My volunteer credo

[iris lilies]

I am asked to do many things in my various volunteer groups. My credo is

Iris does what interests Iris!

* If it doesnt interest Iris, she wont take it on.

* If it is a stupid and unnecessary goal, it is therefore uninteresting to Iris, and she will not take on a role that is responsible for achieving the goal.

Badgering and guilting and fawning ego strokes are not tools that work on Iris. Save your breath. :)

[iris lilies]

So, yeah.

A plant society that shall remain unnamed has a Big Giant project of inventorying, digging, labeling, and selling 2,000 plants each year. The plants come out of beds at the Missouri Botanical Garden. In the past I have been involved on the fringes. I work a shift or two at the actual sale because I enjoy it (see #1 above) and I am good at it because I grow a lot of these plants.

But everyone in the society is getting old. The chief project head has resigned from the inventory/dig/etc group and there are very few to takes this on. Someone has volunteered to head the “committee” and that is fine, but of course now
I am being asked to contribute hands on. To make this difficult, only a few select people are allowed to inventory and dig at Mo Bot Gardens. This is not enoigh of an ego stroke to get me on board.

I guess I will contribute a couple of mornings to inventorying, but I am cranky about it and am deeply skeptical that this project will succeed in subsequent years. The assembly line for this project is extremely complex.

meanwhile, today I walked into a meeting of another group and walked out as the new treasurer. It is A tiny group with a small treasury and only ten checks a year go out. Easy-peasy and a little bit fun.

[catherine]

Yeah, it's tough holding the line on volunteering! You are so right to do it on the basis of, "Am I going to still enjoy doing this once I'm in the thick of it?"

There are tons of opportunities, though. And plenty of people of people willing to entice you with those ego strokes.

The Master Gardener is a great example of that. It's a wonderful opportunity, don't get me wrong. But they tease you with this highfalutin' title of Master Gardener--one of my fellow interns said they should call it the "Know-Nothing gardeners" or "Amateur-Hour Gardeners". But, hey, after 75 hours of classroom work and 60 volunteer hours, you get to call yourself a Master Gardener. I bought it, hook line and sinker. You just better hope you don't get me when you call the help line.

[iris lilies]

I tried my hand at seducing a Master Gardener in the Missouri
botanical Gardens recently, tried to lure her away to our Park
conservancy work.

we are always trying to poach the good volunteers! “We” meaning whichever organization
I am representing at the time!

Random:
Recently DH and I ponied up big bucks, $175 each, for a cocktail party fundraiser for my favorite park that is not my neighborhood park. Anyway, the board members were circulating thru the attendees, and I saw their eyes light up when we talked about DH’S horticulture education and my iris and lily obsession.

But I was onto them! I cut them off at the pass saying that we enjoy the park and this party but we are full up on volunteer opportunities.

[Williamsmith]

My volunteer credo is “Just Say No.” Not too original but it works.

[SteveinMN]

I tried my hand at seducing a Master Gardener in the Missouri
botanical Gardens recently
:0! :0! :0!


tried to lure her away to our Park
conservancy work.
Oh. Never mind.


But I was onto them! I cut them off at the pass saying that we enjoy the park and this party but we are full up on volunteer opportunities.
It's the way you've got to do it -- especially now that you're retired and most people seem to think you have nothing but time on your hands.

DW and I have had to grow some calluses in the realm of donation. There are too many worthy places to spend money and energy; you have to draw the line someplace and supporting work you enjoy and find worthwhile seems like a valid place to put it. I've said 'no' to very worthwhile opportunities because they came with a dose of drama that I didn't need to add to my life. I've said 'yes' to other opportunities with the stated proviso going in that I will not get sucked into the "our-organization-is-dying-and-someone-has-to-do-<fill in the blank job>" vortex. I will leave the organization before I let my joy in it get killed that way.

Stick to your credo, IL! People will try to chip away at it. But you have to control the access.

[iris lilies]

yep, the “our organization is dying” vortex is pretty steong.

lots of dying organizations, lots of activites ending due to lack of leadership.

So be it. Humans will find or invent other activites to take ip their time.

[pinkytoe]

I would think one would be hard-pressed to find many younger folk who would be interested in growing and showing irises. Lots of things like that though that seem to be disappearing. My belief since I retired is that I'm not going to do anything voluntary that I don't remotely enjoy doing.

[flowerseverywhere]

I love this. I do a ton of quilting and teaching, and organize a lot of charity/theaching/fun days. That does not make me a good candidate for President, Treasurer, quilt show organizer and so on. But I will be a supporter and good worker bee.

I love to teach, I love to sew and quilt and the things people ask me to do would not be enjoyable or productive for me or anyone.

[razz]

I did the Master Gardener route and discovered that it was a "I know nothing" discovery process. Love that, Cath. I enjoyed the course and visiting with other gardeners at plant sales because I focused on 'native plants'. After three years, I realized that it was more a social than a service group and bowed out
I belonged to a hort society that was really struggling so agreed to be a director for one year. The meetings were somewhat chaotic but one meeting, i heard one person describing her holidays, another her uncles's operation, another his visit to a garden centre, another complaining about something else, all as the chair was talking. Meetings that should have taken one hour took 2.5-3 hours. I reviewed the structure of the society, the director's role in the handbook I had received and brought a proposal based on the role of the director with prior notice to secretary to include time on the agenda. The chair announced that the society was a social group and the meeting did not need to follow the director's handbook model. I advised that I was not a good fit for the society and left. Never been back. It is still floundering very sadly.

