The Open File - Volunteers
Submitted by
NM Zug on Tue, 06/02/2009 at 6:38am.
The Open File
by Life Master Mike Petersen (Zug)
Volunteers
I just got through doing some volunteer work for a local public television station in my area. We had a TV auction that lasted for a week and I was doing some auctioneering on live television. It was an absolute blast. I had to man a "board" with eight items on it that I was to hawk in about four minutes while I was on the air. I was given a cheat sheet on each item so I could refer to it while selling it to the viewers. If they wanted to bid, they would call in to other volunteers manning the phones. It was pure pandemonium. I could see and hear all kinds of racket going on around me while I was in front of the camera, but the engineers would filter out all the background noise so the people at home could hear my voice. Yeah, I was nervous the first time, but after a couple of "board fulls" of items, it got to be easy ... and fun!
But what has this got to do with chess? Plenty. Think for a moment. All the people who run the local clubs and state organizations are volunteers. Most of the people directing local tournaments are volunteers. After the auction ended, I thought about the similarities and differences between chess volunteer work and the kind I did. It wasn't very complimentary to chess. For one thing, the work we did for the public television station was appreciated by all involved. We received thanks and a party afterward to really press it home. We all had a good time...and for a good cause. Then there's chess. You do all the work for absolutely no thanks. The players at the club will complain about the lack of tournaments or the lack of ladder play or something. They will complain to you about the state organization or the state tournament or something else. If you are one of the officers, you will be accused of all sorts of shenanigans by people who should know better. I know this to be true because I have been a chess volunteer, both on the local and state level. I served as president of my local club several times and president of my state association three times. As I think back on it, only about once or twice was I ever thanked for my work. Worse, I was accused of all sorts of abuses of the offices I held.
The unfortunate fact is that my experience is typical. I know many people who have volunteered for various chess functions, and they all tell the same story. Chess volunteers are simply not appreciated. That's why I refuse to do anymore local or state work for chess unless I am compensated for my trouble, for trouble is exactly what it is. I love chess, but hate the way volunteers are treated.
I think the reason it took me so long to learn is because I was never in the armed forces and didn't get exposed to that sage military advice: never volunteer.
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