Rules of Participation

Chapter Information
Rules of Participation

	Below are the rules governing participation in the training program of the Houston Chapter of Amigos de las Américas . Each Volunteer and his/her parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must abide by these Participation Rules as a condition of participation in the Program.
Application	Each applicant must complete a written application. Completed applications (except for the medical form and letter of reference) must be brought to the interview. At least one parent or legal guardian must be present at the interview. The final deadline for the complete application (i.e. with medical form and letter of reference) is at the first training session in December.
Application Fee	A $150 application fee must accompany each application. The fee: may be waived if a request for scholarship accompanies the written application; and is refundable in full if the Volunteer is not accepted in the Program or withdraws from the Program prior to the first training session in December.
Interview	An interview with some questions in Spanish to determine basic communication skills is required of each applicant who has not previously served as an Amigo.
Approval	The Board of the Houston Chapter (the "Board") must approve each application. Each applicant will be notified of Board action on his/her application by phone followed by a letter.
Payments	The cost of the program is partially paid for through a required Family Participation Payment and the balance through group fundraising (see below). Costs of the program include training, airfare, special chapter events, and the required payments due to International for the summer Latin American program. The Family Participation Payment amounts and payment schedule are described in our Fees and Scholarships web page. Financial assistance and scholarships are available in limited quantity based on need, merit and for implementing the diversity vision of Amigos.
Refunds in Event of Withdrawal	If a Volunteer withdraws or transfers to International's Correspondent Volunteer Program, the refund of the Volunteer's Family Participation Payment will equal the amount paid prior to the date of withdrawal or transfer, minus the sum of: The $150 application fee Amounts expended by the Houston Chapter prior to withdrawal date on behalf of, or as a result of, the acts of the Volunteer that cannot be recovered by the Houston chapter, Expenditures that will be paid subsequent to withdrawal date by the Houston Chapter on behalf of, or as a result of, the acts of the Volunteer and which, at the discretion of the Board, must be paid.
Charges Upon Dismissal for Rule Violation	Any Volunteer dismissed for a rule violation during training forfeits any payments made to the Houston Chapter. International will charge the Houston Chapter an additional fee $500 for each Houston Chapter Volunteer prematurely returned home from the field because of a rule violation. These rules are described in the "Standards of Personal Conduct and Community Behavior" in the Volunteer Application. In addition, the Houston Chapter will be charged for any additional transportation expense incurred. Families of these Volunteers will be required to reimburse the Houston Chapter for payments made by the Houston Chapter as a consequence of such Volunteers' premature return home from the field.
Fundraising	Each Volunteer and their parents/legal guardian must actively participate in the chapter's primary fundraising activity: the letter writing campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise $2500 in contributions per Volunteer. To meet the goal, each Volunteer is responsible for providing names and viable addresses of at least 125 persons to whom he/she will send a letter soliciting support for the Houston Chapter of Amigos in early November. Prospects may include family friends, relatives, neighbors, business associates of the Volunteer's parents, the family doctor or dentist, church, synagogue, or social organization members, etc. Assistance in developing lists of prospects will be provided to Volunteers who are approved to receive financial assistance and anyone else who requests it. Proceeds from the letter writing campaign may not be credited directly to any one individual, per federal laws governing charitable contributions. While the letter writing campaign has traditionally proven to be highly successful for the Houston Chapter, should the chapter goal fail to be reached, other fundraising activities will be added in the spring in which Volunteers and parents will be required to participate. Donors must request refund of fundraising contributions within 30 days of a Volunteer's dismissal or withdrawal.
Training	The Training program is comprised of a series of weekend workshops, overnight retreats and service-learning activities. Training activities are generally held between late October and early June and the calendar of mandatory events is provided with the application.
Language	Completion of one year of high school Spanish and enrollment in the second year, or the equivalent, is required of all Volunteers as is demonstration of sufficient competency in the language to function in an assignment. Failure to demonstrate an effort to meet this competency will be considered grounds for dismissal.
