Mock Meeting Block A Script (10-Minute

Fishbowl)
Characters

New Community Staff Partner (SP)

Returning Committee Chair (Chair)
New Logistics Chair (Logistics)
Team Development Chair Past Top Team Captain (Team D)
Survivor/Caregiver Chair Also a Survivor (SCC)

Introductions
Scene: Large table with chairs around the table, flipchart, and an audience;
each character has a table tent with his/her name and role. All characters
are at the table with the exception of the Team Development Chair, who will
come in late.
Chair:

Welcome everyone to the meeting and take role call. Call

out everyone at the table and also acknowledge that there
were a few people that couldnt make it tonight, including
your Entertainment Chair, Kids Activities Chair,
Sponsorship Chair, and Registration & Accounting Chair.
Point out how the Team Development Chair is not in
attendance, and ask whether anyone knows he/she they is.

All:

Shake your heads; you havent heard from the Team

Development Chair since the last meeting.

Setting the Meeting Agenda

Chair:

Review the meeting agenda flipchart of things to discuss,

and ask the committee members whether they have any
additional things to add.

SCC:

Ask whether there is time at the end of the meeting to

brainstorm post-event survivor and caregiver engagement
strategies; you could really use some help.

Chair:

Tell the Survivor/Caregiver Chair that time will be tight, but

if you cannot discuss it today, you can talk after the
meeting either one on one or with those who can stay to
discuss.

Chair:

Ask for someone to take the meeting notes for today.

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Logistics:

Volunteer to take the notes.

Suddenly, the Team D Chair bursts into the room, late to the meeting. There
are not enough chairs at the table for the Team D person to sit. Someone in
the group has to leave the meeting to find a chair.
Team D:

Apologize for being late, and ask the group what you
missed.

Chair:

(ANNOYED) Tell the Team D Chair you will get him/her up to

speed after the meeting instead of taking more time now.
The agenda is on the wall.

Subcommittee Updates
Chair:

Reference the sample Project Plan Gantt Chart on the wall.

Remind the group all the work that has been done to date.
Reference the amount that still needs to be done between
now and the event. Also reference the thermometer chart
to show progress toward goals based on feedback from
subcommittee chairs not in the room.

Chair:

Invite other committee reps to give updates from their

subcommittee areas.

SCC:

Report that you currently are at 100% of goal for number of

survivors and caregivers registered for the event. These
are the largest numbers in the history of the Relay. Not
many survivors are on teams; most are independent so
that may be a great way to get more teams involved.

During the Survivor/Caregiver Chairs report, the Team Development Chairs

phone will ring. The Team Development Chair should answer the phone but
act as though they are leaving the room instead of leaving, move off to the
side of the meeting, talking loudly in the phone. This will be a huge
distraction, and many of the committee members will roll their eyes.
Chair:

Congratulate the Survivor/Caregiver Chair.

Team Development Chair will come back to the table, apologize, and ask
what was missed.
Team D:

Ask what you missed during the phone call.

Chair:

Explain that you have reached the survivor/caregiver goal

but that not many survivors and caregivers are on teams

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this year and that this is an area that you need to follow up
with him/her on.
Chair:

Remind the group this is a short and packed agenda so if

you could have everyones FULL attention, it would be
greatly appreciated.

Logistics:

Report that you have day-of-event volunteers lined up and

are working on mapping out the campsites next week with
the subcommittee in prep for bank night. Talked with
registration and accounting chair about how to assign and
will have decision on that process for next week. Bring up
AGAIN how big the site is and how you really think the
committee should consider moving the event to a smaller
venue.

Chair:

Thank logistics chair for all his/her hard work, and

acknowledge the venue concern. State that you hope to be
able to revisit the venue site later in the year.

Logistics chair looks annoyed and once again feels blown off when his/her
suggestions are not being heard.
Team D:

Share how you feel frustrated because of low team

attendance at team captain meetings and that you dont
think that all teams are getting as much
information/communication about the event as they need.
Youre not sure that new teams are getting all the
information they need and are worried they wont feel
prepared for the event.

