Mentor Scheme

Q. Have you ever felt the need for some friendly advice about gliding or the way the club operates?

Q. Would you appreciate some guidance on who is likely to be a good person to discuss a subject, and know they will be informative and happy to help?

• If the answer to either question is `yes` then you should read on to find out more about a new mentor system that is being introduced at The Park
• The mentor scheme is in response to feedback from some members that there is a need to improve the way that people learn at the club, especially those matters not covered by formal training programs and with key points of contact such as flying, Winch Operator and Launch Point Controller

Principles

• Simplicity of use and flexible
• No bureaucracy or form-filling
• Informal as far as practicable
• It does not prevent discussing matters with other club members, if preferred!!!

The Mentoring Process

1. The need to learn is identified. Either someone identifies their own requirement or a mentor realises someone would benefit from some guidance.
2. The mentor discusses matters with the person requiring assistance, tailoring matters to suit individual requirements. If assistance would best be provided by somebody else the mentor will provide this guidance.
3. Further coaching / advice is provided as necessary

 

How the Mentor System works

• Mentors are volunteers – they are people who enjoy helping others, take a pride in seeing things done correctly and like to see fellow club members making progress
• If someone requires mentoring they need to identify the relevant topic and seek a suitable mentor. The system works on the basis that mentors do not need to attend the club especially to fulfil the role
  
• A Mentor Coordinator maintains the system and acts the focus for any suggestions on improvements to the mentor system (or any other relevant feedback). This person is David Surman who can provide contact details for the mentors
  
• The list of topics for which mentors are available are initially planned to be:

• Flight Operations Planning
• Start of Day Preparations
• Aircraft and Airfield Movements
• Assisting at the Launch Point
• Personal Daily Flying Objectives
• Preparation for Bronze
• Beyond Bronze
• Glider Ownership