We understand how absorbing and challenging teaching can be. That’s why we recruit volunteers to help out with set-up, checking people in, and clean-up at each event.

Evening Class Series and Half or Full-Day Retreats

The primary responsibility for managing your EBMC evening class or half or full day retreat is held by a staff person. This will be the Event Coordinator, or one of our Event Associates. This staff person — your event manager — will manage many tasks to support your class, from opening and closing the Center to organizing and supervising setup and other volunteers, troubleshooting the audio visual equipment, and processing your dana (voluntary donations). This leaves you free to concentrate on doing your very best teaching at EBMC.

Please take time to greet and thank everyone who volunteers to support your teaching, and particularly to greet and thank your event manager. We suggest:

• Please make sure to know your event manager’s full name. You should receive an email with the name of the staff person who will be managing your event before the event itself.
• If it is appropriate, take a moment during the event to publicly thank the event manager by name. Also ask all the other support volunteers to raise their hands and thank them, too – it’s quite accurate to say, “Without you, it would not be possible for EBMC to continue to offer teachings.”
• Telling your event manager what time lunch will start and end for a one-day event, since we want to be extra vigilant about security during the lunch break, since this is a time when the front doors are kept open and it is possible for people who are not interested in EBMC’s programs to enter and leave the Center.

• Please check in briefly with the event manager at lunchtime during a one-day event and ask how they are doing.

Taking time to recognize and connect to your event manager, perhaps to learn a little about them personally if there is time, will help to ensure a smooth and satisfying experience for both of you at EBMC. Thank you.

Weekly Practice Groups

Weekly practice groups are run completely by volunteer committees, with the support of additional volunteer sangha members who help during the weekly sangha meetings. Please take the time to meet the volunteers and publicly thank them during the course of the teaching. Their service in caring for the sangha is their active practice of generosity.

Taking time to recognize and connect to EBMC’s volunteers will help to ensure a smooth and satisfying experience for both of you at EBMC. Thank you.