I don't know if it's been covered, but I was wondering
(and don't know the answer).  If you give a volunteer
a "title" and you give them specific work to perform
for which you evaluate them, don't you run into the
possibility you might eventually have to pay them?

I'm thinking of the AOL volunteer monitors that wound
up suing AOL.


--- George Garner <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> Hi Matthew,
> 
> It seems to me that the larger problem is how your
> volunteers are evaluated. If someone charged with
> enough responsibility to warrant a title (especially
> "Director of Something Something") does not show up
> enough to fulfill that responsibility then the
> program needs to change. What do you do to train
> these volunteers, then insure they are adequately
> performing the tasks? Is there a minimum amount of
> hours they are required to work in a given
> week/month? 
> 
> Although I'd be nervous about giving a "Director"
> title to a volunteer, it could be a good incentive
> to keep your volunteer crew loyal to your museum.
> Unfortunately, some of them are underperforming. I
> would treat the volunteer program as though it were
> a job, with job descriptions, performance
> evaluations, hour requirements, etc. 
> 
> That's my $0.02. 
> 
> Best,
> 
> George Garner
> Director of Exhibitions
> Center for History
> 808 West Washington, South Bend, IN 46601
> www.centerforhistory.org
> 
> 
> --------
> Celebrate Women's History Month in March at the
> Center for History.  Visit our exhibition about the
> All-American Girls Professional Baseball League,
> which was immortalized by the film, A League of
> Their Own.
> 
> 
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>   From: Museum discussion list
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Matthew Burchette
>   Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2005 2:08 AM
>   To: [log in to unmask]
>   Subject: Volunteers with "titles"
> 
> 
>   Okay, here is another one. I am just full of
> questions this month! Anyway, what do your museums
> do about giving volunteers titles? I am in a
> situation where almost everyone here has a title.
> Mind you it is not "Volunteer Curator" or "Volunteer
> archivist." No, it is "Director of Collections,"
> "Curator of Models," or "Director of Exhibits." Some
> of these people are in the museum once a month -
> maybe. And they have phone extensions and email.
> They also have business cards that give these
> titles! I think this puts out the wrong message to
> the public. What happens when a person calls for the
> "Director of Collections," leaves a message, and
> does not get a return phone call for three days
> cause the person has not come in?! Also, are we
> setting ourselves up for any legal quandaries by
> letting this go on? Now, I will say that the museum
> has been largely run by volunteers for a LOOONG
> time, and most have done - and are doing - a great
> job. But the title things I think has to change.
> 
>   Solutions? Help? Advice? Flaming?
> 
>   Thanks,
>     
>   Matthew 
>   Adopt a Greyhound!
>  
>
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Indigo Nights
[log in to unmask]

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