The 2016-2017 Davie Community Foundation SURF Board is ready for a great year

The board is made up of 21 Davie County High School students – eight new to this year.

Interviews were held in June to narrow down the competitive group of applicants to the eight that were needed for the 2016-2017 year. The students made notes for each applicant and scored them on their initial application; interview; commitments that might interfere with participation; what strengths they would bring to the board; and the diversity they would bring.

Sophomores Mikhail Harris and Cassi Shires, and Freshmen Abby Boger, Noah Etter, Jonathan Foster, Lilli Haire,  Parker Prysiazniuk, and Evan Steele were added.

The SURF Board met on Aug. 20 for the annual SURF Board Retreat, which allows students to get to know each other through team building activities, and to plan the year.

The first order of business was to learn a little about each other, and to learn each other’s name. Personally crafted paper airplanes with two questions to learn about someone served as an icebreaker for the morning.

A game of Whodunit provided hilarity, and a peek inside to what makes the students tick. The M&M game always provides great information for the students on their new friends, and there is no way you will forget a name when you are tossing a rubber chicken around while calling names and introducing yourselves.

Once the students were comfortable with Who’s Who, Davie Community Foundation President Jane Simpson talked about philanthropy and the history of the Davie  Community Foundation so the students had a better understanding of what they were a part of, and the difference they can make.

Team building was a big part of the day. Students split into four teams where they had to brainstorm and work together to complete activities.

Duct Tape Catch required trust and teamwork as one team member volunteered to be wrapped in duct tape in the hopes of catching and hanging on to the most pompom balls.

Crossing Shark River definitely took teamwork, as the teams crossed the shark-infested river with the challenge of getting all team members across while staying on their 10-inch lifeboats. A few teams had to start over, but all did manage to cross the river successfully.

The next round of team building involved Hula Hoops. The teams had to successfully complete a series of activities using Hula Hoops, including a Hula Hoop Relay, building a Hula Hoop tower and passing through it, and figuring out how to lower a Hula Hoop to the ground from shoulder height using only a flat index finger.

After lunch, it was time to get down to business.

SURF Board Co-Presidents George Haire and Grace Nixon led the students in setting their guiding principles for the year, as well as setting group and personal goals.

The board set a fundraising goal of $12,000 in sponsors for the year with each person setting personal fundraising goals. The Popsicle 5K is the SURF Board’s fundraiser event, and will take place on Feb. 25. The board has set a goal of receiving 10 RFPs (Request for Proposal), in hopes of funding 10 grant requests from Davie students for projects to benefit the youth and children of Davie County.

The next round of business included hearing from Fundraising Chair Ben Marklin, who shared information with the board about running a 5K and giving the students a chance to sign up for committees.

Grant Chair Ben Foster shared details about how the board receives grant requests, and the application process, as well as the importance of encouraging fellow students to put their ideas on paper and submit the grants.

Liaison Chair Laura Cain talked about the importance of going out in to the community to share about the SURF Board, the Popsicle 5K, and the grant opportunities.

Committees were set to make contact with each middle school, the early college and the high school to talk to students about each of these opportunities, and to raise awareness among students.

A fitting end to the day was breaking back up into teams, and challenging each other to a Popsicle Palooza – which team could eat their bucket of Popsicles the fastest in relay fashion.