Each year thousands of people across the nation raise awareness and support women and breast cancer research  throughout the month of October by wearing pink, donating their time and money to breast cancer foundations, or participating in fundraising events. It goes without saying (but I am going to say it anyway), that I am proud to be part of a nation that values supporting one another and raising awareness for such important causes!

With October behind us, now it’s time to show our support for MEN! Our team at Baudville has joined with thousands of men (and women) all around the world by participating in the celebration of MOVEMBER!  What is Movember (pronounced MO-vember), you ask? Read an excerpt from the source below for more details or check out www.MOVEMBER.com

"During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo's, these men raise vital awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives. Men start Movember 1st clean shaven. For the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health."

So it’s pretty easy to see how men can get involved in this campaign to raise awareness for men’s health, but how do the ladies make a difference? With their support! The Mo Sistas pledge to support the Mo Bros throughout all of Movember – after all, growing that moustache can be hard work! 

Here’s how we’re sprouting ‘staches, and supporting the cause at Baudville:

- Each man participating came clean-shaven on Movember 1st with a donation of $5.
- Men who were already blessed with a hairy face could commit to not shaving for 30 days with a $10 donation.
- Men, women, and anyone else who wanted to support the cause, came ready to acknowledge a man in their life or support a Baudville ‘stache participant with a $10 donation.
- Baudville will match all employee donations, with all proceeds going to a local cancer-focused charitable organization.

All participants received 5 (that’s one whole work week around here!) casual days  to be used in the month of Movember.  Every Friday in Movember we will hold a fun activity – and photo op to gauge our facial progress – check out our Facebook page  for more! Our grand finale will be held on November 30th. Cash and prizes will go to participants and supporters alike – although super extra-credit will go to Baudville’s best and worst moustaches!

Our committed team of stache-ers, raising some CASH and making a difference in the future of men’s health. Fellas, may the ‘stache be with you…

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As the Human Resources Manager at Baudville, I have the privilege of leading our Spirit Team which is a group of employees from different departments who plan our company events. And we have a lot of events! Our annual picnic is what employees really look forward to in the summer. We hold it in the evening at a local venue, like the zoo or baseball park, and employees can bring their families. We provide dinner, entertainment, games, and prizes – of course we have to have prizes! But an event like this doesn’t come together over night! Our Spirit Team puts in lots of hours planning and preparing to make the event success. We want your event to be great, too, so I’m going to share six my tips for planning a summer event that you can use in your organization.

#1 Work with a Team
When it comes to planning events, the most important tip is to work with a team! An event requires a lot of work - it can be overwhelming for one person! Recruit a team of employees who are enthusiastic about events. You can share the workload, generate more ideas, and have more fun in the planning process, too! Remember to recognize your team throughout the event planning process. Express your appreciation by writing a thank you note and leaving it at their desk, or posting a Shout Out in their honor.

#2 Encourage Early Registration
In order to have a good turnout at your event, be sure to share the date, time, and place far in advance.  Mention the date of the event at a meeting and follow up with an email to everyone so they have a record of the information. Then, it’s never too early to start taking RSVPs. We send out an email to the entire company more than a month in advance that clearly states the details of the event and extends an invitation to their family. Be sure to give a deadline for your RSVP. Having a clear idea of how many people are attending will make it easier for you to plan for food, seating, and prizes.

#3 Bring an Event Tool Kit
Whenever we host an event at an off-site location, I bring a tool kit with me that’s stocked full of items that may come in handy in an event emergency! In our kit, we have pens, tape, stapler, scissors, string, band aids, etc. This kit has come in handy more than once! The other item that has helped my events stay on track is an Event Check List. We’ve created this one and made it available for free download in our Recognition Resource Center. It lists every detail and item you could possibly need to consider for your event, and helps you keep on track!

#4 Prepare for Weather
Sometimes the summer weather doesn’t cooperate with our event schedule! You should always be ready for the weather which could mean having a back up location or alternate date. You may simply need to have the right supplies on hand. Bring umbrellas for every attendee so they can stay dry in chance of rain, or a cup for water if the weather is hot.

#5 Create Name Badges for All Attendees
Because employees bring their families to our summer picnic, there are often a lot of unfamiliar faces walking around. To make everyone feel more comfortable and the event a little friendlier, we create name badges for every attendee. We usually create adhesive name badges for our guests to wear. The name badges attach easily to clothing, stay out of the way, and make the individual’s name visible. You can also use custom or themed lanyards for your event or use one of our theme lanyards and display a name badge in a badge holder.

