I've finally got around to uploading the Thanksgiving pictures to my flicker account. For the edited versions (cropped, some red-eye reduction, and only selected photos) with snarky captions and notes:
http://ping.fm/tUYY8
For those who might be interested in printing, or who have way too much time to kill, the originals are here:
http://ping.fm/hBRej
VISTA Dating Policy
sorry to use a comment for this, however it looks as if my livejournal account isn't working at the moment or I'm completely confused and don't have one. Assuming I need an account to post.
My Quetsion: I remember you saying you are or have been a VISTA Leader, correct? So hopefully you can provide more info that the lovely Handbook.
I met a fellow VISTA Member at the PSO about a week or so ago. We are in the same program, though work about 30-45 minutes apart. I'll spare the sappy details that sometimes can fly out. In any case we seemed to have hit it off and at the PSO you have that wonderful contact sheet of all the VISTA Member with their site number and contact email. We'll we exchanged cell numbers and we have been communicating by email off and on this past week. She keeps giving me her cell number in the email, so I called and left a message, etc, etc. She's around my age, late 20's, so that checks out.
Anyway, I was wondering, first if I were to ask her out, would I be in violation of any VISTA fraternization policy? Our two project sites have similar programs and me and her may work together, occasionally. Oh, and as far as the distance, I'm not too concerned.
All it stated in the handbook is VISTA Members should refrain from dating site supervisors, VISTA Leaders, and VISTA Members that may have a "conflict of interest" in community or program. I don't see that any of those would be present in this case. This is my second term as a VISTA and during my first term, my project site had 11 VISTAs and two of them were dating, working different programs and the site director knew, but either didn't care or just shrugged it off.
I'd rather not say anything to my VISTA Leader at this time, for one, nothing may occur and two if I said something, well...I'm not a fan of the gossip before anything starts and if nothing did happen then it could be a difficult situation.
I understand the risks/rewards on my own behalf, however I'd rather not be terminated for something so petty as to breaching the Dating policy. Oh and its a state on the west coast, if that makes a difference.
Any help or info, experience is greatly appreciated.
-Heartfelt Dilemma
Re: VISTA Dating Policy
The policy, as you've noticed, is generally focused around conflict of interest, which is why all the ones stated are those where there are positions of power. VISTAs dating other VISTAs is pretty normal (in fact, two of my good friends started dating as VISTAs and are now engaged). Unless one of you is in a position of power, or where there might be the appearance of impropriety (e.g. maybe her sponsor agency awards a grant to your sponsor agency), I wouldn't worry about it . . .
ernie
Re: VISTA Dating Policy
lol. Now I'm just being really VISTA like. Anyway thanks a bunch for the clarification. I don't believe either one of us are in a position of power of one another, so if she'll go for it, then its all good. Now just got to find out what her interests are. Hmmm how do that? Oh, right...ask her, duh.