Responses
to October 2007 Hot Topic
Digging
a little Deeper
Response
posted on 4/10/07 by Ben Temby-Nichols, Director,
Volunteer Services, Mater Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
Hi
Andy and all,
This
is a great article and I found that I got a lot from
it. Being reactive is the sta t us quo in this industry
where we all seem to be swamped with work and have little
or no time for reflection and future planning. My
team and I have been mulling over these thoughts and
specifically the idea of how to engage the Gen Y's
in a real and substantial way.
Recently
I was speaking to a prominent leader of a large health
organisation and he said something to this effect
"volunteers under 30 are a waste of time so we don't
bother with trying to recruit them". Quite a statement
and one that I of course do not agree with and told
him so.
But
then I realised that we too may give people this perception
as most of our volunteers are retired or certainly
over 30. In response to this our first reaction was
to choose a service area that attract s young people
and change the procedures to support an "easy in -
easy out" management system.
Now
we are looking at this deeper and have come up with
an idea I would like to share with you and am also
interested in hearing anyone's thoughts or experiences
in this area.
We
are thinking of inviting expressions of interest in
the forming of a Youth Leadership Council
- created by youth for youth.
Here
are some ideas we have at this stage:
What
is a Youth Leadership Council?
A
Youth Leadership Council may meet once a fortnight
to:
·
Discuss issues that are important to youth;
·
Work with others to find solutions to these problems
·
Plan youth events and activities
·
Advise Mater staff and volunteers on the youth perspective
·
Make a difference in the community
Who
can apply?
Youth
and Young Adults, ages 16-26, who volunteer at the
Mater
What
the community Youth Leadership Council could “look
like”?
·
3 - 6 month commitment
·
10-15 Seats, with representation from high school
students, university students, working youth, youth
who are “out of school”.
·
Proposed council tenure would be start of each calendar
year
Why
should I apply?
Being
an active member of a Youth Leadership Council you
would develop skills such as:
·
Leadership
·
Working in a team
·
Decision making
·
Coordinating Events
·
Participating in youth activities
·
Developing creative ideas
·
Meeting new people, making new friends
Gain
Experience by;
·
Serving as a leader to provide input from other youth
and young adults who volunteer at the Mater, to make
recommendations on important issues, and to represent
the voice of youth to improve both volunteering experiences
and services to our community.
·
Supporting an open format that empowers members to
establish the framework and priorities for the Youth Leadership
Council .
·
Leadership and team building opportunities to prepare
Youth Leadership Council members for effective service
within the community
·
The opportunity for Adult mentors to share their leadership
experience with Youth Leadership Council Members
Happy
to hear from anyone who may have experience with this.
Let's
hear what you think!
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