The importance of having civility as a standard for volunteers (was RE: Revisit number forty two hundred)

[Rich Littleton]

Joel, and the World,

	This message you sent is incorrect.  The board did NOT approve
your conduct list at the January meeting.  I was there.  Specifically, the
board said that the list was tentative until it was run by the membership.
It never was run by the membership.

	Steve Guest told me he was working on a conduct list for official
submission.  So your list never did get official approval.

	I'll be writing more on civility and ethics in a few days.  But,
for now, it is necessary to counter your statement that your list was
officially approved by the board at the 1/13/99 meeting.  

	Did we ever get a conduct list that dealt with board members
publicly distorting the truth?  Anyone?

	Rich

______________________________________________________________________

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On Tue, 29 Jun 1999, SCNA Volunteer Coordinator wrote:

> THANK YOU, Nan, you express very well our need for general civility.
> Our volunteer guidelines approved by the Board on 1/13/1999 are a strong
> move in that direction, but it will take us awhile yet to get there.
> I am firmly resolved to help us move towards civility and mutual respect.
> THANKS again.
> 
> -Joel.
> 
> ----------------------------
> 
> 
> On Tue, 29 Jun 1999, Nan Hawthorne wrote:
> 
> > Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 10:26:17 -0700
> > From: Nan Hawthorne <nanh at scn.org>
> > To: Rod Clark <bb615 at scn.org>, scna-board at scn.org
> > Cc: Terry Trimingham <ttrim at scn.org>, Barb Weismann <bb140 at scn.org>,
> >     Kenneth Crandall <grayfox at foxinternet.net>, em-trng at scn.org,
> >     scn at scn.org, webmasters at scn.org, HR Committee <hr at scn.org>,
> >     Gianni Truzzi <gtruzzi at scn.org>,
> >     Jim Tedford <jim.tedford at premera.com>
> > Subject: The importance of having civility as a standard for volunteers (was RE: Revisit number forty two hundred)
> > 
> > Rod, in your e-mail, you say:
> > 
> > >   Well, I have been known to flame the troglodytes from time to
> > time, and otherwise not play well with others occasionally. But
> > I hope on balance it's positive. .....    Not everyone's feelings can be be
> > wrapped up neatly or
> > expected to be constantly cheerful in such a non-organized
> > outfit as this
> > 
> > Cheerful is not required, but civil always is.  It is ten times easier to "bite
> > your tongue" with e-mail conversations than in person --- just hesitate over the
> > SEND button.
> > 
> > Remember my perspective is as a professional trainer, wrriter, consultant and
> > practitioner of volunteer program management.  There are guidelines for
> > volunteers to circumscribe their behavior and actions for a good reason, both
> > because they are representatives of the group as a whole and because the
> > experience for each volunteer is vital.  There is nothing in the world more
> > discouraging to a volunteer than working hard only to discover that someone is
> > criticizing them behind their backs or at very least without the courtesy of
> > doing it in a formal, acceptable way.
> > 
> > If flaming is to be considered an acceptable response by volunteers in SCN, then
> > I cannot be involved in the management of the volunteer program and still abide
> > by my professional ethics.  If any of you find that statement "haughty", sobeit.
> > My conscience is my own territory.  Consider your own work and how important its
> > standards are to you.
> > 
> > I'm sorry, Rod, but this license to flame and the excessive personalization of
> > SCN operations and disputes is exactly what I think drags SCN down and makes the
> > problems develop.  Everyone seems to be fair game here: then others wonder why
> > burnout is rife, why it's hard to get and keep good volunteers, why quality
> > suffers, why there is never enough help for projects, etc. etc.  Heck, I
> > wouldn't be surprised if the poor communications are as much from fear of the
> > response as these other factors I just cited.
> > 
> > I was brought in from outside this organization expressly to help it out of some
> > of its problems.  OK, here's what I would've told you for $3000 if I had not
> > waived my fee: start acting like a community-oriented business.  And that goes
> > for everyone.
> > 
> > Nan Hawthorne, co-coordinator
> > HR Committee
> > 
> > 
> 
> Joel Ware, IV
> SCNA Volunteer Coordinator   xx015 at scn.org
> 
> 
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