Chair:

Acknowledge all the hard work that the team development

subcommittee has done. Say: Im really glad that you
brought this up as this was something that our teams
addressed on last years Customer Satisfaction Survey. A
lot of the teams felt that they didnt have enough
information before the event.
Ask the Team Development chair what the main reason is
that teams arent getting all the information and feeling
excited and ready for the event.

Team D:

Say: People are just not coming to meetings or responding

to e-mails at all. I dont even know where to begin; this is
my first year in this position, and I just dont know what to
do.

SP:

Ask the team D chair if it is OK if the group helps identify

the main problems and then brainstorms to come up with

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solutions. Explain that this process works for you when you
are stuck, brainstorming ideas with others to understand.
Chair:

Say: That is a great idea. And maybe when we are finished

with the meeting, you and I can meet a little longer, so I
can get you some additional resources to help.

Team D:

Respond that you could use all the help you can get.

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Staff Partner stands up, grabs a new flipchart, and writes down the ideas
that the committee gives to address the problem:
Team D:

Share that you are having a hard time finding the time to
call and check in with all the team captains to see how
they are doing and if they have enough
resources/support/information for the event and that
team captains are not coming to meetings.

Chair:

Have committee discuss different ways to reach out to

team captains to make sure they get information. Discuss
utilizing Facebook and the Relays Web site more to
promote the meetings, team fundraisers, and event
information.

Logistics:

Say: For low attendance, could we try to jazz up the

meetings by having theme meetings? Or involving the
veteran team captains more by asking them to be guest
speakers at meetings?

SP:

Share an idea you heard from a fellow staff partner about

doing drop-in team captain meetings where you set up
a time for meetings and allow team captains to drop by,
drop off money, and pick up any information he/she might
need (instead of having a full, hour-long meeting).

SCC:

Say: What if we work up a one-page handout with

information about what the teams will need to know for
Relay? That might be helpful for teams to have on hand.

END OF BLOCK A/CLOSE SCENE

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Mock Meeting Block B Script (8-Minute

Fishbowl)
Chair:

Thank the group for its ideas and brainstorming. Invite one
or two committee members to share their potential to-dos
from the brainstorming session. After each group shares,
ask the committee members whether that is something
they think they have the ability to support with the
manpower and time left.

SP:

As people are starting to present their ideas for getting

team captains to meetings, start to plot their plans on the
overall project plan Gantt chart poster in the empty spaces
at the bottom of the chart.

Team D:

Thank everyone for their help. Start talking about how this
brainstorming session has really helped you to put
together so many ideas you want to try, including getting
in the local parade and doing welcome kits for all new
teams.

Chair:

Acknowledge those great ideas. Ask the team D chair to

write the ideas on the post-it note and put it in the crystal
ball container marked Future for ideas to remember for
next year.

While this discussion is going on, the Survivor/Caregiver Chair and the
Logistics Chair have a sidebar conversation that is a bit mumbled and
distracting.
Chair:

(In an encouraging NOT CONDESCENDING tone) Ask the

group having the sidebar conversation if there is anything
to share with the group.

SCC:

Share that you were just discussing how overwhelming it

feels right now looking at the Gantt Chart with everything
left to do.

Logistics:

Share that you are frustrated that you and the

survivor/caregiver chair have both met your goals and now
you also have to add all these things to help the team D
chair to meet his/her goals.

Chair:

Acknowledge their concerns. Remind the members that

they are a part of a team all working toward the same goal.
Say: We are all in this together. The team D chair would
help if you needed it.

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Team D:

Share with the group how thankful you are for its help and
that this isnt anyone elses primary area of work but
appreciate the help.

Chair:

Wrap up the meeting and confirm next steps on the project

plan and when notes will be sent out. Confirm date of next
meeting.

END OF BLOCK B/CLOSE SCENE

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