RE: [Computerbank] Questions - Was:Missing posts

["Don Cameron" <DonC@mudgeeab.com.au>]

Hi Dale and all,

I don't contribute a great deal to this forum and even less to ComputerBank
in practical terms (although hopefully this will change soon)... mostly
because I lack the technical expertise in Linux compared to most of the
others on this list. Generally your postings are a learning experience for
me and offer great insight into the trials and tribulations likely to be
faced when CBNSW (Western Division) does finally become a reality!

Being the first to acknowledge what I can't offer, what I hopefully can
offer is the experience gained through more than 20 years working as a
volunteer administrator in both volunteer and salaried capacities.

I don't for a moment envy the roles of Grant, Kylie and Romana et-al because
administering a volunteer organisation can be a thankless task involving far
higher degrees of interpersonal management issues than would reasonably be
expected by a manager in a salaried workplace... at the end of the day an
employer can just fire someone who demonstrably refuses to work in the team
environment and/or is unsuited to the positional requirements. Volunteer
administrators rarely have this luxury (exceptional circumstances such as a
deliberate breach of policy or the Constitution aside).

The role of volunteer administrators is very much that of nurturing
volunteers and fostering membership, but it is also a role that involves
managing organisational objectives in a manner that ensures the objectives
are not adversely impacted by the actions of volunteers. Not everyone is
suited to be a volunteer within a diverse organisation... just wanting to
help is not enough... individuals also have to commit to the organisational
ethos and culture if they truly want to offer value and be subsequently
deemed as a 'valuable contributor'. Volunteers will often find a particular
organisations culture not to their liking, which is of course perfectly
OK... there are lots of organisations looking for volunteers. In my past
roles with volunteer org's I have probably advised upwards of 30-40 people
that they should 'probably look elsewhere' to offer a volunteer contribution
when their personal motives and objectives were in conflict with
organisational goals... on the other hand, I have encouraged many times this
number to join and/or worked with them to help resolve membership issues so
as to not loose valuable volunteer contributors.

Maybe the key to all of this is just a matter of everyone trying to
understanding where the other person is coming from and to acknowledge that
as with any organisation, ComputerBank does need governance, policies,
direction, and also needs people who support these concepts and the
individuals tasked with making sure it happens - yet the organisation also
needs to accept input from volunteers and other stakeholders in a manner
that's supportive and recognises the commitment given as well as the
diversity of opinion on any given issue.

Nobody said that running a volunteer org was easy, so let's not make it any
tougher for these people than it already is! - Maybe now's the times for
some bipartisan supportive commentary.

Rgds, Don



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