I agree that volunteers should have the benefit of "free" memberships. 
I qualify the use of the word "free" because they certainly invest
enough of themselves that it really isn't "free" at all ... at the very
least, it is a fair trade.

In our case, a free membership to staff would get a bit tricky.  Our
Museum is operated for the Nova Scotia Museum by the Board of Directors
of the Lunenburg Marine Museum Society.  We are employed directly by the
Board, not the Province.

Although we can certainly be members of the Society, we cannot become
members of the Board because of a direct conflict of interest ... we'd
become our own employer.  However, with enough people in the Society, we
could easily influence the outcome of the voting for the Board.  

Heather

Heather-Anne Getson
Historian,  Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia 
[log in to unmask]
http://fisheries.museum.gov.ns.ca
902.634.4794  ext.230

>>> John E Simmons <[log in to unmask]> 1/24/2008 11:03 AM >>>
Right on.  I think volunteers should get free membership and they
should
also have job descriptions.  They do invest a lot in your institution,
and
these are simple ways of recognizing their input.

I would go one step further and give your paid staff museum memberships
as
well.  I once worked for an organization that included all staff (from
director to housekeeping) as members.  The next place I worked did
not--staff had to pay to be members.  The difference in how invested
the
staff felt in the institution as a whole was significant.  What the
memberships did was enlarge feelings of staff loyalty from the
particular
work unit to the whole institution.

To ask someone who is already working for you (whether in a paid or
volunteer position) to also pay to be a member is a bit of an insult.

--John

John E. Simmons
Museologica
1528 ½ Puddintown Road
State College, Pennsylvania 16801
[log in to unmask] 
303-681-5708

On Jan 24, 2008 9:30 AM, Nicola Sarn <[log in to unmask] >
wrote:

>  We have been having the same conversation recently. I am an advocate
for
> free museum membership for docents. They are not just volunteers as
they
> truly invest their hearts and minds in the museum. Being a docent is
much
> like being a staff member as they have to study, they are required to
have
> certain skills and keep abreast of museum happenings. Anyone
investing so
> much of their free time to help the museum should not have to pay to
be a
> member when in spirit and commitment they already are. It is
gratefulness
> that should ensue in thanking them profusely on a regular basis and
giving
> them as many free benefits as possible.
>
>
>
> *Nicola Warren Sarn *
>
> School and Educator Services Coordinator
>
> Columbus Museum
>
> 1251 Wynnton Road
>
> Columbus, Georgia 31906
>
> Phone: 706.748.2562, ext. 653
>
> Fax: 706.748.2570
>
>
> E-mail: [log in to unmask] 
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
*On
> Behalf Of *Keni Sturgeon
> *Sent:* Wednesday, January 23, 2008 7:26 PM
> *To:* [log in to unmask] 
> *Subject:* [MUSEUM-L] Volunteers and membership
>
>
>
> Hello all,
>
> I know these questions have gone around before (should volunteers be
> required to be members? should their membership be free or should
they pay?)
> , but i have a different spin to ask about this topic:
>
> Has anyone included a free museum membership as a benefit of being a
> regular, committed volunteer and if so, have you noticed if adding
such a
> membership helped to increase your volunteer recruitment?
>
> Thanks,
> Keni
>
>
>
> Keni Sturgeon
> Curator
> Mission Mill Museum
> 1313 Mill Avenue
> Salem, OR 97306
> 503-585-7012, ex. 232
> [log in to unmask] 
>
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
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