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General Philatelic/Gen. Discussion : Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

 

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Pogopossum

06 Dec 2018
07:01:27pm
There's an interesting thread under another topic that went a bit off the rails but raised for me an interesting question. How do we volunteer to promote stamp collecting? There are many opportunities, small to large. Contributing a question or an answer to this board is one. Being involved in local activities such as scouts, clubs, and shows are another. Contributions to journals and specialist societies are another.

I still work full time (sigh) and travel quite a bit, and find it very hard to contribute to the hobby except for participation on boards like this. I had planned earlier this year to prepare a presentation through our local community education program about stamp collecting, but never had a chance to develop it.

So my question is this: For those who can, what do you do to promote the hobby? Those who think they don't do much, remember, contributing to this board is significant. I am not looking for a curriculum vitae, merely some admissions of help to the hobby that may give others an idea that they may be able to do it also. Yes, in some ways, this is a "toot your own horn" exercise, and so be it.

Myself? Not much. I did do the volunteer week at APS in Bellefonte, and at the 2016 show. (For some reason I could not get the wife to go along, even when the NYC trip included Amtrak!). I somewhat pledged to return for another volunteer week but have not been able to do so for several years. I do highly recommend the week, the central Pennsylvania area is beautiful, if inaccessible. Happy

What do you do?

Geoff


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michael78651

07 Dec 2018
12:36:30am
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

I have given out packets of stamps to Trick or Treaters instead of candy.

I introduced the hobby to my sons and grandsons. So far it has stuck heavily on one, very lightly on another, while the jury is still out on the other two.

I use stamps on my outgoing mail that the postal clerks ask me questions about. One has started collecting stamps.

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51Studebaker
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Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't

07 Dec 2018
07:53:27am
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

While I used to be more involved physically (i.e. VP of local stamp club, local shows, etc.) I had to transition to ‘digital donations’ due to medical reasons.

For each of the last 5 years, I’ve donated 1500+ man hours a year working on free online resources. This includes development of software, databases, album pages, and other online tools. This time includes digitizing various hardcopy philatelic books to make them freely available to all.

Additionally, I donate approximately 12-15 hours per week working as online Moderator for the SCF forum. I personally email every new member (between 5-8 per day) and welcome them to the community; many are brand new to the hobby. I also occasionally write philatelic articles and give presentations.
Don

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Bobstamp
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07 Dec 2018
08:38:36pm
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

When my wife and I moved to Vancouver in 2001, I revelled in the opportunity to join a well-known stamp club, the British Columbia Philatelic Society. I'd been a member of the Fort George Philatelic Society for a few years in the 1980s, but it went belly-up because of a paucity of members.

At the second or third meeting, another new member said that he was planning to be "the greatest stamp dealer in the world," and that he would build a web site for the club, which had not previously had one. I was skeptical — the guy had bought a complete set of catalogues in a club auction but didn't have the cash to pay for them. When he failed to show at the next auction to pay for and pick up his catalogues, I decided I would work on a web site, and I did.

Within a few weeks I had volunteered to be vice president as well as exhibits chair for VANPEX. Eventually, I served as co-chair of VANPEX and club president. I also presented about a dozen programs featuring items from my own collection; several of the programs were designed to encourage beginning collectors to plunge deeper into collecting.

I was an active member of the club for more than 10 years, but eventually burned out. I became quite depressed at the lack of help offered by other members. There were never more than four or five members who were willing to do more than attend meetings. When one of the member told me that I was "stupid" for suggesting that members bring their own coffee cups so that we didn't use styrofoam cups, I quit. In fact, I walked out of the meeting seething with anger. At the same meeting, the immediate past president informed me that no one in our club ever did anything! I returned for a couple of meetings, but just could not return to my former enthusiasm. Now, Stamporama is my only club. The BC Philatelic Society continues, but its web site, the same one I designed, is not well maintained.

Bob

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TribalErnie

07 Dec 2018
10:08:52pm
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Since you were an active, long term member it seems a shame to have gone out on such a low note. Might there have been a more graceful exit?

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scb
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Collecting the world 1840 to date - one stamp at a time!

08 Dec 2018
03:27:01am
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Not sure if I can talk about volunteering, but...

I write/author. What it basically means that I've written and shared 650+ studies/researches/articles based on my collection and growth as worldwide collector. About 580 of those have been through my SCB website, the rest through various print publications.

For me authoring is a method of clearing my head, focusing on something particular, documenting the unusual etc. But of course making all those write-ups public comes with the bonus of adding up new knowledge for others to enjoy as well as to promote hobby. For example earlier this week I wrote shortly about Syrian forgeries of 1946 airmail stamps that I found from my collection, an earlier topic was a somewhat lengthy book review (upon "Used German hyperinflation era stamps - genuine or not").

As most authors I've also drifted somewhere on the deep waters of DIY-publishing (sharing all those articles have got expenses, and they need to be covered somehow). It's possibly the only part of "volunteering" I don't enjoy so much...Maybe someday in the future I'll simply stop the sharing part and write for my personal pleasure only (just something I have given random thoughts).

