Post by Forum Administrator on May 6, 2008 8:06:55 GMT -5
You may have noticed that several people on this forum have the words "Holistic Ferret Mentor" below their name (which is in green). I bet you are wondering "What the heck is a Holistic Ferret Mentor?"
Below is some info on our Holistic Ferret Mentor Program.
This program is designed to give you an interactive experience when visiting Holistic Ferrets. Our program pairs you up one-on-one with a ‘natural diet mentor!’ Your mentor has experience with switching ferrets to a natural diet. Someone you can call or email if you have questions. A REAL person to talk to if things get rough or frustrating during the diet switch (and beyond).
You will be coached by the creator of Holistic Ferrets as you prepare for your ferret’s diet change and up through your first week. After your first week, you will be evaluated and placed with a permanent mentor that is a good match for you. For example, if you have a ferret that is not transitioning well to the diet, you will be paired with a mentor who has dealt with switching difficult ferrets. If you have an insulinomic ferret, you will be paired with a mentor that has experience switching insulinomic ferrets. Get the idea?
Once you are assigned a mentor, you will be given their name, a brief summary of their ferret/natural diet experience, their email address, and their phone number (privately). We encourage you to exchange whatever contact info you feel comfortable doing with your mentor as well (please do so via PM or email, NOT publically on the forum).
You will start a thread in the "Holistic Ferret Mentor" Section of the forum where you and your mentor will post back and forth in regards to your ferret's diet transition, until your ferrets make the switch and you are deemed fit to "graduate. For more info on what a "switching thread" is, check out "How Do I Sign Up?" below.
For as long as it takes to sucessfully switch your ferret to a natural diet, you will be in the "Holistic Ferret Mentor Program". Once you have sucessfully put your ferret onto a natural diet, and had your "weekly feeding schedule" reviewed by your mentor and the HF Admin, you will "graduate" from the program. However, this does not mean that you can no longer contact your mentor, in fact we would prefer that you keep in touch.
Once you "graduate" from the mentor program, your switching thread is moved here ( holisticferret.proboards80.com/index.cgi?board=newbiearchive) to the "Newbie Switch Archive".
Because you will no longer have regular access to your switching thread, that means you will post all natural diet-related questions in the OTHER sections of the Nutrition are ("raw", "Whole Prey", and general feeding questions)
At 3, 6, 9, and 12 months "post-switch" you will recieve evaluation forms to fill out. These are to check in with you to ensure that all is going well with your ferret's diet, and to see if you have any questions regarding their diet specifically.
1.) You must be in the process of switching your ferret to a natural diet (or your ferret must already be on a natural diet). This program is designed to help you switch and to help you keep your ferrets on a natural diet. The program is not designed to help you decide IF you want to change your ferret’s diet, that is what the rest of the website is for.
2.) If you sign up for the mentor program you MUST follow the rules at the bottom of your "preliminary questionarre" that you filled out. PLEASE REGULARLY POST IN YOUR SWITCHING THREAD, if you do not do so, your thread will be deleted. Please make sure you are ready and serious before starting a thread in the HF Mentor Program Area. We are more then happy to help, but only if you are ready to make the commitment of keeping us posted on the progress of your ferrets!
If things are going fine with your ferret and the diet change, then post to let your mentor know! These people volunteer their time to mentor, they are not paid, please be courteous and keep them posted on your progress.
3.) Upon completing program, you must complete a survey on your mentor. This helps Holistic Ferret to evaluate our mentors. These mentors carry the name and reputation of Holistic Ferret and must peform up to our expectations. Also, by reviewing your mentor experience you help us to gather the needed info to select our “Holistic Ferret Mentor of The Year.” This survey will be PMed to you and you will need to fill it out and PM it back to the Holistic Ferret Creator, Giuliana.
How Do I Sign Up?
All you have to do is sign up for the program. To do so, simply go to the link below:
holisticferret.proboards80.com/index.cgi?board=newbie
and fill out one of these forms:
holisticferret.proboards80.com/index.cgi?board=newbie&action=display&thread=822
Start a new thread in the "Holistic Ferret Mentor Program" section and paste your completed form into your first post. Then wait. The HF creator will review your information and get you started on the switch to a natural diet. In the mean time, feel free to check out all the other newbies that are in the process of switching their ferrets to a natural diet. Their "switching threads" can be found in the same section that you posted YOUR thread. See! You aren't alone!
Yes! The program is entirely free.
