Won't you Volunteer?

[bopper]

I just used this last night.

My daughter is in a CCD class (Catholic classes)...now my DH is Catholic, I am Protestant and we go to both kinds of churches, but anyway...
Somebody called telling us about some useful information about CCD, and then said they were asking for more volunteers. 
I said "I am sorry, I have enough Volunteering commitments and I cannot not take on anymore" (and besides, I am not Catholic and I volunteer at the Methodist Church)...
She said "If people don't Volunteer, it may become mandatory."
I said "I understand."

I should have said "Well, then it is not really volunteering anymore is it?" 

[Twik]

Um, how exactly would they make it "mandatory"?

Oh, I know, they mean "your child can't be in the class if a parent doesn't volunteer'. But I have this vision of parents being dragged away by the collars to perform their volunteer duties.

[freakyfemme]

You know, I have to wonder about the quality of a CCD class taught by a parent who doesn't want to do it, and is only performing his or her "volunteer" duties under duress.  It'd probably consist of something like, "This is Jesus, yeah, he was pretty cool......okay, recess!!!"  So, I really don't think it'd be in the kids' best interest to make the volunteering "mandatory."

[Twik]

On the other hand, I know that if there aren't some pretty strong goads, things like this tend to fall heavily on the shoulders of a few committed (or bad at escaping) people. It's not unreasonable to say, "If you want us to continue offering this free service/program, you need to give us a helping hand now and then". However, there are just some people who do not have the time to commit.

[Shortcake]

Um, how exactly would they make it "mandatory"?

Oh, I know, they mean "your child can't be in the class if a parent doesn't volunteer'. But I have this vision of parents being dragged away by the collars to perform their volunteer duties.

That's what I thought too.

[I'mnotinsane]

Is this a free class?  My parents paid for CCD.  It was not expensive, but there was a fee.

[Chocolate Cake]

We pay for CCD classes too -- it's more of a materials cost.  The teachers aren't paid.   I know that it's a real struggle for our religious education coordinator to find enough teachers every year.   

I manage a volunteer ministry and it can be really discouraging sometimes how few people in our church actually step up to help others.  I try to remember that they may already be doing plenty of charity work elsewhere, or that they are in a stage of life where they can't help now but are planning to help later on.   But, that hasn't stopped me from dreaming about the church instituting some kind of mandatory service hours each family must fulfill every year.  I know that there are a lot of things wrong with that idea, but there is a lot right with it too......

[rashea]

It seems the better solution would be to raise the fee and provide a small stipend to the teachers. Maybe waive the fee for someone volunteering time.

One question, are they asking for teaching volunteers, or volunteers to help with something else? Teachers should be true volunteers IMHO, but I wouldn't have a problem with mandating that parents help with other activities.

[Chocolate Cake]

provide a small stipend to the teachers.

At our church, offering a small stipend wouldn't motivate people to participate.   It would have to be a huge stipend to overcome the apathy that seems to affect so many of our parishioners.

[FoxPaws]

You should have given her DH's phone number.  

A thousand years ago when I was in Luther League (youth group for the Lutheran church - it's called something else now), it was understood that if a child was participating, their parents were expected to help out with at least one activity during the year. There was a sign up sheet at the first meeting and everybody put their name down for something.

I've always thought that system was very fair. It spread the work around, prevented volunteer burnout, and gave parents a chance to see what was going on.

[bopper]

Oh I volunteer...I run crafts at the Methodist Youth Group.  CCD is at 4:10pm so my DH is at work at that time. 

[Sirius]

I prefer not to volunteer to work with children because I'm not good at it.  I will, however, volunteer for other things. 

[Twik]

So she said she was just going to stand there at my desk until I agreed to do what she wanted. I told her to get comfortable because I had a lot of work to do. she stood there for almost 15 minutes before my supervisor told her to take a hike.

Oh good Lord, is she 4 or something?

[LyanneB1]

Oh I volunteer...I run crafts at the Methodist Youth Group.  CCD is at 4:10pm so my DH is at work at that time. 

Maybe they need to look at the time so see if that's why they're not getting volunteers.  It may be a suitable time for the children, but many parents work nowadays.

And was she seriously suggesting that you, a non-Catholic, could be drafted to teach?  Maybe you need to check if the other teachers are Catholic?!

[bopper]

Oh I volunteer...I run crafts at the Methodist Youth Group.  CCD is at 4:10pm so my DH is at work at that time. 

Maybe they need to look at the time so see if that's why they're not getting volunteers.  It may be a suitable time for the children, but many parents work nowadays.

And was she seriously suggesting that you, a non-Catholic, could be drafted to teach?  Maybe you need to check if the other teachers are Catholic?!

She probably assumes I am Catholic (a reasonable assumption).