Do You Volunteer?

[Graham O]

Having seen a few references to Scouting on here, I was wondering how many people here volunteer for some form of youth organisation?

I'm a Civilian Instructor with the Air Cadets.

 

[Maz]

I sometimes help out with Scouts.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

no...but I was in the Army cadet force as a younster...brilliant...we went up Great gable, played war games in the dunes at penhale, did march a shoots at 4am at Crowborough, I learned to strip down a bren gun, we shot live ammunition from .303 rifles, GPMGs, browning pistols on army ranges, went on night exercises, did orienteering exercises....oh yeah and then there was the boot polish and drill....

 

[Flying_Monkey]

You forgot the Woodcraft Folk - the anti-militarist alternative to the scouts set up in the 1920s. And no, I don't help out with them either.

 

[Graham O]

I didn't forget the Woodcraft Folk, I just hadn't heard of them. I am sure I have also forgotten many other worthwhile organisations.

However my aim was not to assess the degree of militarisation of the nation, but how many people voluntarily give up their time to help young people.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

i voted other as i have done time as a school governor.

 

[4F]

Having volunteered my time in the past as treasurer with a local playgroup I was rather put off as it ended up very messy. The former chairperson got sent down for theft from the playgroup and images of child porn on his computer but not before I received various verbal threats to my health to stop thye case. Neadless to say I did not and he is currently serving 18 months in Norwich prison. Rather put me off but I may change my mind in a few years to help with the school pta or as a school governor.

 

[Chuffy]

I spent 3 years on the organising committee of the Leamington Peace Festival. Think Glastonbury only on a much smaller budget.

 

[Kirstie]

I do stuff in my local community, like help organize local events, do the village clean-up that sort of thing. I also volunteer to collect spare textbooks from my colleagues to distribute for free to the prisons we have students in so they can build up libraries where they can study - the prisons don't have the funds to do this currently.

 

[ChrisKH]

Would do so if I had more time. It's not as easy as just turning up though is it? For a start you need to be police checked and then you need to find a pack (Cub/Scout/BB/ATC,ACF etc) who actually want help. The leaders guard their positions jealously; we have one local Akela who refuses help or to split his pack into two despite there being far too many cubs as it will dilute his control and influence. When challenged said he only wanted fully trained leaders for assistants which of course no one is going to accept since they will want their own pack. Politics eh? Even my brother needed to be commissioned by the Queen to lead his ATC squadron.

 

[Globalti]

I used to give blood. Now I travel to Africa they won't take it.

Before I married I gave a lot of sperm, in private.

 

[simoncc]

I used to volunteer for adult literacy classes for very low ability adults at a local college. Then came CRB checks. Soon after I was expected to make bureaucratic, utterly pointless records for the students, charting their progress on 20 odd criteria. Then, amazingly for a volunteer, came performance appraisals! The final straw was when I was expected to sit through presentations about all sorts of politically correct issues for which attendance was mandatory for all college staff, paid or not.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I didn't forget the Woodcraft Folk, I just hadn't heard of them. I am sure I have also forgotten many other worthwhile organisations.

However my aim was not to assess the degree of militarisation of the nation, but how many people voluntarily give up their time to help young people.

Yet the military tendency of your list of organisations is pretty clear - I am not saying that because I am against this, but it is noticeable - so don't be surprised if some people notice. That's all.

 

[4F]

Yet the military tendency of your list of organisations is pretty clear - I am not saying that because I am against this, but it is noticeable - so don't be surprised if some people notice. That's all.

Got to say I have never heard of the woodcraft folk either and I am no spring chicken.

 

[wafflycat]

Here you go..

http://www.woodcraft.org.uk/