WEB: But we are talking about a volunteer program here...

[Rich Littleton]

I like Rod's imagery, but I think I'd go down Llorraine's route.  I think
most of the chaos you point to (correctly) stems not from the fact of a
volunteer crew, but from the vagueness of SCN(A)'s vision, as formulated
(or not) by the board.  

I think our difficulty in developing a continuity among our volunteers is
due to managment weaknesses.  Apparently, there is no organizational
list of priorities proposed by the board (and submitted to the
membership?).  I've requested one several times and not heard anyhing.

For all the HUGE amount of effort given to SCN(A), it is not well focused.

Communication in the organization is a weak point.  (Still no minutes, nor
any advance board agenda notification.)

So, before we evaluate the ups and downs of the past as inevitable, we
have to get a clearer management vision at the board level, and that does
not relate to paid staff.

BTW, Llorraine did do an excellent job at registration, and this has two
significant values.  (1) the registration was done very well, and (2) she
showed that is in fact COULD be done by one person.  This should tell us
that it could be done even easier by a well-coordinated team of 3-4.

However, I do not mean to challenge our current method which appears to be
doing well.  I simply mean to point out that Llorraine showed us a well
functioning ALL VOLUNTEER efficiency that supports the idea that it can
succeed.

Rich


______________________________________________________________________

*****  Unless stated otherwise, this message may be forwarded.  ******

On Tue, 20 Jul 1999, Rod Clark wrote:

> > A small correction here.  I do not believe the registration process
> > has ever been more efficient than when I (as a volunteer) was
> > processing registrations. 
> 
> Lorraine, 
> 
>    But your tenure was a stretch of good results in a much
> longer and sometimes less satisfactory and patchier history.
> 
>    Why did someone with your abilities have to be used for that
> kind of secretarial work, so that it would turn out well with
> any consistency? It was because anyone with lesser abilities
> wouldn't have been able to continually counteract the forces of
> entropy on all sides that surrounded the volunteer version of
> that task.
> 
>    By comparison, once set up and running well at the little
> service company, registration is likely never to experience the
> kind of abrupt discontinuities, unforeseen delays and myriad
> other problems that beset it when volunteers were coming and
> going and accidentally forgetting that it wasn't a good idea to
> turn things upside down every other alternate Tuesday when the
> moon was full.
> 
> Rod
> 
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  From the Listowner  * * * * * * * * * * * *
> .	To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to:
> majordomo at scn.org		In the body of the message, type:
> unsubscribe scn
> ==== Messages posted on this list are also available on the web at: ====
> * * * * * * *     http://www.scn.org/volunteers/scn-l/     * * * * * * *
> 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *  From the Listowner  * * * * * * * * * * * *
.	To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to:
majordomo at scn.org		In the body of the message, type:
unsubscribe scn
==== Messages posted on this list are also available on the web at: ====
* * * * * * *     http://www.scn.org/volunteers/scn-l/     * * * * * * *