#6 Have Fun!
After all your hard work, the event is finally here! It’s time to take a deep breath…and enjoy! Give your team public recognition at the event, so all the guests can express their appreciation through applause and cheers. Finally, take time to appreciate everything that went into making the event great and pay attention to what your guests like the most so you can do it again next year!

Now that I’ve shared my six tips for planning a great summer event, I hope you’re ready to hit the ground running! If you would like more ideas, visit our Recognition Resource Center and download the Summer Team Events eBook. It has lots of suggestions and creative event ideas you can use with your team this summer.

Have a great summer!

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Cindy is the Human Resources Manager at Baudville and has over 14 years HR experience. In addition to her HR Generalist duties, she’s the center of positive mojo for the company and heads up many of our recognition initiatives, events and awards. In other words, she’s got it going on! Follow Cindy on Twitter @CindyGilmanPHR for HR updates from the place for daily recognition!

At Baudville, we talk a lot about teamwork, and we help businesses promote it through our more than 20 teamwork-related themes. Being the person who writes many of these sentiments, I have to admit that, at times, I view it so much as a philosophy that I forget what it means to actually experience it in the physical form. Cooperation, unity, collaboration, and synergy are all words we toss around; but what do they really mean?

Well, last Friday I had the privilege of witnessing and participating in the very definition of these words. The project was organized and funded by a non-profit called KaBoom, and benefitted D.A. Blodgett’s St. John’s Home—a local agency that provides a wealth of support services and resources to children and families in need in our community.

It was amazing. Somehow, in less than six hours, our group of more than 250 volunteers built an entire playground for the children who live on the St. John’s Home Campus; plus several picnic tables, a few benches with planters, and a set of bleachers for the ball field.

Seeing it all in action reminded me of where the inspiration comes from for some of our most popular teamwork-themed stories. For instance, Together Everyone Achieves More:  

Working together, everyone contributes a signature strength...
The day started by forming teams. There were about 10 teams, each assigned to a part of the project: mixing concrete, tightening bolts, shoveling mulch, sawing planks, and lifting and positioning the structure, one piece at a time. Within each team, we all fell into our natural roles—doing what we do best.   

Our collaboration allows us to achieve amazing results…
Within a few hours, the playground started to take form. In fact, we were so efficient in our team collaborations that we were not only ahead of schedule, some of us actually worked ourselves out of something to do. So we regrouped and took breaks in shifts, and by the time lunch was over, we were ready to put the finishing touches on the project. We performed safety checks, cleaned up the site, and, finally, stepped back to see what we made.

…making us more successful than we could ever imagine!
Joined by community leaders, volunteers, and heads of the contributing organizations, we all gathered ‘round to cut the ribbon—not your ordinary ribbon, by the way; but one created and decorated by the children who this playground was built for. What a great reminder of the reason we were all there that day!

Being a part of something this big that was such a big success was pretty inspiring. My thanks and admiration go out to KaBoom, who have built more than 2000 playgrounds just like this all over the North America, and D.A. Blodgett - St. John’s Home for making an incredible difference in the lives of so many people in my community. Truly, together everyone achieves more!

You can read more about and see a lot more photos of this wonderful project here.


Do you have a teambuilding or volunteer event you'd like to share? Tell us about it!  

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Allison is a self-proclaimed Copywriting Diva and has the certificate to prove it! She’s been writing for Baudville for three years and has worked in a variety of business settings for more than 18 years. Before becoming a professional writer 11 years ago, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer in Michigan, and many of us enjoyed the warm weather last weekend doing summer activities: boating, swimming, visiting the beach, and anything else outside. After five months of cold, wintery weather, Michiganders love to be outside!

I especially love to be outside in the summer, so sitting in the office on those beautiful days can be tough. But I also love the chance to participate in the many summer team events Baudville plans. Whether it’s a short tournament of backyard games over a lunch break or an evening at the ballpark, summer is a great opportunity for team building.

Last year, we asked our customers how they keep their teams engaged during the summer months. We received a lot of great ideas, which we compiled into the Summer Team Events eBook. Download the eBook for activities, outings, competitions, and more you can do as a team. 

One of my favorite customer suggestions last year was having a regular fun activity. You can create a calendar for the entire summer and plan activities and events for your team. Share your schedule with the team, and listen for the excitement to start. Anticipation will build for your different team building events, and employees will want to come to work during the summer months just to participate.

You can start today! Did you know that June First is National Doughnut Day? Surprise your team with a doughnut treat this morning - or even this afternoon!

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.