Volunteer Issues

Not issues with the Volunteers, but with volunteers. Or more specifically with volunteer organizations.

When Joshua was little, I enjoyed being around him. He was a pleasant kid, and my youngest. But as he got 4 or 5 years old, I felt like we had little in common. Now, Ricky had joined Cub Scouts in the 5th grade, and it was a pretty good experience as far as the camping and the activities and so forth. Now he moved on to Boy Scouts and I went along as an adult volunteer. Joshua was going into first grade, and he wanted to be in cub scouts, so we joined him up too as a Tiger Cub. To be brief, he stayed in cubs all the way through 5th grade, earning every rank and eventually getting the Arrow of Light, the highest award in Cub Scouts, while I was there as Committee Chairman. Now he's in Boy Scouts. That time we spent together in Cub Scouts did EXACTLY what the program is designed for. It brought me and my son closer together through the shared experiences. We became more than just a dad and his kid. We are truly Father and Son. And I was afraid it wouldn't happen.

Anyway, I'm still Committee Chair of the pack, plus some leadership with the Boy Scout troop. I interact with other volunteers often, and I must say that they are good-hearted, well meaning, enthusiastic people who are in Scouting for the right reasons. They want to contribute to their son's and the community's future. They want to be involved in activities that provide service to others. And they want to go camping and hiking and such. But...

Long term volunteers often get what my very good friend calls the "Eeyore syndrome".

You know (deep, slow voice): "That won't work, the boys won't like it. " "It'll probably rain, and then what?" It gets frustrating. And when you're getting their opinion on something, you have to keep that in mind.

I also interact a fair amount with Boy Scout professionals, those who work for the BSA. And they for the most part are good people too. But the difference is that they have a career and a living to worry about. They get certain ideas in their heads about how things should be done, and you can't hardly get it out of them. I don't mean that they don't want the best for the boys, by no means, because as far as this type of deal goes, they're about the best, but when you try to do something a bit different, it has to fit their plan for what they are trying to accomplish career-wise. And it sometimes doesn't. That gets frustrating too.

Yes, a situation came up in the last couple of days that makes me think along these lines. And it will all work out. But I just wish that there was more of  Christopher Robin "How can we make it work?" and less Eeyore.