SWANS City Chapters called SWANS LAKES started from Bhopal (Capital of the Central State of India). As our Swans (Volunteers) started moving to other cities, they started forming the City Chapters there. Over the years, we found that other Volunteer Groups in other cities, also required better organizing and management techniques. So instead of forming another group there, we thought of enriching the existing Volunteer groups. We therefore asked our Swans (Volunteers) in other cities to become part of the Volunteer Groups there, and help them with all the skills they acquired, during their stint with SWANS Bhopal. Today many Swans are heading different cells (departments) in those Volunteer Groups.
Some groups have also shown interest in adopting the Social Credit system, to assess the contribution of their volunteers, and award them social credits. This will create a level playing platform, for volunteers across all Volunteer Groups in the country, so that they have the freedom to work with any group of their choice, in their current location. We shall display the names of those Volunteer Groups here, as and when they adopt the Social Credit System.
Currently SWANS LAKES (City Chapters) exist in the cities given below, where they follow the same approach towards social work, along with the social credit system.
If you are part of a Volunteer Group, that wishes to adopt the Social Credit model, please drop us an email at swans.neb@gmail.com
If no Volunteer Group exists in your city, and you wish to form a SWANS LAKE there,
write to us at swans.neb@gmail.com, and simply follow the Guidelines below :
Invite a group of friends and acquaintances, to discuss the idea of a social group that contributes to social good. Please ensure that your also invitee list also comprise of people, who have been living in the city for long, and know it well.
Throw the idea of forming the group to help out each other during difficult times and meeting every fortnight/week on a particular day at a particular place.
For every meet, identify a topic of social interest that can be discussed and debated upon for solutions, eg law and order, traffic, education, health, poverty, inflation, rural, slums, etc. Please try to avoid discussions on politics.
Make sure that every such meet becomes interesting. Ideally a tea party is good, but it should be contributory. Please take care not to serve alcohol or any intoxicants.
Ask the group to invite friends whom they think are inclined towards such topics. Please do not ask the new member to contribute on the first meet, but let him/her know that every such meet is contributory financially.
Once you have a steady group, after 3 or 4 meetings, introduce the concept of SWANS to them and present your SWANS identity.
Invite one of the SWANS from the original group to come and address your group in the next meeting.
Discuss the objective and concept of social credits and the social credit system with them. Show them the SWANS presentation.
Take the leads from the SWANS NEB and identify some good NGOs in the city through the leads.
Take your group to visit these NGOs in the following weeks and discuss the concept of SWANS and Social Credit System with them.
With help of the NGOs and your group, organise a half day workshop for HR managers of various firms. Please organise the workshop under the SWANS banner supported by the NGOs. Try to share the expenses among the group itself.
Taking the list of NGOs and Corporate groups agreeing to the SWANS concept, ask your group members to approach institutions and organisations for a lecture or seminar in each institute or organisation.
Try to keep the seminars on Fridays/Saturdays (last working day) with a following group meet on Sunday to discuss reactions and strategise.
Divide the SWANS in flocks based on their interest areas and send them for volunteer requirement survey to the NGOs working for their interest area.
Identify a project coordinator (NGO representative) for each project that SWANS is going is going to volunteer for in the NGO.
Also identify a flock leader per flock based on your judgement. The flock leader should have leadership qualities.
Form 2 separate flocks – Admin Flock and PR Flock and distribute work among them. All administrative work including ID generation, ID card making, finance handling, etc with Admin Flock, while all communications, presentations, seminars, liaising with corporate and institutions, etc with PR Flock.
Declare any institution/organisation having 5 SWANS as a SWANS NEST.
Send all information to the SWANS NEB at Bhopal to be put up on the Website.
Once you have a group of 50, launch the SWANS LAKE before the media.