This is a bulletin series that I've hesitated to write because it is complex. Yet, it needs to be said. So, from the experience of 75 years of physical life, and 63 of volunteering in one endeavor or another, I put it to pen in hopes it will help. If you are a 'picture person' rather than a 'literal person' please recognize this is a literal work. So, if the pictures you get cause problems, please look at the entire series before firing off an angry Email.
Maybe volunteering runs in the family. My father volunteered as Scoutmaster and similar youth efforts. Mother volunteered to many projects. In her late 80's she received the Clara Barton award of the American Red Cross for decades of dedicated every-week work. I began volunteering in grade school so it's been many efforts, situations and groups.
At age 28 I was asked to re-start a volunteer group where one in which I was involved in its startup three years prior had failed. It's not often that one fails and gets another chance to do it differently. Before proceeding the second time, I asked "what caused us to fail?" What caused the loss of interest? Why do people volunteer? What motivates them? What system did we use the first time? How could we change it the second? On and on.
Working with volunteers can be one of the most exhilarating experiences of one's life. They have an untold variety of reasons for why they do what they do. They "work" because they REALLY WANT to. Their interest in a subject or project IS DIFFERENT than those who get paid to do the same work. (No disrespect to those employed is intended, just that the long history in this clearly shows differences to which this is addressed.)
Also, volunteers may not like to volunteer once they are in a group that interests them. Yes, that reads correctly. Once in a group (of volunteers) they often will NOT volunteer for a job, work or position that needs doing UNLESS ASKED DIRECTLY AND SPECIFICALLY. I've seen units fail because they did not realize that fact. It was one of the keys that was used for the second reorganization of the men's group in 1955. I found that what made the difference was analyzing their interests and talent and then presenting a challenge, a goal, an idea and letting them have the freedom to cause it to happen.
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