[23714] in APO-L
Re: [APO-L] National Policy Question
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Robert Dean)
Tue Apr 29 12:32:15 2003
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 19:31:52 +0300
Reply-To: Robert Dean <rdean71@cs.com>
From: Robert Dean <rdean71@cs.com>
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
Be all that as it may, we're at this point talking about basic volunteerism. APO doesn't have the same cost structures associated with their volunteers as the BSA. For example, APO doesn't provide insurance to volunteers like BSA does. Unless APO requires something, like insurance or training, that the volunteer can't function without, and which costs APO per individual,then it's simply not right to require a registration fee just for the basic privilege of volunteering in APO.
--Robert
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-----Original Message-----
From: J. Busby <jcb2181@texasonline.net>
Sent: Tue 03.4.29 3.59 pm
To: APO-L@LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU
Subj: Re: [APO-L] National Policy Question
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I am a life member, so I wouldn't have had to pay under the proposal, but my
thought is this: why should a volunteer have to pay for the privilege of
helping our organization? In my mind, it's similar to the Red Cross
charging people for the privilege of donating blood. It just makes sense
that an organization should bear the cost of keeping track of its
volunteers/donors as a cost of doing "business".
-=-=-=-=
Volunteering is not exactly like giving blood. When you volunteer in the
capacity we are talking about in this discussion there is a greater
responsibility to hold to the principles of the organization and promote the
organization's good name. When you sit in the donation chair, you are not
representing the Red-Cross... but if you were working the drive in a
"Red-Cross Volunteer" T-Shirt.. that would be different. In recent
blood-drives (not red-cross) volunteers have had to go through an
orientation and have their name and drivers license number recorded in a
volunteer log.
In organizations like the Boy Scouts, people have paid to volunteer for
years. The fees defray the costs to train the volunteer, communicate with
the volunteer and they also pay for background checks and insurance to
protect the organization AND the volunteer. For example, some of the BSA
fees go to maintain the volunteer database, some goes to perform background
checks to determine worthiness to work with children and some of the fee
goes to major medical, life and liability insurance while volunteering in an
official scouting capacity.
Regarding this issue of the "cost of doing business". Donors already pay
indirectly for the cost of tracking them. As a torchbearer for many years I
receive a certificate with stickers, a nice letter from the Fraternity
President, a tax statement and donor reply card for next year. I know that
some amount (maybe $5~$10) of my torchbearer donation goes to maintain my
donation! Collecting $5 from volunteers in exchange for some recognition,
better communication and better volunteer training and development isn't too
much to ask. If the volunteers don't want to submit such a nominal fee...
then in essence the undergraduates are "paying" to maintain their volunteer
base. If anything, I would consider it a tremendous "GIFT" to the
fraternity for the alumni and non-member volunteers to support a
self-sustaining volunteer program supported by a nominal fee.
Another thing to consider is that this is not targeted to folks who come
help out at the Chapter Car-Wash. These volunteers are the ones who working
beyond the chapter level in an official capacity as a representative of APO.
-James Busby
Xi Delta Alumnus (Texas A&M University)