While the program is technically free, we recommend that you at least send your mentor a thank you card upon completing the program. These mentors do not get paid, so receiving even a small gift such as a card, really makes a difference to them. If you would like to send your mentor a larger gift (and this is by NO means necessary), please contact the Holistic Ferret’s creator to receive your mentors mailing address.
To become a mentor, you must meet the following qualifications:
1.) You must have been feeding a natural diet for at least 6 months.
2.) You must be willing and able to assist several ‘newbies’ who are transitioning their ferrets to a natural diet.
3.) You must be able to commit to this program for AT LEAST 6 months.
4.) You must fill out an application and be approved.
5.) You must read the training manual and info packet on mentoring.
6.) You must contact the creator of Holistic Ferret every other week to update her on your client’s progress
7.) You must be an active member of the Holistic Ferret Forum (Being an active member of the yahoo! Group, NaturalFerrets, is preferred, but not required)
Holistic Ferret Mentors are NOT paid, however if you volunteer for our mentor program you will receive:
1.) The satisfaction of knowing that you are helping all kinds of people switch their ferrets to a better diet.
2.) If you have been a GOOD mentor for 1 year you will receive a really nifty care package from the creator of Holistic Ferrets. This package includes:
* A $20 gift certificate to rodent pro (or the raw provider of your choice)
* A Holistic Ferret T-shirt, Hoodie, or Sweatshirt
* A handwritten, personalized thank you note from the creator of HF
* A framed, decorated piece of paper that lists the names of all the ferrets that you have helped to switch to a natural diet in the last year.
* One handmade bedding item (hammy, sleepsack, round bed, or hanging cube)
* A special surprise from the owners you have helped
* A chance to become the Holistic Ferret Mentor of the Year
(An honor that brings):
* A $100 gift certificate to rodent pro
* A personalized “Ferret Mentor of the Year” Holistic Ferret t-shirt, hoodie, or sweatshirt.
* A plaque that says “Holistic Ferret Mentor of the Year” and engraved with the names of all the ferrets you have helped to switch to a natural diet in the past year
* One deluxe handmade bedding SET (Floor Mats, Ramp Covers, Hammock, Hanging Cube, Sleep Sack, and Round Bed) for ONE ferret cage.
* A handwritten personalized thank you note from the creator of Holistic Ferret.
* A special surprise from the owners you have helped
Below is some info on our Holistic Ferret Mentor Program.
The Holistic Ferret Mentor Program
What is It?
This program is designed to give you an interactive experience when visiting Holistic Ferrets. Our program pairs you up one-on-one with a ‘natural diet mentor!’ Your mentor has experience with switching ferrets to a natural diet. Someone you can call or email if you have questions. A REAL person to talk to if things get rough or frustrating during the diet switch (and beyond).
You will be coached by the creator of Holistic Ferrets as you prepare for your ferret’s diet change and up through your first week. After your first week, you will be evaluated and placed with a permanent mentor that is a good match for you. For example, if you have a ferret that is not transitioning well to the diet, you will be paired with a mentor who has dealt with switching difficult ferrets. If you have an insulinomic ferret, you will be paired with a mentor that has experience switching insulinomic ferrets. Get the idea?
Once you are assigned a mentor, you will be given their name, a brief summary of their ferret/natural diet experience, their email address, and their phone number (privately). We encourage you to exchange whatever contact info you feel comfortable doing with your mentor as well (please do so via PM or email, NOT publically on the forum).
You will start a thread in the "Holistic Ferret Mentor" Section of the forum where you and your mentor will post back and forth in regards to your ferret's diet transition, until your ferrets make the switch and you are deemed fit to "graduate. For more info on what a "switching thread" is, check out "How Do I Sign Up?" below.
For as long as it takes to sucessfully switch your ferret to a natural diet, you will be in the "Holistic Ferret Mentor Program". Once you have sucessfully put your ferret onto a natural diet, and had your "weekly feeding schedule" reviewed by your mentor and the HF Admin, you will "graduate" from the program. However, this does not mean that you can no longer contact your mentor, in fact we would prefer that you keep in touch.
Once you "graduate" from the mentor program, your switching thread is moved here ( holisticferret.proboards80.com/index.cgi?board=newbiearchive) to the "Newbie Switch Archive".
Because you will no longer have regular access to your switching thread, that means you will post all natural diet-related questions in the OTHER sections of the Nutrition are ("raw", "Whole Prey", and general feeding questions)
At 3, 6, 9, and 12 months "post-switch" you will recieve evaluation forms to fill out. These are to check in with you to ensure that all is going well with your ferret's diet, and to see if you have any questions regarding their diet specifically.
