We had one little old lady volunteer who took over the desk at our branch
museum one morning a week.  She advised visitors that it would take them
four hours to see the place (which you could actually do in under an hour
without missing too much), told them off if she didn't like their
behaviour or dress, argued with the visitor services staff & other
volunteers - in public - and had fights with museum security.  She was
particularly awful with children.  Teachers with unbooked groups (who
were quite entitled to visit) might as well have tried to get past a
dragon.  She would also trap innocent visitors asking simple questions
and drag them around the place for hours, given half a chance.  Everybody
was frankly terrified of her.  We tried all the usual counselling
techniques, quiet meetings over coffee, assessments, peer pressure - if
she didn't think you were asking her advice about some other volunteer,
she dismissed any criticism as rubbish.  Myself (senior person on-site),
the Volunteer Co-ordinator, our Department Head - we didn't actually
involve the Director, but we thought about it - we all tried to talk to
her.  We suggested that since she had increasing difficulty negotiating
stairs (she had taken possession of our branch sever years before, and
now walked with a cane) she might prefer a nice behind the scenes job
with our main library.  She loved that - but still turned up at our
branch on her regular morning - and used the 'walking problem' to avoid
morning briefing sessions!  She stayed, triumphant to the end, until our
branch was actually closed.

I can't recommend shutting down your museum as a means of getting rid of
an unwanted volunteer (and she still haunts the library), but it
certainly is effective!

Heleanor Feltham
[log in to unmask]


 -----Original Message-----
From: owner-museum-l [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, 31 January 1999 13:26
To: MUSEUM-L
Subject: volunteer horror stories

I am presenting a session at our state museum conference on dealing with
difficult volunteers.  I'm looking for real examples of real problems
you have encountered with a difficult volunteer, plus how you solved the
problem!

Regards,
Susan Young
Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
Springdale, Arkansas