Department Annual Picnic

This is an off campus catered event that the Department hosts every year for students and faculty to have an opportunity to interact with each other on a different setting. The takes place 2nd Sunday in September, after comprehensive and qualifying exams. Date determined by Chair. Make reservation with Green Lakes for the following year as soon as possible after the picnic. Reservation should be done 11 months prior to guarantee availability. Event is from 11 AM – 3 PM. Food is served at 12. Admin. Assistant usually stays there from 11AM – 3:30 PM to oversee the catering, general logistics and that place is cleaned up. Guests are welcome to stay longer if they wish as long as they clean up after themselves.

• To make the reservation contact Susan at Green Lakes Susan.Lady-Dolloff@parks.ny.gov and inform her of the dates. She will provide all the necessary forms to fill out. They are self-explanatory. Pay the reservation fee of $300 via procard and submit all forms the above email address. Susan will send a receipt for payment of the shelter.
•  Closer to the date, request a Certificate of Liability Insurance from the catering company and submit to Green Lakes before the picnic
• See if you can get a committee to take care of Games – Patty Whitmore, Ryan Fisher and Prof. Walter freeman are past year organizers.
• In the past there has been a nature walk lead by Earth Sciences or Physics faculty member
•  Rides to and from (use GSO and SPS). Email the SPS and GSO leaders to get confirmation of their commitment to organize rides to and from Green Lakes
•  Ice cream making (SPS)- Email the SPS leaders to get confirmation of their commitment to make the ice cream for the picnic. Student will buy supplies. They also coordinate the necessary gas supply with lab manager. They will submit expense voucher for reimbursement (unless this policy changes)
• Food for the picnic – Catered by outside vendor
• Past Caterers have been ‘Carnegie Catering’ (2012, 13, 14 I think), ‘Bull & Bear’ (2015 and 2016 – less expensive) and Smoke Inc BBQ
•  Contact caterer in late June and create and submit menu.
•  If coffee does not fit in the budget with the caterer, get the coffee from Dunkin Donuts (order ahead of time and pickup)
•  Get estimate from Caterer and have it approved by the Chair
• Use procard to pay deposit and final payment after the picnic or as arranged with caterer.
• Ask for take home containers for leftovers
• After the event, take a moment to see what food went fast, what went slow, and make note of changes for next year. The notes are located on the Administrative Assistant drawer (Events folders)
•  Admin. Assistant stays until food is cleared up – all leftovers distributed and no food left.