Sugarloaf Volunteer System Update #3

A quip that can be expressed by sailors who enjoy cruising long distances is, “It’s 90% boredom and 10% sheer panic (in chaotic situations).” Signups joining our Volunteer System sail get a similar timing because of the System’s fair turn-taking. What’s the crew we’re referring to? They are the volunteers to be invited to do specific one-time tasks. This specific crew (signups who choose a vehicle for how they wish to be invited to do a task) does not include those two groups who sign-up for the call-me-later or the self-initiated project, Action Box volunteers. So, this crew, the invitee signups, each gets to take his/her turn (the 10% time) and, then can wait (the 90% time) while all the rest of the others on that crew ( maybe 40 people? ) take their turns. The Manager, Helen, has to be told when a turn is taken in order to see that our System stays fair and on a balanced even keel.

When given an invitation, from a committee or Board Requestor, that person becomes the invitee’s buddy throughout the task’s fulfillment. The Requestor can supply a mentor if needed. Who’s the Requestor? This is the person who takes responsibility for a one-time (usually) task that comes up while doing churchwork business in a meeting. It’s when the workload is too much for those in the meeting to accomplish by themselves. The invitee doesn’t have to give a “yes”, but when called, there’s a real need to help out with an “all hands on deck” situation (the 10% time.) The afterglow of having helped out is enhanced with knowing there’s the the 90% time of no invitation calls while the list of crew members completes their turns.

We set sail to leave the dock when all of us are registered by September 20!

Please try on a new volunteer hat. September 20 is our deadline to sign up.

Helen Pop. & Adam