Dear Bexar County Master Gardener
We are using the Texas State Master Gardener Volunteer Management System to record our volunteer hours and CEUs. For the most part everyone has been pleased with the ease of its use.
We have, however, encountered some difficulties with knowing where to record our hours when we go to the “Apply to Project” because our current list of activities does not include all the activities we are engaged in throughout the year. Our review revealed that Master Gardeners had recorded over 1,300 volunteer hours in the “Other” category this year because the activity they were engaged in was not included in the “Apply to Project” drop down activity listing.
To rectify this, we convened a Committee to Review Volunteer Hours & CEUs. The committee consisted of Barbara Lutz, Lisa Nixon, Jan Craven, Carolyn Martin, Anne Browne, Anna Vogler and me. The committee developed the attached listing of Master Gardener activities that have been approved by AgriLife. You will notice that it includes all of our annual activities. As new activities pop up or old ones disappear, we will revise the list to keep it current. This new list of activities will appear under the “Apply to Project” button on January 1, 2016. All other portions of the Texas State Master Gardener Volunteer Management System remain the same.
The only other change approved by the committee is to require 50%, three of the required six CEUs, to be earned by attending either BCMG Monthly Meetings or afternoon Educational Seminars. The Educational Seminars (February, April, June, August, October) are scheduled at 1:00 pm and the evening meetings (January, March, May, July, September, November) at 6:00 pm so that all MGs have an opportunity to attend. Beginning this year, we will be tracking the source of CEU credits (using the codes listed at the end of the Hours Activity List) to ensure the 50% requirement is met.
We encourage you to use the system to record your hours as you accrue them throughout the year. This is very important to our organization as we use the recorded hours to demonstrate to funders and city and county officials the wonderful work Master Gardeners are doing throughout our community.
Thanks for All You Do –
Jack Downey
President
Please review the 2016 Volunteer Hours Activity List!