I now only volunteer with a clear role and expectations of both the volunteer and the organization outlined and followed.

[iris lilies]

I did the Master Gardener route and discovered that it was a "I know nothing" discovery process. Love that, Cath. I enjoyed the course and visiting with other gardeners at plant sales because I focused on 'native plants'. After three years, I realized that it was more a social than a service group and bowed out
I belonged to a hort society that was really struggling so agreed to be a director for one year. The meetings were somewhat chaotic but one meeting, i heard one person describing her holidays, another her uncles's operation, another his visit to a garden centre, another complaining about something else, all as the chair was talking. Meetings that should have taken one hour took 2.5-3 hours. I reviewed the structure of the society, the director's role in the handbook I had received and brought a proposal based on the role of the director with prior notice to secretary to include time on the agenda. The chair announced that the society was a social group and the meeting did not need to follow the director's handbook model. I advised that I was not a good fit for the society and left. Never been back. It is still floundering very sadly.

I now only volunteer with a clear role and expectations of both the volunteer and the organization outlined and followed.
Clear expectations, I hear ya.

And the long meetings. Our lily society board meetings always took 3+ hours. We covered the same topics ober and over.

My friend is recruiting me for President of the othe rplant society. I told her before
i would even consider that role, I want to see the bylaws of the organization. I want to see what dictates the events and programs of our society. I amalso s Mehwat worried about “the founder syndrome” where the 30+ year executive “retires” but soesnt really reitre.It happened in our lily society and I always joked with the President about “the shadow president, the teue President” because he never really let go of the reigns. We folded two years after his death.


Also, I am sick and tired of organizations that operate outside of bylaws (they are outdated and no one ever updated them to reflect actual operations.) I wont take on another role of Boardor leadership without perusing the bylaws document. I have revised two set of bylaws and am currently working on a third.

[iris lilies]

I write a lot about organizations I am active in! I guess that is because its my life! And, I cant complain about family members because I dont really have any here other than DH.

[SteveinMN]

Also, I am sick and tired of organizations that operate outside of bylaws (they are outdated and no one ever updated them to reflect actual operations.) I wont take on another role of Boardor leadership without perusing the bylaws document. I have revised two set of bylaws and am currently working on a third.
My most recent board commitment before this year featured a combination of “the founder syndrome” and a set of bylaws that were incomplete when they were adopted 40 years earlier. That was my education... The "founder" pretty much kept any update from happening and the rest of the board wasn't strong enough to overrule him. I left. Much happier that way. I don't know if they are or not.

[Gardenarian]

Good for you IL!

I am being badgered to run for office and am fed up with it. Just because I'm retired doesn't mean I want to give my life to administrating.

Anyhow, I have an anarchist streak - I don't want to be the man, I want to bring him down :)

[Sad Eyed Lady]

I am being very cautious when it comes to volunteering these days. I used to get involved in so many things and then I would end up being stuck forever it seemed because no one else wanted to do it. I don't mind "helping out" or doing something on a limited time basis, but I'm not getting into long term commitment again. Some good friends organized an arts guild a few years ago, and this year saw it really come into it's full scope - getting their building (donated) completed, classes going etc. I am a big supporter of this organization and one of the members asked me the other day "why aren't you in the arts guild?". I thought about this question a day or so, and the answer that came to me is when I get in something I can never get out! That has made me shy away from committing to things.

[JaneV2.0]

I've learned to avoid volunteering. I'm fine with working a library book sale or a quilt show--something with a beginning and end, but I'm not signing up for anything open-ended. I'm done with having to show up somewhere on a regular basis.

[nswef]

Me, too, Jane. I only do one volunteer activity that is scheduled- Tuesdays during the school year from 9:30-1:00. I love it having small groups in a reading room at the local elementary school. I get my kid fix (retired teacher) but no responsibility beyond the time I am there.

[iris lilies]

I am being very cautious when it comes to volunteering these days. I used to get involved in so many things and then I would end up being stuck forever it seemed because no one else wanted to do it. I don't mind "helping out" or doing something on a limited time basis, but I'm not getting into long term commitment again. Some good friends organized an arts guild a few years ago, and this year saw it really come into it's full scope - getting their building (donated) completed, classes going etc. I am a big supporter of this organization and one of the members asked me the other day "why aren't you in the arts guild?". I thought about this question a day or so, and the answer that came to me is when I get in something I can never get out! That has made me shy away from committing to things.

ut see, here is the thing about “being stuck forever”—you really aren’t!

I am a firm believer in people stepping out of their volunteer job without a succession plan and person if that is necessary. Sometimes it means real trouble for the organization from which it may or may not recover. But if it doesnt recover, perhaps the organization doesnt need to exist or doesnt need that activity.

In my neighborhood organization I see too many people who are doing a half assed job, they probably want out, but they dont step down. There is no room for someone to step into a role if it is still occupied.