Independence Day from Shaun Franks

This week started off great I was able to attend the 4th of July Parade in downtown Ashland. Claudia Alick invited people to utilize the lawn in front of her house to see the parade. I brought my family and was able to spend time with a lot of company members, it was a very cool experience.

I’ve also been thinking a lot about the questions for the climate change survey scheduled to go out soon. I think it would be great to see how OSF company members view climate change. The possibility that TCG might distribute this survey throughout different theatre companies is also a big step towards awareness about environmental issues in theatre.

This week I attended the artistic staff meeting which I find very helpful in being informed about what’s going on at OSF. I was also able to attend the Archives First Friday Exhibit  in the Bowmer Theatre for Carl Ritchie and meet Carl Ritchie. I brought my wife and we had a great time learning about the historical preservation happening at OSF; I’m really excited about the $200,000 NEH grant they received.

I begun working on rewriting the Green Task Force Mission Statement, currently it reads more like a vision with a couple of goals associated with it. I’d like to establish a clearer vision so that we know what should be pursued. I also printed out all the minutes from the old green task force meetings so that I can begin work on a timeline on what has been accomplished thus far.

–Shaun Franks

Green Task Force Preparation from Shaun Franks

This week I met with Katie Gomez about what to cover at the next Green Task Force meeting. We talked about the various projects were beginning to work on including the OSF timeline for sustainable practices. I found it interesting that the first mention of anything sustainability related began in 1986, the year I was born, with the executive director bringing up recycling. OSF has come a long way from just recycling but it would be great to document all that has been implemented.

The Green Task Force will meet tomorrow and we will be discussing the mission, the long-range plan, as well as a climate change survey that will be administered to the staff and volunteers. The email has traditionally went out only to people who have declared themselves as part of the green task force but this time I’m going to send an email to everyone so that the entire company can be aware of the meeting and what is currently being discussed.

I’m really looking forward to seeing with what the group comes up with; I think it’s critical for everyone on the green task force to feel like they have contributed to the process. The future of environmental responsibility at OSF will be a critical discussion because the budget for 2014 is currently being prepared and the next long-range plan is not far behind.

Last night was my three-year anniversary, my wife and I attended the Heart of Robin Hood, it was great to celebrate our special day at OSF.

Opening Weekend from Shaun Franks

I’ve had some amazing experiences this past week, OSF connects people from all walks of life and I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of these amazing people. I’m very surprised by how many people are in interested in sustainability. I’ve already had many conversations where I introduce myself as the green task force intern and people immediately begin telling me what they’ve done in their departments or ideas they have to improve them.

It’s very clear that I need to meet with Sharifa and begin discussing next steps. I’ve already begun working with Alison Carey on a climate change survey from Yale that can be distributed throughout OSF staff, interns, and volunteers. I think we should be ready to get the survey out as soon as the green task force meets again. I’d also like to see the Green Show utilized as a place to showcase OSF’s value of environmental responsibility. I’ll also be working with Katie Gomez on getting the agenda prepared for the next green task force meeting as well as establishing a more accessible time and place for all company members.

I’d really like to schedule a meeting with Cynthia Rider a Bill Rauch in order to see what direction they’d like to see the green task force take. A “grass-roots” approach to environmental responsibility is vital to implementing change within an organization but without “grass top” support it’s harder to incorporate.

Shaun Franks