<VV> We like to be asked?...maybe begged

[Gary Swiatowy]

One of the car clubs I used to belong to, a Mopar club. We had a chapter of 
200 members plus spouses, and ran a 2-day car show every year, always asking
for :"volunteers", to work the show. Brought up several times as we did have 
a phone comitteee, to call each member and ask on a personal basis. Phone 
comittee did not want to do it, so it was never done.Every year we had less 
than 30 people doing all the work. Easy to ask for volunteers in a 
newsletter, or at a meeting, but to actually get enough, is another story. 
And many said, or used it as an excuse, No one asked me!
2006, when the 4-clubs were setting up to do the CORSA convention in 
Buffalo. I brought up several times that we needed to get a phone list of 
each member of the 4 participating clubs and phone them and ask personally 
if they were willling to help. No, no-one wanted that job either. So as 
always happens, a handfull of people do the majority of the work, and get 
burned out, whie everyone else sits back and uses the excuse, "no one asked 
me".
Sometimes the leaders need to take the insentive and recruit helpers, and 
tap into the talent out there.
There are very few volunteers......................

Gary Swiatowy

>> WE  LIKE TO BE ASKED
>> By Bob  Helt
>> Yes, we girls liked to be  asked. We liked to be asked for a date, We 
>> like to
>> be asked to go out. We like  to be asked to go to dinner (and have the 
>> fellow
>> pay for everything). We love  it. We even like to be asked to go out with 
>> our
>> girlfriends. Why? Well it sure  makes us feel good. It builds our self
>> esteem. It complements our own feelings  about ourselves. It is exciting. 
>> It is ?
>> living?. In fact the ultimate is to be  asked to marry the guy we admire 
>> most and
>> are in love  with.
>> We also like to be asked to  do things that may involve our time or 
>> effort
>> when the feeling is that the  people asking really value our 
>> participation and
>> help. It gives us satisfaction  to think that someone really values us 
>> and our
>> involvement. In addition the  opportunities for accomplishing challenging
>> tasks increases our knowledge and  self worth. Psychologists often say 
>> that
>> accomplishment within a job offers the  greatest satisfaction, rather 
>> than money or
>> perks.
>> But the guys say, you girls  aren?t the only ones who like to be asked. 
>> We
>> get great satisfaction by being  asked out by our girlfriends too. In 
>> fact our
>> feelings aren?t much different  from you gals. We love to be asked to 
>> join the
>> team (even if we don?t follow  thru).  Being asked tells us that  the 
>> other
>> party values our knowledge, friendship and help.
>> On the other side, just  imagine how you feel when your friends are 
>> chosen
>> for some activity but you are  not. You are unappreciated. You are an 
>> outcast.
>> It tends to work both  ways.
>> GETTING  VOLUNTEERS
>> OK, let?s consider the  question of getting volunteers for accomplishing 
>> some
>> activity or project. Let?s  say we are in charge of some charity project 
>> and
>> need unpaid help to accomplish  our goals. Well, we could just sit at our 
>> desk
>> and wait until the right people  walk thru our door. Will that work?
>> We could maybe advertise  for volunteers in the local papers or with 
>> posters
>> in the neighborhood. How will  that work? We might get some people who
>> perceive the need for their help and  understand the implied benefits of
>> volunteering. Maybe, depending on how the ads  were worded.
>> But I?ll bet that by  personally contacting prospective candidates and
>> personally explaining why they  are needed and how much their help would 
>> be valued
>> would get more volunteers.  People like to be asked. It makes them feel 
>> good.
>> If you are seeking unpaid  volunteers, you have to sell the job to them. 
>> There
>> is no money involved so you  have to emphasize how much they are needed 
>> and
>> how valuable their contribution  would be. And how much job satisfaction 
>> they
>> will enjoy from their  participation.
>> So which path would you  suggest that CORSA takes when they need 
>> volunteers
>> to participate in some  activity?
>>