Lesson learned re: volunteering

[Walt34]

I don't think I'll ever "volunteer" again; I might join an organization I'm interested in, or donate (not my time). I've been soured on the experience.

So much depends on the other people involved. I've written before about the petty bickering backstabbing environment in a store unloading trucks after HS.

Before that I had a job in a gas station, back when they hired HS and college kids to pump the gas, check the oil, etc. That job was actually fun in spite of the occasional PITA customer because the guys I worked with were such a hoot to be around.

And in the model airplane club we were all pretty much on the same page as to goals and how to get there so there wasn't much in the way of strong disagreements or domineering egos.

 

[healthyandfun]

Can sympathize with the OP. I learned early on to pick and choose my volunteer activities wisely. I had had great success with a local organization at their main location. Loved the people and activities. They asked me to run a table at a street fair very close to my home. Little did I realize, I had to go to the main site, fill my entire car with stuff the day before, tote it to my spot in the fair, run it as a one man show all day (bathrooms a mile away), pack stuff back to the car, and take it back to the center the next day. Never again!! Now, I ask questions before I sign up for anything. Finished a morning gig recently where we did science experiments with elementary age children. Loved to see them learning!

 

[LitGal]

Have been burned several times by the back-stabbing and politics (in charitable non-profits, nonetheless!).

So, now, before agreeing to help, I sniff out the situation. If there's the faintest whiff of such BS, I quietly exit.

i used to get paychecks for refereeing such nonsense. And the pay wasn't worth it.

The freedom and peace of ER are too precious......

 

[iac1003]

+1000!

We threw out our condo board in our building in NYC. And many board members in high-priced buildings are subject to lawsuits.

Not my cup of tea.

Not sure what I will do for volunteering in my upcoming retirement. But, none of those things above. Once politics is mixed in, I am outta there fast. Don't like it in w*rking life, detest it in my free time.


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[ExFlyBoy5]

We threw out our condo board in our building in NYC. And many board members in high-priced buildings are subject to lawsuits.

Not my cup of tea.

Not sure what I will do for volunteering in my upcoming retirement. But, none of those things above. Once politics is mixed in, I am outta there fast. Don't like it in w*rking life, detest it in my free time.


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This brings up a question. In my HOA, several folks are wanting me to be the president. I don't mind too much since it's a small neighborhood and responsibilities would be minimal. BUT...years ago the HOA was sued by someone who had their car vandalized...and I don't need to be named in a lawsuit because something stupid. Anyone have any background or experience in this?

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.

 

[REWahoo]

This brings up a question. In my HOA, several folks are wanting me to be the president. I don't mind too much since it's a small neighborhood and responsibilities would be minimal. BUT...years ago the HOA was sued by someone who had their car vandalized...and I don't need to be named in a lawsuit because something stupid. Anyone have any background or experience in this?

Based on my experience as both a HOA board member and president - don't do it. No matter what, refuse to serve if the HOA won't purchase a Directors & Officers Liability policy.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/what-hoas-need-know-about-do-insurance.html

 

[Choices]

Based on my experience as both a HOA board member and president - don't do it. No matter what, refuse to serve if the HOA won't purchase a Directors & Officers Liability policy.

What HOAs Need to Know About D&O Insurance | Nolo.com

Absolutely, no way I serve w/o a D&O policy in place. At one time I was on 4 boards at ONCE.. Two were little theatre groups, talk about bickering!! Now I just help file shopping carts and shelves at a food bank

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Based on my experience as both a HOA board member and president - don't do it. No matter what, refuse to serve if the HOA won't purchase a Directors & Officers Liability policy.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/what-hoas-need-know-about-do-insurance.html

Thanks, I certainly appreciate the input. I was hesitant before but I do enjoy being involved and whereas most of the board members have been around the block more than a few times, I'm the young whippersnapper that they have felt could breathe new life into the organization. But...I know they don't have the insurance, so that'll be a no go.

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.

 

[Meadbh]

FlyBoy, I am shocked that the Board does not have directors' insurance. That's false economy. Do not agree to join the Board unless they get it first.

My condo board has $5 million in directors' and officers' liability coverage. The rider cost only a few hundred $.

 

[2B]

Thanks, I certainly appreciate the input. I was hesitant before but I do enjoy being involved and whereas most of the board members have been around the block more than a few times, I'm the young whippersnapper that they have felt could breathe new life into the organization. But...I know they don't have the insurance, so that'll be a no go.

