Oh my, I hope some one steps up for your crossover ceremony, that's such a big deal. Our Pack is doing it together. All the Den leaders joined together to take care of all of the details. Good luck w/it!!!!
Wow, Thanks for all the wonderful information. I guess by a general concensus we are all in the same boat. Well, I'm going to use the "tree" idea and the "book" idea for logging all those excuses. I have the same problem with our Cub Scout Pack. I've been the committee chair for 4 years and I AM tierd of doing everything. I'm threating our Crossover Ceremony if nobody steps up to do it. There won't be one!! We'll do a regular awards ceremony. It will kill me, but if I bluff they'll walk all over me.
Oh, Our PTO is just a clique who asks for money all the time. Ok, people lets see what some of that money has paid for, a VSoft system that helps to protect our children, sound systems in every classroom so every child can hear the teacher no matter what part of the room she is in, $5 for every child for their field trip, the new playground equipment they got a few years ago, that we spent years saving for. Geeezzz. Come help & you can be apart of that "Clique" too. They also forget we do a lot of other work that has nothing to do w/money. Like moving around hundreds of pounds of landscaping rock that the district dug up, we spent several hours last Saturday cleaning up the front flower beds & digging up rocks that had been buried for years (Cubschouts used to take care of beautification) & redoing them all. My hamstrings still hurt. Sorry I just had to vent again. I spent all day yesterday w/another gal buying all the stuff for our Carnival Friday & I'm just really tired.
Eagles,
Don't take the criticism to heart, I hear this too and our PTO doesn't even run the volunteer program-long story. Anyway, I know what you mean. I'm sure we all go through this. When my mother was head room mother, back in the day, she had a notebook that she kept the date a name of each parent she called and what their response was (can't come, will bring cookies, etc.) and though this helped her see who she could count on, she also took it to conferences with her to show the teacher who was/wasn't supporting the class. I know it's a lot of extra work, but it might help you prove your point. This also fits into that category of the principal saying "a parent has a problem with this" and you can say "tell me who and I will tell you what communication I have had with them." Remind the naysayers that there are 2 sides to every story and you are just trying to make events succeed, not make anyone feel bad. Keep up the good work.
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
I'm encountering a problem because I work with my core group of dependable volunteers and now I'm being told I run my organization like a dictatorship! Because I depend on those that actually show up when asked, and do a darn good job while they are there. The complaints come through another parent but supposedly people are upset that they never get called (I guess they forget the times we call and they're too busy to help out) and that the PTO doesnt like them (hey you never can help so I dont know you enough to not like you.) Lets not forget the person who has volunteered to help and who I have depended on but oh gosh she didnt show up because she forgot.
We have had several committees and events that have "sizzled out" too but now that a group of parents want to take over they want to point out that we havent done our job and made people feel involved and thats why our volunteer list is low- it doesnt have anything to do with the volunteers, the problem is all us. Whatever!! Give me a break! You can only do what you can do with what you have. Just another vent here I guess - thanks for listening!! LOL
We had several things that sort of fizzled out and fell to the wayside because people took them on and then did just half the job. It's really disappointing to see a great idea just fade away because someone didn't apply themselves. As much as I like to see lots of people volunteering, I guess I'd rather see quality volunteers-people you can rely on, who are true to their word and dedicated to doing the job right. Maybe that's why you always have that handful who seem to do everything-because they WANT to do it and do it RIGHT.
