Request for Recommendations

[ThunderingWind]

Crew Advisors:

The PWC TLC Advisory Board is calling for each Advisor to submit a few names of their outstanding youth. We have listed the categories below. Action on some of the categories will not be taken until May or June, but we want to have the names now to work on the various items.

1. Recruiter - this youth is always talking positive about Venturing and always invites his/her friends to Crew events. This person is your walking bill board for the Venturing Program.

2. Leadership - this youth is either one of your active officers or the quiet leader that everyone looks to for direction when the crew is at an impasse.

3. Communications - this youth takes an active role in making sure you Crew is communicating with each other and making sure the information is getting out.

4. Hard Charger - may not be an officer but strives to make your Crew the best Crew it can be.

We need your nominations sent back to me no later than NEXT Sunday, 15 February.

For the newer Crews in the Council, you already have youth that fit the above categories. We want their names/nominations as well.

OK, so this was the text of an e-mail sent to all Advisors in the Council.

Only two Crews responded. One being that the Crew is reorganizing and can not provide any names at this time.

What words did we, the Advisory Board, use in the above message that would make you NOT respond at all?

[Nuts4Scouts]

WHY do you need their names/nominations?

Are you putting them to work on committees?

Are you giving them awards?

Are you writing an article for the Council Newsletter?

WHY?

[FieldSports]

TW,

I read your request to be looking for help in these areas. However, after years and years of working with BSA, Lions, Sports, Church, and Civic groups, there is a very hard and fast rule -- No one, and I mean no one, volunteers through an email request. You are wasting your time with this form of communication for this type of request. Now, I know someone on this forum will say they volunteered or always answer these emails, they however are the very rare exception. (Please, if you do want to post that you have volunteered, then please also include the number of similar emails you have completely ignored.)

My 2cents worth. If you want youth involved (or for that matter any volunteer), you will have to ask in person, face to face. Emails are too easy to ignore. A person asking "can you help me with ....?" will get far more attention and results.

Use email to communicate facts, times, schedule changes, etc.

Good luck.

PS "Words" that I would not respond too.

"TLC" - tender loving care? Not everyone may understand the acronym.
"Calling" - I am not a dog. Also, I do not respond well to a demand from an organization that I volunteer for without knowing what you want.
"Action" - I clearly read that to be, you want volunteers and they will be forced into this. My youth are already busy. Find your own.
"but we want" - You can "request a minute of my time" or "are in need of help" I want $1M in my bank account, but I have what I need.
Lastly, if you are not taking "action" until "May or June......", why should I bother with a response due mid Feb.?
Not meaning to be harsh, but you did ask.

Correcting all this (with everything explained and flowery) and the hard and fast rule above still applies!!

[ThunderingWind]

Interesting..........this e-mail was actually a follow up to a letter written to each Advisor that included much more information.

Phone calls do not seem to work here either. We only have two Advisors that will return them.

As to the Acronym...we have used it enough here in our communnications that our Advisors know that the TLC is the Teen Leaders Council and PWC is Penn's Woods Council.

We are small. We are talking ten Crews, not counting two Staff Crews (Summer Camp and a District Day Camp).

[kwildman]

Round table would be the place i make requests like this.

I agree with Fieldsports if you want answers i would call the leaders and ask them directly.

[FieldSports]

Ours is VOA. Venture Officer Association. Just curious, the email seems to be from adults. If so, have you tried having the youth send the request (or call) to the Presidents?

[ThunderingWind]

Round table would be the place i make requests like this.

I agree with Fieldsports if you want answers i would call the leaders and ask them directly.

A this time with only an average of two Crews per District, a roundtable is not feasable. We are trying to do it at a Council level with ten total Crews.

[ThunderingWind]

Just curious, the email seems to be from adults. If so, have you tried having the youth send the request (or call) to the Presidents?

Yes, this is from the Advisory Board - the adults. We were contacting the Advisors for each Crew.