and 2:00 lectures as possible. If you are unable to attend a particular lecture, you can use the Chautauquan Daily and the CHQ Assembly video as a source of content.

Each week this summer all facilitators will meet on Mondays, at 12:15 at Hurlbut Church for an Institution sponsored lunch. This is a "meet and greet" with plenty of time to answer questions and discuss some key points of the facilitation process. Prior to the 2:00 lecture on Tuesday, we will distribute the assignments for the week. Based on both your experience and your comfort level, you will be assigned a day and time to facilitate a group, either by yourself or with another facilitator.

Both Roger Doebke and Lynn Stahl will be available to meet with you to discuss any aspect of the process or challenges of facilitation: They are usually available before the 2:00 lecture each day on the grass area in front of the Hall of Missions.

As a facilitator of Chautauqua Dialogues you will be filling a key position. As you read what follows imagine yourself taking on these responsibilities. Imagine which situations would be difcult for you to manage and which ones would be easy. Visualize yourself succeeding despite the inherent challenges.

First, the physical mechanics:

If you are unfamiliar with your assigned venue, please check it out before your scheduled session. Before your session begins, be sure that the room is set up for the conversation with the available chairs arranged in a close circle, with extraneous materials set of to the side. Create a cozy, comfortable, and private space. As participants arrive, greet them, check them in, give them a name tag (first name only). Ask them if they have a Brochure and have read the Rules of Participation. If not, give them a Brochure and ask them to reviews the rules before the start of the session. (Since we have not yet finalized all of the venues, day and times of sessions etc., the 2022 Brochure is not currently available. However, the Brochure will include the following: