by Caitlin McDiarmid, APP Administrator

2018 is over and the planning for 2019 is well underway, with only 10 months between conferences.

I was extremely proud of this year’s crop of Al D. Scholars. Not only were they exceptional workers, but they really crammed in as much education as possible with their busy schedules. They made friends with each other and with the larger volunteer group. By the end of the week, they understood fully the gift of service and working with a team which had now become their family.

Our Al D. Scholars this year were: Anji Amarjargal (San Francisco, CA/Mongolia); Àngel Armengol Docio (Barcelona, Spain); Zakk Boyer (Fayetteville, NC); Becky Crossan (Stockton-on-Tees, UK); Txas Norris (Oviedo, Spain); Debbie Moore (Cork Ireland); Jon Salzer (Atlantic Beach, FL), and Daniel Wright (Liverpool, UK). Thank you for your courageous work and your willingness to be open to what seems like a chaotic mess (the volunteer experience), but has its own rhythm and makes beautiful music if you let it.

I want to thank LeRoi and Tether for contributing to the Al D. Scholarship fund; and PunkMedics for sponsoring five full “Forever Learning” Scholarships in Rick Frueh’s name; and NeoMetal for sponsoring one “Live Long and Prosper” Scholarship in Mark Siekierski’s name.

Once again Piercers contributed to the No Excuses fund and sent Maggie Kellett and Victoria Rothman to Conference.

This year we invited back a few of the scholars from previous years who had received outstanding reviews: Jess Farrar, Nicole Holmes, Alicia Lowe, Erica Martin, Saku Penttilä, Michelle Rose, Cas Willems

We had volunteers, who have been with us for a bit, return to continue in service: Dae Jedic, José Carlos Calvo, Charlie LeBeau, James Biggers, Jason Heeney, Nathan Lee Grosvenor

The following love volunteers completed training, enabling them to become official volunteers this year: Megan Naito & Vivi Madero

Our AV crew was: Brian Moeller, Allen Falkner, Lani Soleil, Jesse Enz, Aiden Johnson, Paul Rainer, Shana Gyure, Michelle Rose

The AV shifts might be short but these folks handle one of the most pressure filled roles of Conference and we thank them for their hard work.

Julie Taylor had some additional challenges with the new location of our Registration. She met them head on, and along with the Volunteer Underground and other volunteers, was successful at getting both new and returning attend- ees down to the Event Center on our busy first days.

The Super Volunteers are our most experienced volunteers – and it shows. I am continuously impressed how fast they breakdown the 10 plus pallets and get everything sorted and organized for Conference. I’m continuously so happy that I don’t have to micromanage my team – that they have grown into brilliant mentors in their own right.

Our Classroom Supers: Seven Wolfe, Ryan Clark, Mike Mc, Marita Wikström, Zach Fitzgerald

Our Booth Supers: Casey Hosch, Danny Greenwood, Mark Montgomery,  Ken Seyler, Dianna Brown, Andru Rogge, John Robberson, Andre Berg, Jezebel Voulé, Jacob Spjut,  Kenny Hughes, Luz de Luna Duran

Our Registration Supers: Kendra Jane B., Theo Sheffler, Anna York, Badur Ramji, Stephanie Hill, Ismael Vargas Guerrero, Logan Wright (trainee)

Shorty is both a general volunteer and is the exclusive assist on the app. This year was the first that we didn’t have a paper program and Shorty’s an integral part of the success of the app.

I need to thank my Conference Managers: Will Spencer & Gus Diamond they were exceptional and took on even more work – as we all missed having Sarah Wooten as part of the mix.

Thank you Rob Gold for managing the Volunteer Underground this year – it’s a lovely thing to see how many different ways people can be of service.

Ed Chavarria and Luis Garcia – you continue to serve this organization in many ways and I consider you my friends and mentors.

Special thanks to Darrin Walters for not only bringing and paying for Ronald’s Donuts every morning… but taking me to the doctor to check my peepers.

Cale Belford is the Mentor to the Mentors – the leader of the group and the Mentor Program – and continues to do an amazing job. I heard more positive comments about the Mentors this year than ever before – thank you for making Conference a more welcoming and supportive event. A special thank you to Cale Belford for giving her all to the program.

This years’ Mentors were:

Aaron Solomon, Adam Richins, Aiden Johnson, Anna Beall, William Barron, Becky Dill, Blake Williams, Boge Gonzales, Cale Belford, Christy Lillard, Cozmo Whitest, Desi Arellano, Devyn Porter, Fernando Chavez, Gregory Charles, Hall Boyer, Jeremiah Currier, John Robberson, Johnny Velez, Josh Parkhurst, Julie Taylor, Kelly Carvara, Kris Heming, Krystal Klos, Lena Cemal, Mark Montgomery, Matte Erickson, Mike Mc, Nathaniel Tinker, Pablo Perelmuter, Pat Pierce, Perry Doig, Rich Hartwick, Rob Gold, Rob Hill, Ryan Clark, Shawn Porter, Shelby Richins, Jay “Stray” Johnson, Tanner Bennett, Tobias Vallone, Vanessa Jo, Whitney Thompson.

To John Johnson, I am not sure how the Conference Committee will do with- out you, but I am happy to have you back in the trenches. You did all the crappy off-site stuff this year – thank you, thank you, thank you.

To Jezebel Voulé, thanks for doing all the extras – your help keeps me sane and your friendship means more than you know.

Everyday I thank my blessings and two of those are Kendra Jane B. and Marina Pecorino. Without their work for the APP I would be drowning and unhappy and so incredibly tired. This year I came into Conference well rested and with an ease I haven’t experienced in a long time and it was largely because of these two lovely women.

Next year we move to a new hotel and I was thinking about how most of the volunteers have never known anything other than Bally’s. This pondering led me to look at a short list of volunteers who have volunteered for ten years or more for the APP. I was happy to honor the following people at the Banquet Dinner: John Johnson, Tiana McGuire, Jezebel Voulé, Anna York, Will Spencer, Gus Diamond, Seven Wolfe, Mark Montgomery, Ed Chavarria, Elayne Angel, Bethrah Szumski, Paul King, Darrin Walters, David Kelso, Sarah Wooten

They have served the APP for 10 years or more as Volunteers, as Committee Members, and as Board Members. I honor you. I thank you. And the whole of the organization has benefited from your dedication and service. The 10 year volunteer pin presented to you at Conference is a token of our appreciation.