You should also be in touch with your buddy by telephone or written correspondence once a week.

It is okay if you and your buddy do not spend a lot of time on the telephone; the purpose of weekly telephone calls is to let your buddy know that you are thinking about him/her between visits and thus to build your bond of friendship more quickly.

If you have a buddy who does not enjoy speaking on the phone or cannot process information well over the telephone, please buy a pack of interesting notecards or some postcards and enough stamps to carry you through the academic year and send one card on the same day of each week with a short note. Your message can be as simple as, "Hi! Here's a picture of my college. I thought you would enjoy seeing it. Your buddy,..." or, "I've been thinking of you and am looking forward to the next time we see each other on..."

The only time you are not required to keep up with the schedule described above is during your long winter break. You are expected to resume contact with your buddy right after the second semester begins. Please attempt to see your buddy just before and just after your spring break so that there will not be an interruption of your bi-monthly visits during the second semester.

Best Buddies operates on an honor system. Although you may receive occasional reminders from the Host Site Coordinator or your Best Buddies officers, you are expected, as a mature, college student, to meet the responsibilities you agreed to assume in your formal application to participate in Best Buddies. If you find yourself in extenuating circumstances which prevent you either from seeing your buddy or from staying in touch by telephone or mail, it is crucial that you let your buddy, your buddy's staff or family, the NWW Committee Host Site Coordinator and your College Buddy Director know immediately.

The purpose of Best Buddies is to build a mutually rewarding friendship between you and your buddy by sharing enjoyable recreational activities. Your activities together can be as simple as stopping by for a visit and a chat at your buddy's home or inviting your buddy to an event on your campus and then getting a few slices of pizza at your dining hall. As you get to know your buddy better, you'll get a clearer sense of what types of activities you and your buddy both enjoy and which kinds of activities your buddy can and cannot do. You may have a buddy who is vigorous, energetic and socially experienced enough to be able to go with you on the "T" to visit a Boston museum. On the other hand, you may have a buddy whose physical abilities, level of stamina, or shyness make such an outing hard to do. No matter what, you'll find some things that both you and your buddy can enjoy together. If you or your buddy are feeling a bit shy, try planning a get-together with another college buddy/buddy pair. If you need advice on what activities might be fun to do, ask for suggestions from your College Buddy Director, more experienced college buddies, and your buddys' staff or family.

Every time you see your buddy you need to make arrangements as much in advance as possible. Please remember that speaking with your buddy is not enough. Always check with your buddy's staff or family. Your buddy may have other activities scheduled for the same time that you are planning to see him/her, and the staff or family can let you know about these conflicts. In addition, prior arrangements assist staff and relatives to plan ahead and give your buddy sufficient time to budget for activities which cost money. As a courtesy, please be sure to let your buddy (as well as staff or family, whichever is applicable) know about the lengthy winter break and approximately how long you expect to be gone. You can be sure that your buddy will be eagerly awaiting your return in January!

The same communication guidelines as those above apply to group activities and outings planned by your college chapter of Best Buddies.

In addition to one-on-one activities, group outings are part of the Best Buddies experience. Group outings are organized several times each academic year by the Best Buddies officers. Although attendance is not mandatory, most college buddies and buddies find the group outings a good way to develop community spirit and thus make the Best Buddies experience more fulfilling. Group outings can also help individuals who are feeling shy or awkward, whether they be college buddies or buddies, to feel more comfortable.

Group outings should be accessible to all college buddies and buddies. Some buddies may have trouble walking or have other physical disabilities. Outings should be planned with these factors in mind.

Whenever possible, approximately one month's advance notice should be give by the Best Buddies officers for each group outing. This means communicating with all college buddies as well as with the NWW Committee Host Site Coordinator about the up-coming outing. Information about the outing should include the type of activity as well as the date, time and location. As soon as you are informed about a group outing, invite your buddy right away and also inform the designated staff or family member.

Although they are not obliges to assist with transportation, many NWW staff persons and family member will often help get buddies to group outings if they can ­ especially if they have sufficiently advanced notice. Any request for such assistance should be made by college buddies at the time of the initial invitation. Specific travel arrangements should be agreed upon at that time.

As a college buddy you should inform the Best Buddies officers of your intention to attend the group outing with your buddy as soon as possible. In turn, the Best Buddies officers will relay information about which college buddy/buddy pairs are going to participate in a timely fashion to the NWW Committee Host Site Coordinator.

About a week before the group outing please re-confirm your plans with your buddies as well as with the appropriate NWW staff person or designated family member.