As national volunteer appreciation week draws to the end, I think it’s a great time for reflection. As more and more recently I have been getting asked why I volunteer, and to put a number on how much I volunteer.
To be honest, I cannot tell you how many hours I volunteer a week. As I stopped tracking but to roughly break it down for those who like numbers. It varies, but here’s a rough breakdown of what I put in a week for my Beaver Scouts
1 hour- Admin and Parent Communication, a lot of emails. Creating of google forms. And the odd phone call
1.5 hours- Program planning, buying, and organizing all the supplies
1.5 hours- The actual Beaver meeting, set up and clean up included
0.5 hour- Program tracking, keep all their records up to date. That’s 43 kiddos
+ the stuff that doesn’t happen weekly, but more monthly or seasonally
12 hours- Beaver Sleepovers, I am the night owl who doesn’t sleep the whole time.
2 hours- Finances, budgeting, tracking, rolling coins, and ensuring everyone gets reimbursed
2 hours- ordering, sorting, and getting badges ready to be handed out
2 hours- buying and figuring out all the supplies we need for an event outside of our regular meeting
1 hour- Additional parent communication around events
1 hour- Social media and branding
And there’s probably more that’s not in there. See why its best not to attach numbers as then it looks overwhelming.
But why, why do I put in all of these hours for my Beavers, and Scouts Canada. I have been involved with the Guiding and Scouting movements since I was nine, first guiding, then moving to Scouting the past 2 years. I definitely do not do it for the credit or the thanks, I try my hardest to pass those off to the others on the volunteer team. I make sure they know how I appreciate their time and everything they give to our colonies. Since our youngest volunteer on our team is 12 this is key. Because they are all amazing, the colonies would not run without them!
I do not do it for the recognition or thanks from Scouts Canada, or any level of “power”.
I do not do it for my resume, its already packed, so I do not need anything else for it.
I do enjoy badges and crests, they can make all those hours seem worth it, take away my badges and crests I would not be a happy camper.
But no, I do it for the kids. I know the power of the Scouting and Guiding movements; I know the impact they can have on a kid’s life. They are where you find peers and role models. Where you learn about your community and how to become an active citizen. It is the space that challenges you. Where you learn new skills. Where you can make mistakes, fail, and have people still support you.
The Beavers are 5-7, so for them everything we do is amazing and exciting. They come to everything we do yelling, running, and ready to take it on. They want to play, explore, and earn badges. But they also want to help others, protect our environment, and support our community.
I do what I do, all the hours, emails, and rolling of loose change, so that the Beavers can have the best experience possible. As it may be only an hour a week for them, but for some kids that hour is the highlight of their week. For me it is, where else can I run around roaring like a dragon, sing silly songs, eat marshmallows, and do fun crafts, get outside and hike, camp under the stars.
Where else can I see the world through the eyes of a six-year-old, because their view is something quite amazing. Because when the future seems gloomy, the news is awful, and politics make your want to cry, ask a six-year-old what they want to be when they grow up. Ask them about the last dream they had. Ask them what they are wishing for their birthday. They will change your view of the world within a matter of minutes.
I do what I do, I volunteer, because I believe in the kids, the youth, and I believe we must invest in them, to truly build a better world.
Do I get overwhelmed? Want to cry when Scouter tracker doesn’t save all the badge info that took me over an hour to input? Do the emails pile up to the point I need to uninstall the app on my phone? Are there nights the kids are so crazy and we get nothing accomplished from the plan I came to ready with as they had two indoor recesses? Yes, hell yes. But at the end of the day the positive, and all those crests, out weigh the bad and the stress.
Volunteering has become part of my identity and honestly, I cannot imagine a point in my life when it will not be.
So it is important for me to say: thank you to my fellow volunteers, you are appreciated. You matter. Even if no one has thanked you this week. Thank you.
