Re: Parent participation
Jim Gibson (nefesh@EROLS.COM)
Fri, 18 Dec 1998 00:08:32 -0500
-----Original Message-----
From: Mauritius6@AOL.COM <Mauritius6@AOL.COM>
To: SCOUTS-L@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU <SCOUTS-L@LISTSERV.TCU.EDU>
Date: Tuesday, December 15, 1998 2:47 PM
Subject: Parent participation
> In our Troup there is a group of leaders and parents who always do
things and
>there are the ones who do nothing but drop off their child. These are many
>times parents who do have the time to help out but don't.
Kathy,
I've been hearing this complaint from within our own troop, and it makes me
smile. I've been involved in four volunteer organizations -- most of which
are child-oriented and two of which I've been in a leadership position --
and have found that our complaints are no different than anyone else's. No
matter HOW important, worthwhile, fulfilling, or large the program, what
invariably happens is 80% of the work falls onto 20% of the populace (and
that is if you're lucky). These I call the "core" volunteers. Everyone else
does a duck-and-cover every time we scan for someone to do something. Each
of them has a reason -- good or not -- that they can't or won't participate.
But the plain fact is that most people just will not raise their hands and
say "I will" when you say you need help. This is something we just have to
live with.
I have found the most effective means to get people to "volunteer" is to
corner them -- preferably in person -- and ask them to do ONE thing once in
a while and stress that "we really need your help here." Get them to drive,
supervise, lend a hand, or whatever. (Unfortunately I have to say, the
smaller and easier the better). When it comes to the "big" stuff, hope for
the best. ("We could really use a Treasurer" is a breath-holder <g>). On
the other hand, if you absolutely need help to accomplish an event, then so
be it if that event gets cancelled due to lack of participation from the
parents.
You could get angry thinking about how much we're doing for *their* kids
with no help from them, or how great we think Scouting is and how no one
seems to care, or (my favorite) how much time we spend providing a quality
program for the boys and have to spend even more time pulling teeth to get
parents to help out. The small consolation is that it isn't just us. Pat
yourself on the back and keep telling yourself that we ARE doing the best we
can and doing a damn good job of it.
Jim Gibson
ASM, Troop 119
Merchantville, NJ
