Author Topic: How To Keep Volunteers (Read 18060 times)

MWALLEN · « **on:** September 18, 2008, 11:14:43 PM »

For all you manager types that oversee volunteer work...

1. How do you keep volunteers coming back?
2. How do you attract new volunteers?
3. What issues concerning volunteers do you deal with?

I have been trying to coordinate work days down at the BATFISH and I just can't get hardly anyone to come out. I put out notices sometimes a month in advance. If I get any response at all (alot don't even bother to respond), it's usually a no type answer for whatever reason.

I'd be interested any any tricks and/or tips other volunteer groups use to attract and keep hard working volunteers.

Thanks,

Mark Allen
Batfish Volunteer POC & Webmaster

Darrin · « **Reply #1 on:** September 18, 2008, 11:48:39 PM »

Check your PM

MWALLEN · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2008, 12:30:22 AM »

Darrin -

Message received and understood...I will give it a try.

Thanks,

Mark

Lance Dean · « **Reply #3 on:** September 19, 2008, 09:14:22 AM »

Man, I tell you what. If I lived within an hour of the sub and they offered a damn good lunch, I'd be there at least once a month, perhaps twice. Some good BBQ or some grilled burgers...yuuum.

That's not a demand, just what came to my mind. And I'm hungry.

nomad66 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 19, 2008, 09:58:48 AM »

I wish I lived closer to a sub, as I would like to volunteer some time and work. As it is, the closest one is 300 miles round trip and would be about 5 to 6 hours drive time and run about $90 to $100 in fuel costs.

JTheotonio · « **Reply #5 on:** September 19, 2008, 10:38:41 AM »

How about Bring a Friend Day(s), volunteers (that you can get to show up) bring a friend or relative to see what this is all about, and to help

How about doing a poster (small) to put up at grocery stores and libraries - looking for people to help out (maybe look for people with certain skills like mechanics, electricians, etc)

How about overnight work parties - if possible, show a movie at night on board, popcorn and sodas.

How about boy scouts heading for their Eagle Scout rating

Do you have any military bases nearby. Albacore is lucky - Portsmouth is right there and the base and ships there do have community projects for all new chiefs. Before becoming a chief they must do some community time helping - when I was just there - about 10 new chiefs where there painting the hull of the Albacore as their community project.

You are no different that any one else - volunteers are always a problem. No one has found the perfect solution yet either.

Darrin · « **Reply #6 on:** September 19, 2008, 10:42:38 AM »

For me to go to Torsk it is a 248 mile trip one way and fortunatly enough for me one of our crew puts me up in his travel trailer so I can stay overnight friday and then return home saturday evening and had it not been for that I would be getting up at 2:30 in the morning and then driving the 4 hours and then working all day and then going back home at the end of the day. JT is right on every thing that he has said and it has been great to have the Chief selectee's on the boat, we have had submarine crews drive up from Norfolk to donate part of their time to help us and from time to time we have gotten help from the local reserve center.

emeacho · « **Reply #7 on:** September 19, 2008, 12:42:55 PM »

Mostly, I'd say it's LUCK. I got involved through word of mouth and stayed ever since (about 10 years now). We have a sign up in Crew's Mess to attract folks who are visiting, but I'd say having the volunteers there on Saturdays is what brings in new folks. They see us working, think it would be fun, and come back to help.

Darrin · « **Reply #8 on:** September 19, 2008, 04:35:51 PM »

Mark,
a big push was started about 10 years ago on a number of bbs' to help save the Torsk and now for most of us it is a pilgrirmage that we take time off of work for and save money all year for those 3 days of being onboard once more, and for me and those that I have talked to about it the boat feels like she is alive for those days with a full crew and so much gets done that Chief Mike has had to re-scope his proposed work for the weekend because we had done it all early in the work weekend and he was able to find more things for us to do. That and we have the benefit of being in the inner harbor which has a number of bars within walking distance to include HOOTERS

so that doesn't hurt either.. And like Chief Mike has said it has been pure dumb luck as to being able to keep volunteers, I am sure that he could tell you stories of so many people wanting to come down and work and show up once and never come back, is it because we worked them too hard or they have had other things come up and then they just don't come back who know's.. While I don't know it for a fact but from what I have seen with doing a work weekend is the logistics are a NIGHTMARE and be ready for long nights and asking others to pick folks up from the airport or the train station and then take them back.
Keep your chin up shipmate and ask for help on the internet because they will come and help.

Paul Farace · « **Reply #9 on:** September 20, 2008, 02:23:18 AM »

Not much you can do to find and keep volunteers...

You have to be able to use them when THEY show up. After 32 years in this business one thing is certain... if they want to work on your sub, they will find YOU! Some things you can do include making them feel needed... this includes having projects for them to work on that they agree to... and having some kind of recognition of their work, and this doesn't have to be expensive... a name badge is often a big incentive.

What our director firmly believes, and I can't say I've seen much evidence that it's wrong is this:

You really can't make a volunteer do what you want them to!