Don't be so sure about them actually wanting you to breathe new life into the organization. I was elected president of a fly fishing club. I had helped in various positions before so I thought I knew how the club worked. I also knew they had several thousand dollars in the treasury that grew by a few hundred dollars each year. As president I proposed a plan to bring in "name" speakers to have presentations/seminars to get good local media exposure, provide a benefit to the members and slowly spend down the treasury. Most of the board was enthusiastic and we had a plan to spend the treasury down over a 5 year period knowing that we would probably grow in membership from the enhanced programs. One board member didn't agree. There was a provision in the bylaws that gave past-presidents a vote at board meetings if present. This guy rounded up past-presidents from decades past. Some I hadn't seen in over a decade. They came together to "save the treasury" and voted down the plan at the next board meeting. I immediately resigned but (foolishly) agreed to finish out my term where absolutely nothing different was done and the treasury continued to grow.

 

[athena53]

I've had good and bad volunteer experiences. I served as District Treasurer for an international organization I won't name because it does so much good (I'm now back to being an officer at the Club level and have been a member for 10 years). The experience just about killed me. I understand that controls are needed when money is involved, but this went way beyond that. I was also the guinea pig for their new accounting system which had nasty defaults (e.g. they had already ordered the Club's bank accounts numerically so if you didn't remember to pick the checking account from the drop-down box when booking a transaction it defaulted to the Money Market account). Any request to change some of the major headaches was met with "it can't be done". At the end of my term the Audit Committee did a hatchet job on me because I'd lost a few pieces of paper.

And then just last year they asked me to be Treasurer again.

I had much better experiences on the Board of Directors of my professional society- served 2 terms. We did deal with a nasty lawyer who threatened a lawsuit against us. I put him in his place when he assumed none of us had read the French portions of the paperwork (dealt with a member practicing in Quebec). Guess what I studied in HS and still remembered. Volunteer work for my professional society gave me a great network and I needed it a few times when changing jobs.

I'm also on the church vestry (governing committee). That turned out to be more work than expected because I filled an unexpired term of someone who moved away, then a 3-year term, and it was extended another year when our priest left and we had to run things with supply priests in his absence. My last meeting is tonight! (But I'm on the Finance Committee now. ) Good people, good stuff to do, but too much worrying about budgets. I have to keep remembering that this is not MY budget.

There will probably be other opportunities, but, like others here, I'm cautious. And if it involves asking for money, get me outta here.

 

[freebird5825]

My first volunteer gig after FIRE was being a volunteer driver for the DAV Transportation Netw*rk. I did that for almost 2 years. The guys loved me from the first day when I introduced myself as "the crazy woman driver from near NYC". We had a blast.

But...there was drama going on between the main office and the office I was based at. None of it involved me, but every time I reported for duty, I had to listen to it. The dispatcher was pretty crabby.
I tried to explain to him that I needed to get going with my clipboard and find all my passengers, but he kept droning on and on and on...

So I had to quit. It all reminded me of my former j*b.

I am still a VA Volunteer, but not as part of a group. I do favors for veterans one-on-one as a need presents itself. Much better approach for me. If I hear of an event at a Legion or VFW post, I just show up as an extra pair of helping hands.

No meetings, no crap to deal with. Hallelujah!

 

[Gotadimple]

This brings up a question. In my HOA, several folks are wanting me to be the president. I don't mind too much since it's a small neighborhood and responsibilities would be minimal. BUT...years ago the HOA was sued by someone who had their car vandalized...and I don't need to be named in a lawsuit because something stupid. Anyone have any background or experience in this?

Sent from my mobile device so please excuse grammatical errors.

Check your CC&Rs. They will outline what type of insurance coverage the association must purchase. Then, ask the board to tell you what the current policy covers. Most carriers include D&O liability as a part of the packages of coverages they provide.

If there is no D&O Liability, gently decline until the association corrects the 'oversight.'

Rita

 

[LinCella]

Found volunteering was not for me. If I'm going to get dressed and out of the house and not get paid I found myself becoming resentful. Now I do volunteer events, like one-time clean-ups of the Bay or helping the day of a "walk for..." Just can't handle scheduled have-to-be-there things anymore.

 

[iac1003]

My DH who has never been a quitter in his life, has been volunteering many many hours a month in our community since he retired. One of his 'jobs' is as editor of the monthly neighborhood newsletter. He included an article this month from a neighbor who asked for the neighborhood association to be more open and inclusive (a very common complaint in these parts).

Now the NA (it's not an HOA) want to oversee or limit what types of articles he publishes.

I told him, "Honey, if it's not fun any more, don't do it." Seems like he's going to resign from this position shortly. He's 72 years old. Life's too short for this nonsense.




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Well DH pulled the plug on his volunteer editing gig today. It was just getting worse and worse with no appreciation for what he was trying to do. For free. For at least 20-30 hours a month.

He says he has no regrets. That's good.