What Are the Rules?
1.) You must be in the process of switching your ferret to a natural diet (or your ferret must already be on a natural diet). This program is designed to help you switch and to help you keep your ferrets on a natural diet. The program is not designed to help you decide IF you want to change your ferret’s diet, that is what the rest of the website is for.
2.) If you sign up for the mentor program you MUST follow the rules at the bottom of your "preliminary questionarre" that you filled out. PLEASE REGULARLY POST IN YOUR SWITCHING THREAD, if you do not do so, your thread will be deleted. Please make sure you are ready and serious before starting a thread in the HF Mentor Program Area. We are more then happy to help, but only if you are ready to make the commitment of keeping us posted on the progress of your ferrets!
If things are going fine with your ferret and the diet change, then post to let your mentor know! These people volunteer their time to mentor, they are not paid, please be courteous and keep them posted on your progress.
3.) Upon completing program, you must complete a survey on your mentor. This helps Holistic Ferret to evaluate our mentors. These mentors carry the name and reputation of Holistic Ferret and must peform up to our expectations. Also, by reviewing your mentor experience you help us to gather the needed info to select our “Holistic Ferret Mentor of The Year.” This survey will be PMed to you and you will need to fill it out and PM it back to the Holistic Ferret Creator, Giuliana.
How Do I Sign Up?
All you have to do is sign up for the program. To do so, simply go to the link below:
holisticferret.proboards80.com/index.cgi?board=newbie
and fill out one of these forms:
holisticferret.proboards80.com/index.cgi?board=newbie&action=display&thread=822
Start a new thread in the "Holistic Ferret Mentor Program" section and paste your completed form into your first post. Then wait. The HF creator will review your information and get you started on the switch to a natural diet. In the mean time, feel free to check out all the other newbies that are in the process of switching their ferrets to a natural diet. Their "switching threads" can be found in the same section that you posted YOUR thread. See! You aren't alone!
Is it Free?
Yes! The program is entirely free.
While the program is technically free, we recommend that you at least send your mentor a thank you card upon completing the program. These mentors do not get paid, so receiving even a small gift such as a card, really makes a difference to them. If you would like to send your mentor a larger gift (and this is by NO means necessary), please contact the Holistic Ferret’s creator to receive your mentors mailing address.
How Do I Become A Mentor?
To become a mentor, you must meet the following qualifications:
1.) You must have been feeding a natural diet for at least 6 months.
2.) You must be willing and able to assist several ‘newbies’ who are transitioning their ferrets to a natural diet.
3.) You must be able to commit to this program for AT LEAST 6 months.
4.) You must fill out an application and be approved.
5.) You must read the training manual and info packet on mentoring.
6.) You must contact the creator of Holistic Ferret every other week to update her on your client’s progress
7.) You must be an active member of the Holistic Ferret Forum (Being an active member of the yahoo! Group, NaturalFerrets, is preferred, but not required)
What Will I Receive For Being A Mentor?
Holistic Ferret Mentors are NOT paid, however if you volunteer for our mentor program you will receive:
1.) The satisfaction of knowing that you are helping all kinds of people switch their ferrets to a better diet.
2.) If you have been a GOOD mentor for 1 year you will receive a really nifty care package from the creator of Holistic Ferrets. This package includes:
* A $20 gift certificate to rodent pro (or the raw provider of your choice)
* A Holistic Ferret T-shirt, Hoodie, or Sweatshirt
* A handwritten, personalized thank you note from the creator of HF
* A framed, decorated piece of paper that lists the names of all the ferrets that you have helped to switch to a natural diet in the last year.
* One handmade bedding item (hammy, sleepsack, round bed, or hanging cube)
* A special surprise from the owners you have helped
* A chance to become the Holistic Ferret Mentor of the Year
(An honor that brings):
* A $100 gift certificate to rodent pro
* A personalized “Ferret Mentor of the Year” Holistic Ferret t-shirt, hoodie, or sweatshirt.
* A plaque that says “Holistic Ferret Mentor of the Year” and engraved with the names of all the ferrets you have helped to switch to a natural diet in the past year
* One deluxe handmade bedding SET (Floor Mats, Ramp Covers, Hammock, Hanging Cube, Sleep Sack, and Round Bed) for ONE ferret cage.
* A handwritten personalized thank you note from the creator of Holistic Ferret.
* A special surprise from the owners you have helped