President's Logbook
By Jim Fetig
As summer sizzles toward a cooler and colorful autumn, it’s when the club begins preparing for the year ahead. In this case, that translates to building the 2027 budget, officer elections, and our centennial celebrations. These are the obvious things. However, much more happens behind the scenes.
Recently, Jayne Mayne, VP for Volunteerism, and I met with the president of the Beijing, China hiking association at PATC headquarters in Vienna. He was interested in the club and its mission. Like most folks from other countries, he was fascinated by the concept of volunteering.
Over the years, especially in my previous service with AmeriCorps, the quasi-governmental agency responsible for promoting volunteerism in our country, I’ve met with many international delegations wanting to learn more about volunteering.
Volunteering is almost uniquely an American concept. It arose out of the colonial period when people volunteered to help their neighbors build barns and clear fields. Volunteers supported the American Revolution and Ben Franklin started the first volunteer fire department in Philadelphia. Later, faith-based charitable causes and philanthropy entered the picture.
The most common question that comes up is why volunteers work for free. Conceptually, people are supposed to be paid for work. When you tell them that our volunteers consider their activities to be recreation, not work, the dissonance is obvious. It doesn’t make sense if it’s outside of your culture.
Of course, the reason people volunteer is more complex than that. The concepts of public service, giving back, being meaningful, and making a demonstrable difference add to the tapestry of meaning. For retirees, especially, remaining a relevant member of society is important.
In addition to the afore mentioned concepts, being trusted stewards of public land, having unique responsibility, the ability to take initiatives, building a repertoire of useful skills, and the pride that is derived from those efforts adds to a deep sense of satisfaction for our volunteers.
I should also mention that volunteering affords the opportunity to collect really cool tools and toys. It’s a gear junkie’s paradise.
In my case, I’ve been tending the same AT section in Shenandoah National Park since 2015. Some days I’m king. On other days I’m more like a plastic surgeon. Awarding tenure to a well-functioning stone waterbar is like exercising kingly power while nipping and tucking other structures and blowdowns has an aesthetic all of its own. In particular, clearing thorny vegetation is akin to repelling an invading army. At the end of the day, it’s about taking pride in a job done well.
Meanwhile, make sure to secure your Early Bird Registration for our upcoming CentennialFest. The fest will be the first weekend in October. Also, a warm welcome Bob Malkowski as our new Supervisor of Outreach. Bob continues to serve as co-chair of the hikes committee.
If you’re interested in training, please sign up for the Hoodlum’s annual September workshop.