Lyn Blake - Guest Blogger: Conner Prairie Alliance Member
It was just the other day that I was working in the
Apple Store alongside many of my new friends and I was asked why I decided to join the
Alliance this Spring. It took me a few minutes to remember that I was initially attracted to the Alliance because it sounded like something fun to do with my friends and was also a way to give back to the local community and Conner Prairie. Since then I realized that while I was quick to sign up for the Alliance, my motivation to continue is much different.
Being part of the Alliance is fun and fulfilling for me on a number of levels. First, being a recently retired executive, it is fun to be able to use many of my skills from the workplace in the Apple Store. I was a Vice President of Buying for a major U.S. retailer and now I'm able to use these skills in my Apple Store position on the Food and Gift Buying Committee. Our committee is responsible for making sure the Apple Store is in stock on all those great tasting gourmet foods and fun gifts. Each week we take inventory, look at our sales and make buying decisions for the upcoming weeks. We get to merchandise the store and try to make buying decisions that will appeal to the wide variety of guests that visit Conner Prairie in the fall.
Secondly, I enjoy my membership in the Alliance because I've met many new friends. The group is easy to get to know and the membership requirements are also very flexible. I like the idea that the Alliance is interested in my work as a volunteer versus just being an organization that is just interested in me for a financial donation. We meet monthly as an organization and each committee has its own meeting schedule. Finally, we all work in the Apple store in the months of September and October on a schedule of our own choosing. For me, it is hard to imagine a better volunteer organization that meets my interests and my schedule.