E-Tips

Audience Participation Wins The Day

Recently Frank Smithson, the teacher/buildings and grounds director at our daughter's school got up to give his report to the annual parents meeting. His goal was to get volunteers to help with the mundane and boring jobs of repair and maintenance.

"In the business of buildings and grounds," Frank began, "there is the dark side and there is the light side. First the dark side. Katherine, come up here on stage. You're the pounding rain. Amy, get on up here. You are the blazing sun. John, you're 250 children running through the building with muddy feet." All three people got up on stage and took on menacing faces.

Frank continued, "Then there's the light side. Jerry, you are our financial resources. Come on up. Cindy, you are the power of the Building and Grounds committee. Gail, you are the volunteer labor of our dedicated parents." All three jumped up on the stage looking full of energy and enthusiasm.

Frank then orchestrated a great battle on the small stage between the forces of light and dark. The six people held an imaginary rope and had a great tug of war. All the volunteers acted out their roles with great abandon. Of course, the forces of light won. Frank then produced a huge sign-up sheet to get parents to volunteer their labor. People were clamoring to be on the committee and get scheduled for work days. Did we say B&G is boring and mundane? Apparently not. Frank had more sign-ups than any other committee.

How could you use greater audience participation in your next presentation to get 'em involved?