TexasRachel Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Does anyone else think this is dumb? Dd is volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club now. She did it a little during the summer, but wanted to continue through the school year. They were ecstatic. I drop her off and they tell me it'll be $20. Um, what? Yeah because she's under 18 she has to pay. I'm waiting to talk to the actual director (who had mentioned trying to arrange the budget to pay dd) to find out more information. How is that not ridiculous? Needless to say, dd is very upset, but no way are we paying for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Yes, definitely dumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dahliarw Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I wonder if it's for insurance? Either way, dumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Wow. Dumb. I wouldn't pay, either. If I want to donate money, I will. If I want to donate time, I will. If I want to do both, I will. However, if morons told me I HAD to pay to donate my time, I'd laugh in their face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 $20 for the year? Maybe it pays for her t-shirt and some snacks? I mean, I agree that you shouldn't actually have to pay to volunteer somewhere, I'm just trying to see why it might be that they choose to do that. $20 really isn't very much money for a year of doing something. If it will be very valuable to your daughter, I would find a way for her to earn that money so she can volunteer there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Definitely speak to the director to find out more. I'm just theorizing here but that $20 could be for anything from insurance, tee-shirt, snacks, a group trip or training materials to maybe the end of the year party or something. It is so stupid for them to ask someone to pay who is volunteering their time as though it is an actual payment if it isn't. How is that not supposed to strike someone as stupid. I'd have asked them for clarification: "So, wait, my daughter is here to give of her time, energy and efforts to your organizations and you're going to charge us for it?" if they didn't blush and clarify I'd have laughed out loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 So they didn't ask you for money when she volunteered over the summer, did they? It sounds like it's probably just a misunderstanding--someone doesn't quite get what's going on here! Don't waste your energy on being annoyed over it until you talk to the director and confirm what it is they're expecting from you and DD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I can see this happening more now that colleges look at volunteering as an entrance consideration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 how absurd. there are lots of places who'd love to have volunteers. eta: if it was for t-shirts, insurance, etc. they wouldn't have said it was because she was under 18. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Maybe it's for recordkeeping and supervision in connection with school community service requirements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planner Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I agree. It's dumb. To put it in perspective though, I have to pay to be a Girl Scout leader. I have to join each year even though I'm volunteering to lead my daughter's troop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Odd. My son volunteers as a homework helper at our local B&G Club, and he certainly hasn't been asked to pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Oh yeah, and probably a background check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I agree that it seems silly, but I think the experience is probably a valuable one and I would just pay and be done with it. I hope she has a rewarding experience this year! Best of luck. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 But yes, it is a shame when nonprofits burden volunteers, sometimes to the point where they don't want to bother. I used to be active with several organizations and it was ridiculous - volunteers who worked with children had to have various checks done at the cost of the organization, and the organizations were operating on a shoestring. And that is not a service anyone pays for. We're talking about mostly elderly retired people working with mostly poor children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Anyone who wants to volunteer to clean my house, great! You'll just have to pay me $20 plus gas. :lurk5: Ridiculous!!! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 LOL we could be missing some big opportunities, now that I think about it. I should put out a sign. "Volunteers welcome, special introductory offer, only $10 each." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 In defense of the organization ----- some "volunteers" (those that are there for reasons not entirely altruistic) are a pain-- they can be unreliable and unmotivated. I would think that the extra cost of insurance and training them would add up if they are flaky and unproductive--- probably enough to make it not worth the "help". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I think it is weird that it wasn't stated up front. Dd and I volunteer at an animal shelter. We paid an initial fee for the t-shirt and training (like $25 per person.) Each year $10 per person. It helps cover administrative costs for the program. I pay it gladly because it is a donation to a cause that runs solely on donations. Also, it is one of the few places that allows volunteers under 18 (children ages 10 to 15 volunteer with an adult sponsor, which means I have to volunteer with her.) She actually does meaningful work - socializing the dogs to teach behaviors to help them be more adoptable, cleaning up after them, walking them, doing laundry, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I agree. It's dumb. To put it in perspective though, I have to pay to be a Girl Scout leader. I have to join each year even though I'm volunteering to lead my daughter's troop. I've never heard of a GSA or BSA troop that didn't cover the leaders' annual memberships. That seems like it should be the first item in the budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I've never heard of a GSA or BSA troop that didn't cover the leaders' annual memberships. That seems like it should be the first item in the budget. Our BSA troop hasn't ever paid leaders dues and neither has our GSA troop. It's just not something that we cover. We do however pay our leaders' BSA summer camp costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Our GSA troop didn't cover leaders' dues either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasRachel Posted August 28, 2013 Author Share Posted August 28, 2013 Still need to talk to the director, but I was told it was a weekly fee. Tshirts, insurance, membership, I'd be fine with. Not so much paying to