Conduct	The Volunteer must abide by all AMIGOS Standards of Conduct (in training and field settings) as outlined in the Standards of Personal Conduct and Community Behavior signed by all Volunteers and their parent(s)/guardian prior to admission into the training program.
Attendance	The Houston Chapter expects that Volunteers will take responsibility for their own training process. We assume that Volunteers are involved in the training program because they understand that successful completion of the training program will enable them to maximize their safety and promote successful completion of the Latin American Program. Consequently: Houston Chapter AMIGOS Volunteers are required to attend all meetings, weekend workshops, retreats, service learning and other mandatory activities (as specified in the Houston Chapter Training & Events Calendar) during the course of the training year. Volunteers should be on time to all activities. If a Volunteer must miss a training activity for any reason, or must arrive late or leave early, it is the responsibility of the Volunteer to call one of the Training Directors in advance. While all AMIGOS activities are mandatory, we understand that unavoidable conflicts may arise during the year. A Volunteer will be considered tardy if s/he arrives 10 minutes late to a training activity. If a Volunteer is late, his or her parents will be notified. Two tardies will count as one absence. A Volunteer who is absent from any training activity will be required to meet with a Training Director to determine what s/he missed and then work with a Training Director or veteran trainer to determine how best to make up the information covered. If a Volunteer misses two training activities (or has the equivalent number of tardies), the Volunteer and his or her parents/guardian will be asked to appear before one or more members of the Board. Discussion will focus on why attendance has been difficult and determine how to prevent missed training in the future. It is at the discretion of the Board to determine whether Volunteers absent from training will be eligible for the Latin American Program.
Performance Evaluation	Volunteer performance will be assessed periodically by the training staff and notification given in writing should a participant be failing to meet competencies. The Volunteer must by the conclusion of the training program demonstrate competency in the core competencies described in the AMIGOS Volunteer Core Competencies (see section below).
Other Requirements	The Volunteer must submit all paperwork completed accurately and on time. The Volunteer must receive all necessary vaccinations, medications, medical clearances, and mental health clearances before going to Latin America. Further information about these requirements is in the AMIGOS Volunteer Handbook and the Volunteer Application.
Core Competencies	AMIGOS VOLUNTEERS: ARE EMPOWERED YOUNG LEADERS WHO: Organize information and resources Plan, implement, and evaluate projects Make sound decisions Solve problems Are skilled interpersonal communicators Have strong conversational skills in Spanish or Portuguese Appreciate and recognize human diversity Know effective methods for staying safe and healthy in Latin America Advance Community Development at home and abroad ADVANCE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AT HOME AND ABROAD Utilize approaches to education and development that build community Strive for sustainable programs Assess community resources, assets, and opportunities Collaborate with host communities and partner agencies STRENGTHEN MULTI-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING IN THE AMERICAS Are culturally sensitive Understand the process of cultural adjustment Understand the impact of culture Learn through Service LEARN THROUGH SERVICE Understand personal motivation for service Understand the principles of service learning
Dismissal	Volunteers must comply with these Participation Rules. The Board reserves the right to dismiss a Volunteer from the Program at any time if, in the sole discretion of the Board, the Volunteer fails to comply with these Participation Rules. The Board may also dismiss a Volunteer for other reasons in its sole discretion. Examples of grounds for which the Board, in its sole discretion, may dismiss a Volunteer from the Program include, but are not limited to, the following: Missing Amigos functions Payments being in arrears Failure to complete Fundraising activities Engaging in any behavior that may be harmful to the health and safety of the Volunteer or others, or that may be detrimental to the reputation of the Program, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion. A recommendation of dismissal from the training staff following an evaluation of the Volunteer's performance. Failure to comply during Training with Amigos International Standards of Personal Conduct and Community Behavior Last Updated 6 September, 2004