Tour eligibility:
- Unless the tour has designated something different, volunteers who have accumulated 50 VOLUNTEER SERVICE hours, with 12 of those hours in the past 6 months, can attend most educational tours (General Rule of Thumb). Some educational tours will require 250 or 500+ accumulated service hours. Educational Hours and Administrative Hours do not count towards tour eligibility.
- Attendance/Participation for Tours and other learning opportunities earn Educational Hours in your file. All hours (educational, volunteer, and administrative) accumulate towards your awards for AMBIEs.
- Hours and eligibility guidelines will differ for each tour. You must read the Tour Information Page for specific guidelines.
- You can sign up for as many tours as you would like annually – we do ask that if you signed up for more than 4 in the past year at the calendar opening date/time, you wait 24 hours to sign up after the calendar opening date/time.
- If there are seats available on any tour 1 week prior to the tour date, any GSA can sign up to attend with no restrictions. There will not be an announcement – mark your calendar.
- Prior to attending any tour, before you leave the house, please review the tour’s information page. This is where any updates will be posted. Also, be sure to check your email!
Signups:
- Please try not to cancel your attendance for a tour during the 24 hours before the start time of the tour. Tour hosts have prepared their presentations or even food/drinks with a certain expected number. We want to honor and respect their time. Of course, we understand that emergencies and conflicts may happen. If you do need to cancel within 24 hours prior, please DO NOT remove your name from the tour. Instead, email GSA staff, and we will remove your name and fill your seat with someone from the waitlist.
- Waitlist: Please email GSA staff if the tour is full and you would like to be added to the waitlist. However, the sign-ups are still first-come, first-serve. If GSA staff sees an opening, they will do their best to accommodate the waitlist – no guarantees. Please also pay attention to the sign-ups.
Uniform Requirements:
- Standard GSA uniform applies, unless the information page says otherwise.
- Wear comfortable shoes/sneakers/sandals
- No high heels
- Be aware of specific footwear policies for the tour
- Non-logo’d hats are acceptable where appropriate. GSA hats are preferred. Hats with other state/team logos are not acceptable.
- No pocketbooks/purses are allowed. Again, you are on duty. If you wouldn’t wear a purse at your job, please don’t wear it on tour. We have provided you with a neck wallet to carry your belongings.
- Fanny-packs or small, no-hands wallets and wallet-style bags are allowed (approximately 6” x 4” in size is maximum).
- GSA neck-wallets are allowed and encouraged.
- Small cinch backpacks may be allowed on some tours. If they are, it will be posted on the tour information page.
- Coats: If we are outside all day on a cold day, we understand that you might need a coat. If you have any green outer layers or darker colors, those are always preferred.
Tour Policies:
- Plan to arrive at the time we designate. Early arrivals cause additional stress for our hosts. Like us, they want to give you their full attention, but typically they are busy setting up to ensure you have the best learning experience possible with them.
- Phones: Unless you are taking a picture, phones are not allowed on tours. If you receive a phone call or text message that requires immediate attention, please step aside from the group to address it. Our tour organizers deserve our full, undivided attention at all times.
- It is expected that everyone will stay for the duration of the tour, even if it runs late. If the tour is one stop or 4 stops, participants are expected to participate in every stop (unless otherwise specified). While emergencies certainly arise, please plan accordingly for the full duration of the tour.
- Sending an email thank you note and providing feedback about your experience after the tour is expected. This policy also applies to virtual presentations. These notes not only show gratitude to our host but also demonstrate the word-of-mouth marketing our GSAs provide throughout the state. GSAs who provide feedback with an emailed thank you note and also CC Emily will receive an extra ‘educational’ hour.
- If something is not to your liking or you have a controversial comment, please don’t call attention to it during the tour. Voice any concerns to the GSA staff person leading the group after.