have my daughter work there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I've never heard of a GSA or BSA troop that didn't cover the leaders' annual memberships. That seems like it should be the first item in the budget. We've been in scouting troops that paid for volunteer registrations and troops that did not pay for volunteer registrations. I've paid to volunteer in *lots* of organizations. I've paid for my own CPR/First Aid training, paid for my own background checks, paid for memberships, paid for other types of training, etc. ETA: Kids under 18 aren't allowed to sign up as adult volunteers in some of the youth programs we've been involved with. They have to register as youths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I've never heard of a GSA or BSA troop that didn't cover the leaders' annual memberships. That seems like it should be the first item in the budget. Our troop has not previously covered adult leaders' registrations nor the Scout Master's summer camp fee. This year we are starting off with a very small group of boys and involved parents and we have discussed covering these fees in the future, as well as adult chaperone's fees for campouts and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Still need to talk to the director, but I was told it was a weekly fee. Tshirts, insurance, membership, I'd be fine with. Not so much paying to have my daughter work there. I'd check and see if it's the same cost as the membership fee. If she's under 18 they may be using her as a volunteer, but also adding her to the list of students being served, for whatever reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Does anyone else think this is dumb? Dd is volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club now. She did it a little during the summer, but wanted to continue through the school year. They were ecstatic. I drop her off and they tell me it'll be $20. Um, what? Yeah because she's under 18 she has to pay. I'm waiting to talk to the actual director (who had mentioned trying to arrange the budget to pay dd) to find out more information. How is that not ridiculous? Needless to say, dd is very upset, but no way are we paying for it. What??? Seriously? The nursing home down the street was happy to have my daughter. No money extracted here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Still need to talk to the director, but I was told it was a weekly fee. Tshirts, insurance, membership, I'd be fine with. Not so much paying to have my daughter work there. $20 PER WEEK to volunteer? Uh, no. I can see $20 a year to cover t-shirt, membership, training, or whatever. $20 per week, I would just say no thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 $20 PER WEEK to volunteer? Uh, no. I can see $20 a year to cover t-shirt, membership, training, or whatever. $20 per week, I would just say no thanks. Oh yeah, I didn't see it as a weekly free. THAT is nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 It sounds to me like they are counting her as a student and not a volunteer. I'd pay the fee for a year but I wouldn't pay that much per week just for the pleasure of helping them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicAnn Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 My dd had her heart set on volunteering at the animal shelter. They wanted $45 for each of us! I told her it would have to wait a few more months. I don't get the paid volunteer stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I've never heard of a GSA or BSA troop that didn't cover the leaders' annual memberships. That seems like it should be the first item in the budget. The pack and troops we were a part of always paid for the leaders dues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 $20 a week? Are you kidding me? Babysitting costs less! It's not physics tutoring, for crying out loud! BTW, the volunteer director at the animal shelter told me that the yearly fee ($10 for repeaters, $25 for new) helps weed out those who aren't serious about it. Also, requiring an adult sponsor helps keep kids from goofing off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 That is just about the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Huh, I have never heard of this. I will be interested in what the director has to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I would be looking for somewhere else for my kid to volunteer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I had to pay for my family to volunteer at a convention...I did it. But, they were up front about the reasons (I don't really agree with them, but I was volunteering to get early entrance to something else...so...I paid). BUT, I would not pay $20 a week for my child to volunteer somewhere. The food bank is free...the community garden is free...Fire on the Rappahannock was free (they even gave my son a t-shirt...of course he put in close to 60 hours for them, too), VBS was free, community baseball was free...my child has never had to pay to volunteer anywhere (not allowed at the Y, must be 18yo to volunteer there). As an adult, I've had to pay some registrations, or other classes I've taken (voluntarily), but our troop has tried to cover the more expensive things...I know they'd like to do more, but at least they do something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemama Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I agree. It's dumb. To put it in perspective though, I have to pay to be a Girl Scout leader. I have to join each year even though I'm volunteering to lead my daughter's troop.Leader here also. In this case the fee is for both a CORI check and insurance. I would guess the Boys & Girls Club uses membership fees to cover insurance as well. ETA ---no way should she have to pay every week. An annual fee, maybe, not weekly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delirium Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 That does seem ridiculous. I wouldn't be comfortable paying it either. As a scout leader I have to register every year, just like my daughter, and I get why but it's dumb! I work more than $15 worth a year. I still wouldn't want our troop paying for leader registration, we have all flavors of scouts times 2 leaders per flavor, and then I'd just have to pay more out of pocket for events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I agree. It's dumb. To put it in perspective though, I have to pay to be a Girl Scout leader. I have to join each year even though I'm volunteering to lead my daughter's troop. I have to pay to buy the T-shirt for my volunteer work as a AWANA listener. I would ask and find out what it is for. But if you can afford it, I'd pay it. $20 is really reasonable and I can think of many reasonable reasons for such a request. It seems to me the problem here is how it was told to you. NM I wouldn't pay weekly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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