I do think that volunteers are not just assistants in museum work. The
museums fulfil their cultural duty to reach and involve as many people as
possible with their themes by having volunteers. It is the same as having
visitors: The museums would have half the work, if they need not to have
visitors, ugly visitors, misunderstanding visitors, harassing visitors. But
that's part (a large part) of their job. It would be even nicer, if the
museums could select their visitors at the gate by a psychological and
scientific test: only let the good guys in .....
Therefore, look on the volunteer issue in that way: you are doing it,
because it it your job. Even the old, stubborn ladies !!!! The easy people
might not be the only target group!
Greetings to you, my fellow culturians,
Peter
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This mail is a natural product. The slight variations in spelling and
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be considered flaws or defects.
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Robert T. Handy <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
An: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Datum: Montag, 1. Februar 1999 16:12
Betreff: Re: volunteer horror stories
>Has anyone ever heard of the idea that you can and sometimes should, fire
>bad volunteers? How much staff time was wasted on, how much bad will was
>generated by this particular volunteer? Doesn't sound to me like it was
>worth it. Yes, she would be upset. Yes, it is difficult to do. But would
>you tolerate that from a paid employee? No. Would a paid employee be upset
>if he/she was fired? Yes. So where is the difference?
>
>
>------
>Robert Handy
>Brazoria County Historical Museum
>100 East Cedar
>Angleton, Texas 77515
>(409) 864-1208
>museum_bob
>[log in to unmask]
>http://www.bchm.org
>
>----------
>From: Heleanor Feltham[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: Monday, February 01, 1999 6:39 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: FW: volunteer horror stories
>
>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
>
|
