Sara raises a valid point in that not everyone wants to volunteer, or can volunteer, at a given time.
Which brings up the issue of how does a volunteer know when a given organization is worth giving her time to? Particularly since so few fiber-related organizations seem to have any effective management of volunteers. Maybe the best answer is to interview the group who wants your time :) It's fine for a volunteer to say "What's in it for ME?" No one volunteers for nothing; we all get something out of the experience, hopefully something positive! I would start out by asking what the vision and mision of the group is. They should be able to communicate that even if they don't have it spelled out formally on paper. If they don't have a clear vision, they probably lack effective leadership, and would be a group I would be inclined to avoid. Likewise, if the vision is something you don't care for, think carefully before volunteering in support of that vision. Next I would want to know about communication. How is it handled? Is there a single point of failure? That is, does all communication have to pass through or orginate from one person? Then what happens if that person is sick or otherwise unavailable? Is communication timely? Do you have access to the means used? What is the organizational climate? This is probably going to be difficult to truly assess if you're only talking to the group's leadership. Try to communicate with other volunteers. Ask them how they feel about the work they do, and the atmosphere in which it is done. They don't have to name names or point fingers (but if more than one volunteer does, that says something about the climate right there!; you want to know about feelings, not specific incidents. Do they feel valued or ignored? Supported or left to hang? Guided or micromanaged? Is their input solicited or are they told they don't know enough to provide input? A person may decide to volunteer in spite of more negative answers than positive, but she should go in with her eyes open. I personally don't do well in a negative climate, so I don't volunteer where negativity is the rule. Some of us are interested in volunteering in specific areas--website development and updating maybe, or desktop publishing. What, if anything, is documented about the work you're thinking about doing? Is there a clear set of expectations, and do you think those expectations are reasonable? I would be hesitant to work in an environment where expectations are not clearly spelled out because I've been burned a couple times that way now. But if you have a good 'feel' for the group, it may be worth your time to create the position and its expectations. Finally, if *you* have any particular expectations about the group, get them out in the open, for yourself at least. Are you volunteering to add something to your resume? Then find out if a letter of recommendation spelling out your contributions and skills will be written when you leave. Are you volunteering to meet other people interested in a particular subject? Then make sure you're not trying to enter a clique. Do you want an experience that respects your limitations of time, energy, etc? Make it known from the beginning what your limitations are and see how well those are respected. Another point Sara made was that some groups seem to think members 'owe' them their volunteer time. I've seen this happen, too. It's particularly endemic to say something along the lines of 'be part of the solution, not part of the problem' or 'put up or shut up'. I disagree with this kind of thinking. I don't owe any group anything beyond being a member if it appeals to me :) However, if I benefit in some way, I like to give something back if I can. If a local event is put on about a subject that interests me, I like to help out. Often my help is quite informal--rather than volunteering for a poisition, I might show up early to help set things up, or hang around afterwards for the clean up. Like Sara, I might provide refreshments. All this is volunteering, but it's short term and informal, with few expectations on either side. Just some thoughts off the top of my head :) Holly To stop mail temporarily mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: set nomail To restore send: set mail
