Hot
Topic Archive
November
2005
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A
cause for Celebration
By
OzVPM Director Andy
Fryar
With
the 2005 International Volunteer Managers Appreciation
Day (IVMAD) celebration only a month away (December
5), it's appropriate that our November hot topic should
focus on this still emerging but critically important
day of celebration for volunteer leaders the world
over.
As
a member of the International Committee that is planning
and promoting IVMAD, I was recently asked the following
question.
You
are in a lift with a perfect stranger who in conversation
asks '.So why a day celebrating the work of volunteer
managers? What do they do that is so important?'
Given
30 seconds to reply, how might you answer?
It's
a great question, and one worth taking a little time
to ponder as we lead into IVMAD 2005.
L
et's take a look at what some of the responses might
be:
Function
One
immediate temptation may be to tackle the question
from the perspective of 'functionality' - that is,
you could explain to your fellow lift traveller what
it is you 'do' . Included in this, would be an explanation
about how Volunteer Program Managers (VPMs) are able
to effectively and professionally recruit, train,
screen, and motivate volunteers. You might also enter
into a discourse on how you administer the volunteer
program itself, including budgeting, planning and
staffing your program.
However,
as impressive as this list of great achievements is,
I'd still have to challenge the thought that this
'functional' work is alone worthy of a form of recognition
as significant at IVMAD.
For
instance, it could be argued that human resource managers
or accountants or office administrators all work to
a similar standard of performance - and they sure
don't have a day dedicated to their profession! (.or
not that I know of anyway!)
Form
Another
way we might attempt to maximise our thirty seconds
in the lift, would be to avoid the explanation of
'function' and focus instead on 'form'. I'm sure you
have heard the saying that 'form follows function',
and accordingly, the discerning VPM should be able
to see beyond the all important daily activity, and
instead focus on the way the profession of volunteer
administration has grown.
By
focusing on form we are not offering an answer based
on what we do. Rather we are explaining 'who we are'
So
who are we? Well globally we are part of a massive
movement of individuals - both paid and unpaid, who
mobilise volunteer resources for the benefit of our
communities. Like volunteers, we come from all walks
of life and work in a vast range of interest areas.
There
also now exists a proliferation of volunteer management
professional associations all around the world, including
AAVA here in
the Australasian region, while the ongoing development
of volunteer management training packages at all levels
of education have further reinforced our credibility
as a unified 'profession' rather than simply a conglomeration
of workers all trying to do similar jobs. In short,
we have an identity and over time that identity is
(slowly) getting stronger.
So
does having a strong identity warrant an international
day of celebration?
Well
maybe, but there are plenty of other professions who
also have a very strong presence internationally,
but I don't ever remember seeing 'International butchers
appreciation day' or 'International day of florists'
on any calendar I've owned!
W
hile our growing and unified identity is certainly
a cause for celebration, it too may not be enough
to satisfy our fellow lift traveller's question.
So
let's then look at the third possible response we
could give.
Outcome
& Impact
It's
when we investigate and talk about the impact of our
work that we really start to understand the full value
of why we deserve a day of celebration.
In
brief - we make a difference!
Not
only are volunteers who are properly supported more
effective in their work of changing our society, but
we make a difference every day to volunteers themselves.
How
do you place a value on the time a volunteer spends
quietly sitting with a palliative care client for
the last few hours of their life? Can you measure
the impact of well led environmental volunteers planting
10,000 trees on future generations? How amazing is
it when a volunteer gains enough experience and confidence
through their work with you as a VPM and your program
that they go on to work with others - perhaps saving
'at risk' clients from suicide or assisting the victims
of domestic violence to escape that terrible cycle.
This
was driven home to me several months ago when a young
woman in her mid 20's approached me at a function
and introduced herself as Jayne. I didn't remember
Jayne, but she remembered me. She told me how, as
a young person nearly a decade earlier, she had come
to the organisation I was working with at the time
and had become a volunteer. She told me that the start
I had given her had been instrumental in her later
going onto University and becoming a social worker,
where she was now helping others on a daily basis.
The
really interesting point I took from that conversation
was that she didn't say our program had given her
a start - rather she directly related her thinking
back to the start that I had given to her.
That's
why we deserve a day of celebration!
When
we couple the outcomes and impact of our work with
the elements of 'what we do' (functionality) and 'who
we are' (form), we can begin to understand that there
is indeed something a little unique in the work that
we all are involved in.
So
on December 5 while you are saying a big thank you
to all your agency's volunteers and celebrating 'International
Volunteers Day', remember to also take some time to
pat yourself on the back - or to call a colleague
and remind them what a great job they do.
Finally,
remember that as of 2006, International Volunteer
Managers Appreciation Day is moving to it's own day
of celebration on November 1 - and it's not too early
to start thinking about ways to celebrate bigger and
better than ever!
So
please feel free to hit the respond button below and
share your own thoughts about why we deserve a day
to celebrate the wonderful achievements we make every
day
*
More information about IVMAD can be found at the IVMA
official website
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