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serynWe have ways of making you talkfeel unwelcome...
One thing I was discussing recently, and having had this conversation with several people now, I'm thinking I should open it here as well, is in the nature of volunteering.
I was totally burned out from teaching knitting once a week to a walk-in group of varying size. Most weeks I never sat down. I'd gotten to the point that I didn't even bring my own knitting because I'd never take it out of the bag anyway.
I've been back to the group since and they never have new people who come back a second time. I saw how they started the people out, and the cliquish cues they use to exclude people and I realized why. They make it clear that no one else is wanted. New people are taught off to the side and then the experienced person gets up to rejoin the main table. Without specifically including the new person. The experienced people all sit so that they can't see the new people so the new person has to ask for assistance if they get stuck. I wouldn't have come back to a group like that either.
I compare the amount of effort I put in to the amount of effort these people put in, and I'm no longer surprised that the various shows who want volunteers expect people to put in 4 hour shifts. I used to be exhausted after 2 hours and I can't imagine doing 4. But if I said, "Hey, grab some yarn from the box and someone [else, usually someone uninterested if not actively annoying] will help you get started." then went back to my own projects, I could probably do that for 4 hours. They don't show finished projects, or get out a knitting book and show things that get published, they don't suggest the person start with a drink mat or have examples of simple projects. They don't seem to be able to do anything for people who know what they want to make.... there isn't help finding library books, there aren't sample patterns, there isn't "here let me write some simple directions". And when people do come with a pattern, they usually have the wrong yarn or the wrong needles and no one volunteering now can do anything with that. I really don't understand how someone could teach for a year even once a week without picking up skills in how to teach people to make do.
I think it's not just the managers who treat "volunteer" like a job description instead of a pay scale. I think the volunteers do too. "I'm not getting paid, I can do a lousy job and put in no effort." Managers often seem to think, "Since I'm not paying these people, I can ask them to do all sorts of unpleasant things!" It's not a great match if you're looking for volunteer labor nor is it a great match if you're a volunteer.
One thing I was discussing recently, and having had this conversation with several people now, I'm thinking I should open it here as well, is in the nature of volunteering.
I was totally burned out from teaching knitting once a week to a walk-in group of varying size. Most weeks I never sat down. I'd gotten to the point that I didn't even bring my own knitting because I'd never take it out of the bag anyway.
I've been back to the group since and they never have new people who come back a second time. I saw how they started the people out, and the cliquish cues they use to exclude people and I realized why. They make it clear that no one else is wanted. New people are taught off to the side and then the experienced person gets up to rejoin the main table. Without specifically including the new person. The experienced people all sit so that they can't see the new people so the new person has to ask for assistance if they get stuck. I wouldn't have come back to a group like that either.
I compare the amount of effort I put in to the amount of effort these people put in, and I'm no longer surprised that the various shows who want volunteers expect people to put in 4 hour shifts. I used to be exhausted after 2 hours and I can't imagine doing 4. But if I said, "Hey, grab some yarn from the box and someone [else, usually someone uninterested if not actively annoying] will help you get started." then went back to my own projects, I could probably do that for 4 hours. They don't show finished projects, or get out a knitting book and show things that get published, they don't suggest the person start with a drink mat or have examples of simple projects. They don't seem to be able to do anything for people who know what they want to make.... there isn't help finding library books, there aren't sample patterns, there isn't "here let me write some simple directions". And when people do come with a pattern, they usually have the wrong yarn or the wrong needles and no one volunteering now can do anything with that. I really don't understand how someone could teach for a year even once a week without picking up skills in how to teach people to make do.
I think it's not just the managers who treat "volunteer" like a job description instead of a pay scale. I think the volunteers do too. "I'm not getting paid, I can do a lousy job and put in no effort." Managers often seem to think, "Since I'm not paying these people, I can ask them to do all sorts of unpleasant things!" It's not a great match if you're looking for volunteer labor nor is it a great match if you're a volunteer.