They will show up when they can... you just have to have a large "to-do" list. They will look it over and pick out what they are interested in doing. It is no way to run a company, granted, but these are volunteers. I marvel at TORSK for their ability to coordinate large parties... but it seems their modus is to gather a large group for a short but intensive burst of activity. On COD we have the opposite situation. We have individuals working on small tasks over long periods. I think the common points to keep in mind are:

1. sense of belonging to a proud submarine and its history
2. sense of accomplishment (we all want to leave the world, or the nearest sub, a better place than we found it)
3. sense of fellowship (sub volunteers probably are not the type to wear silly hats, learn secret handshakes, and drink beer and tell no-shitters

I sure have a long list of stuff I want volunteers to do... out of my top ten list, our volunteers are likely to pick one or two... and then come up with three of their own... as long as it fits somewhere in the greater plan, that is OK, othewise the manager has a sales job to do (and I am not the best salesman)...

Managing volunteers is like herding cats...

Nuff said!

PF

Tom Bowser · « **Reply #10 on:** September 20, 2008, 07:50:53 AM »

The main problem we have is we get lots of offers to help but they can only come on the weekends and mostly in the summer and there are so many visitors on the boat you can't get thru it let alone do any work. Also most of them live a couple of hours away and the park won't overnight them and the hotels around here are over priced. Currently all of our projects are outside and we can't get the equipment to supply more than one or two workers.
Tom Bowser

Darrin · « **Reply #11 on:** September 20, 2008, 10:14:43 AM »

we have anywhere between 3-8 volunteers EVERY saturday of the month come rain or shine who work onboard restoring her and those folks are more reliable then the US Postal Service

so much has been done by those vol's I can't even tell you the amount of work that they have done over the last 10 years to get her back to where she looks good and WORKS and they do it historicaly accurate.. One of their projects is the Manuvering room and while it has taken a long time to restore it looks good and they have taken the time to make sure that everything is tagged out and then cleaned and restored back to operational once more, one of our TM's is even airbrushing a number of controller covers because he couldn't get the correct color of paint any other way. For me it is an honor to work with these folks and get the boat looking the way she used to.
My hat is off to ALL of the volunteers across the country who come in on their days off and help restore our boats once more

Darrin

emeacho · « **Reply #12 on:** September 20, 2008, 08:43:32 PM »

Darrin has certainly told you all a lot about the crew of Torsk. I wish I could say that the amount of work is something that skilled management has accomplished. Mainly it is just lucking out and finding people who want to keep the lady going. Paul, letting volunteers do what they want is not a bad thing. You know, every little accomplishment contributes to the overall condition of the boat. We don't expect anyone to do anything on Torsk. Folks pick a job and run with it. Each small job completed makes Torsk look better, work better, and contribute to her preservation and her appeal to the visitors. I've heard a lot of bad things said about sub vets, but on Torsk they provide leadership and guidance that has made unbelievable improvement in the boats condition, appearance, and visitor experience. The civilian management with two exceptions (Torsk's director and Torsk's curator) know nothing about the submarine, the way it should look, how to maintain it, or for that matter, even how to turn the lights on. Volunteers do all the routine maintenance, all of the restoration and preservation below decks, and much of the preservation and restoration topside (at least much of what gets done). I don't know how we keep such a fantastic crew together, but I sure am glad we do. Without the volunteer crew, Torsk would still be a submarine that is a disgrace to the submarine service.

What Darrin didn't tell you is that besides the 16 or so local crewmembers that show up most Saturdays, we have well over 100 remote volunteers, like Darrin, that come aboard and work 1, 2 and many times a year. These folks come from all over the country, as far away as California, Maine, North Carolina, Virginia (like Darrin), New Jersey, Connecticut, and on and on. They contribute their time, donate money, parts, and materials and are an invaluable part of the Torsk crew. What's more is they come year after year after year, and help us out in many other ways any time we ask.

So, bottom line is, if you can get yourself a volunteer crew like Torsk, consider yourselves blessed. You may not agree with everything they want to accomplish, but your boats will be much better off because of them.

Like Darrin, I'm proud to be part of the Torsk crew!

Darrin · « **Reply #13 on:** September 20, 2008, 10:11:13 PM »

What Chief Mike hasn't told you is our youngest vol is 6 years old and he gives better tours then our docents do (gotta love the son of a TM) and our oldest is a 76 year young ETC(SS) who drives 2 hours every other weekend and he wishes that he could be there every weekend but having to taking care of his wife he can only do 2 times a months., and this ETC(SS) has been on multiple strip ships in JRRF to include his last trip which was 100+ degrees, gotta love out dedicated vols

Rick · « **Reply #14 on:** September 21, 2008, 03:51:38 PM »

We don't expect anyone to do anything on Torsk. Folks pick a job and run with it.

I think this speak volumes.. The Batfish has had problems in the past with micromanagement. I have NEVER worked in a company were micromanegment worked. The enlisted become frustrated and the officers become exhausted. I trust my relief crew. They know this old girl better then I do. I depend on them to take care of this work and let me keep the people overseeing this happy. This seems to be working. The only gotcha is keeping track of what everyone is doing so no one gets their toes stepped on.

rick

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