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[SDHiker]

I am not retired yet, but I do some volunteering. I have been on several boards over the years, PTA, Band Boosters, Church, and professional organizations. I vowed to never serve on another board. Now I do jobs, like a newsletter or actual labor, but am sticking with the "no board positions" policy. And my husband is adamantly opposed to ever living in an HOA, so we won't have that to deal with.

 

[ohyes]

Lisa,


I am with you...and the others. Do not put up with it. I switched organizations (hospice) after volunteering for a decade. The volunteer coordinator at the state level was getting on my nerves with her directives.


I heard later, from my volunteer coordinator at the local level that the state person felt, "These volunteers need to treat this as a job."


Uh, N.O. But, that did explain how the state person felt comfortable with the things she had been asking/requiring.


The organization I have been with the last couple years seems to actually value their volunteers. Life comes first, do what you can and we value it so much...over and over and over again they tell us that. Yes, that feels much, much more like volunteering as I expected it to be.

 

[marko]

Well DH pulled the plug on his volunteer editing gig today. It was just getting worse and worse with no appreciation for what he was trying to do. For free. For at least 20-30 hours a month.

He says he has no regrets. That's good.


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But isn't it the greatest feeling in the world to just say: "sorry kids, don't need your crap; see ya!"

 

[jfn111]

I volunteer on Friday mornings at the local food bank. They instituted a new program of "team leads" for each shift.
It's starting to feel like a job.

 

[Chuckanut]

But isn't it the greatest feeling in the world to just say: "sorry kids, don't need your crap; see ya!"

You might enjoy this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqBNSMbEzI0

 

[marko]

You might enjoy this:

Chuckanut: Not sure if this is a glitch but my email notification telling me of your reply linked me to that Social Security book referenced on another thread.

When I go directly to this site (here) I get the video link.

No biggie, but not sure if something funny might be going on.

 

[Chuckanut]

Chuckanut: Not sure if this is a glitch but my email notification telling me of your reply linked me to that Social Security book referenced on another thread.

When I go directly to this site (here) I get the video link.

No biggie, but not sure if something funny might be going on.

Initially, I had accidently copied in the SS book link. But, it was quickly replaced with the Youtube link. Perhaps some wires got crossed for a few seconds?

 

[marko]

Initially, I had accidently copied in the SS book link. But, it was quickly replaced with the Youtube link. Perhaps some wires got crossed for a few seconds?

Ok. Just a little paranoid. Sounds like it's no issue.

 

[fidler4]

Ok. Just a little paranoid. Sounds like it's no issue.

Try this link:

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[imoldernu]

I missed this thread, but just for purposes of venting, a personal experience, and perhaps a lesson for anyone who could be leasing/buying in Florida. Outdated information but a lesson in buyer beware.

First, an explanation of Florida law back in the early 2000's. When leasing land and bringing in a mobile/manufactured home, the owner of the development was required to present a "Prospectus"... delineating the responsibilities for owner, lessee... for maintaining the property, (both sides) and a rental clause.

In our case, the prospectus had a clause that limited the rent increases to the maximum of the CPI or $5/mo. Legally... the prospectus went with the lease, and was transferrable at the point of sale ad infinitum.

I was a member of the HOA in 1995 when the Retirement Community changed ownership. The new owners (soon after purchase) changed the prospectus to read "the maximum of the CPI or 5%/mo.

I saw the implications in this by doing my homework, but was overruled by the other board members who wanted the new owners to "like" them. Though I argued and explained the situation, the president of the board and the other members branded me as a trouble maker, and would not seek legal protection.
In two years, the new owners quietly submitted a legal change, which effectively caused a loss of the $5 vs. 5% protection. Hardly noticed by the residents, because the rents were relatively low at the time...

Other retirement communities with similar "limitation" policies were wise enough to do the right thing, and protect their legal rights.

Long and short... We have owned/rented under the original Prospectus, and our "rent" is now $370/mo. ... resulting from the compounding of the $5/mo increase over the years. Theoretically this should apply to every home in the community, even if the homes changed hands.. Unfortunately, because of the board's bad decision, and refusal to retain legal counsel... Those who bought under the new prospectus are now paying $570/mo. This makes selling more difficult...rental of $7,000/yr, versus what should have been $4500.

My Volunteering since that time, (when I was branded a pariah) has been limited to personal, non organizational works. Teaching, and personal counselling. Hard to deal with older persons who "know what they know" in a group effort.

(I don't know what the current Florida laws are concerning the "Prospectus", but would suggest to anyone buying into a Condo or Retirement community, that they read the details.) We had a similar but much less costly change in our current CCRC... again because of bad advice (from a lawyer in this case).

HOA's are only as good as the intelligence and dedication of the people who "volunteer"... Older, is not necessarily better, and "richer" not necessarily better than less rich.