Structure

Structure

Roy

Registrant
On two seperate occasions, I was in the position of managing and coordinating the activities of volunteers at non-profit social service providers. It was my responsibility to screen the volunteers for their suitability to the various positions and assign them as needed. It was important to match the volunteers with the activities that were to be carried out, taking into account the experience and ability of the volunteer. The volunteers were accountable to me, and I in turn was accountable to my supervisor. Some time and effort had gone into the process of developing structure and procedures so that the needs of the organization and its clients were met, taking into consideration the needs and safety of our volunteers.

Grass roots organizations such as this are utterly dependent on their volunteers who play a key role in its operation. Therefore it is vital that they are provided with the necessary training and support so they are well equipped to perform their duties. Given the inherent volatility of the subject matter discussed here at malesurvivor , the role of the volunteer moderators is crucial.

I am wondering if moderators for this site are being given adequate screening, training, and support. I wonder if the necessary structure is in place to help them do their job effectively and to protect them from harm. It appears that this organization has evolved from humble beginnings and is experiencing rapid growth. It is understandable that such structure may not have been developed yet, however, now is the time. I am eternally grateful to the moderators of malesurvivor for their contributions. Without them this valuable resource might not be available to the many who need it.

This may not be the ideal location for this post but I did not know where else to place it. This topic does affect all of us here, though, so maybe this is the perfect place to discuss this matter. Perhaps somebody else has had experience with volunteer coordination and organizational procedures that are relevant here. Thoughts and ideas are welcome, and hopefully will be reviewed by the appropriate parties.
 
Roy
Thanks for your constructive post - I agree that support, training and guidelines are so important here. We are in the process of doing just that and can use all of the advice and suggestions from someone who has had some experience.

I'll look forward to hearing your ideas and the ideas of others for how to make it better.

.......t
 
Richard wrote:
"Except for our wonderful Administrator, who works very part time, we are entirely volunteer."

Lest it sound like we have a paid officer, the person is Trisha, our ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT who does a fabulous job for little money. ;)

Ken
 
Richard, thanks for your reply. I hope the men who come here understand better what we are about.

I am grateful for the conference and the retreats I attended in the last two years! Thanks.
 
It is good some of us have a couple of weeks of vacation coming up. We have a lot of work to do on these guidelines etc. It seems to me that we are getting a lot of ideas. Now I need to print them out because I can't figure out how to do an editing job on the computer--plus I liike to greatly enlare the type.

Life is never boring.

Moderators do get a lot of support. Many members are very kind in their remarks and the Administrative part of our team is really good at supporting us when times are difficult.

Thanks for your personal support Roy--you often make my day, and I love your wit. I envy it a bit too.

Bob
 
Roy
thanks for that, and I hope I'm never too old or proud to learn or take advice.

I stopped learning in my early teens, and only started again about 6 years ago.
It's a steep curve sometimes, but suddenly I've begun to enjoy the challenges.

Dave
 
I want to agree with & affirm what Bob says. Our administrators have been terrific in supporting us & working with us. It's a pleasure to work with them.

I also want to say thank you to the many people who have posted or sent PMs of encouragement, support, and practical suggestions, both to myself, and to other moderators & our administrators.

Take care all

Wuame
 
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