Besides writing,I help other "stamp collecting geeks" in building up philatelic software. Sometimes it means being involved in beta-testing, sometimes it means whipping up some code. I've also build up few utilities, most notable being digital (online+offline) perforation gauge, that allows precision up to 0.001 units based on scanned stamp image.

I haven't counted the hours I spent on all this (who does that for thing they love/enjoy), but as a wild stab lets say 5-20 hours a week (depending on how much my work limits collecting activities). So approx. 250-1000 hours a year, and I've doing it for 10 years (ever since I got down with CU).

All in all I think a lot of folks don't realize how much time (and resources) we "digital content producers" spent on creating "stamp edutainment" for others to enjoy. For example ExploringStamps (Graham, the nice chap behind all those stampy Youtube videos) spends approx. 60-70 (and all the way up to 120+) hours for single Youtube video. And BigBlue (Jim) also spends a LOT of of hours whipping up articles for his superb blog. And...

-k-

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51Studebaker
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Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't

08 Dec 2018
06:14:30am
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Hi Bob,
I think that there are ‘givers’ and ‘takers’ in life. The unfortunate truth is that ‘givers’ often get burned out by the inconsiderate actions of the ‘takers’. This is not much different than the horrendous treatment that Vietnam vets like yourself received after the war. ‘Takers’ can be quick to point out mistakes, be harshly criteria, and act entitled. It takes little effort to write a post, it takes little effort to make an inconsiderate comment, it takes little effort to whine. But volunteerism is always greater than virtue signaling.

Only later in life did I learn some important things about remaining positive. First, life is very short and precious. It is easy to get caught up in negativity, so every day I seek to find joy in my life. When I feel myself getting negative I stop and consider something joyful. I might listen to an inspirational song or music, pull out my stamp albums and enjoy, call a friend I haven’t talked to in a while. Whatever the joy is, I find that getting out in front of the negativity is important for me, I cannot let it gain momentum. I am most successful when I nip it in the bud.

I also try to avoid renting head space to the ‘takers’ and have come to grips with knowing that I cannot change them. Additionally I work on not playing the victim role, I accept that there will always be people who will make negative comments and be insulting while they ‘take’ what is being ‘given’ to them. And for me I find it easier to not donate inside a structure like a larger organization; I find I deal with less negativity working in smaller groups. There are plenty of volunteering opportunities, if I find myself feeling taken advantage of then I simply redirect my efforts in another direction.

Aside from finding joy in my own life I also try to bring joy to others; if this is not cathartic for me then I know I have to be more introspective and/or seek changes in what I am doing. The salient point for me not giving up on benevolence but rather changing the altruistic focus.
Don

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TribalErnie

08 Dec 2018
06:57:03am
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Don,
You bring up a great point by contrasting volunteering with virtue signaling. I had never heard it put quite like that but the phrase nails it.

If one storms off in a huff were they volunteering or virtue signaling? Hmmmm

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angore
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Al
Collector, Moderator

08 Dec 2018
07:03:19am
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

It is harder to define a taker. For example, if one pays money for something (joining a club, etc) but does not take in a very active role as an officer, etc. does that make them a taker? It is not black and white. Contributors to the positive aspects to hobby are easier to identify than the opposite.




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51Studebaker
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Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't

08 Dec 2018
07:14:18am
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Hi Al,
I consider people who donate time or money as ‘givers’. If a person does not have money, then donating their time and effort is plenty to be giver. If a person does not have the time or ability to apply effort, then donating money is plenty. I think there is a balance between giving and taking; the question is if the balance is tipping in one direction or the other.

I admit I struggled a bit with something like ‘carbon credit’. It has a feel of ‘buying benevolence’ but in general I think it is ‘giving’. It is only ‘taking’ if a person uses the carbon credit to justify even more carbon discharge and the balance is tipped in one direction.
Don

Edit: And it should be added that giving and taking are not mutually exclusive; a person can be a giver and taker at the same time. Communities like Stamporama and SCF are good examples, they thrives when folks both give and take. Giving includes donating money, supporting the sellers/advertisers, or helping other hobbyists. Taking includes seeking help form other members. And it is great if folks do both give and take. But there are some who only take or take far more than they give. Obviously if everyone did that then the community would not thrive.

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cdj1122
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..

09 Dec 2018
12:24:36pm
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

" .... Takers’ can be quick to point out mistakes,
be harshly criteria, and act entitled. It takes little
effort to write a post, it takes little effort to make
an inconsiderate comment, it takes little effort
to whine. But volunteerism is always greater than
virtue signaling. ..."


This brings up a point that I have had as a goal
for many years.
First, an explanation, often when I receive poor service
from someone, I am fairly quick to make my dissatisfaction
known.
Management, especially of small businesses need to know
when substandard customer interactions have occurred.
On the other side of the coin, doing that creates an
obligation to be just as fast, possibly even
faster to write a complement not only for superb service,
which incurs its own level of obligation, but for
very good interactions.
I realised this sometime in the mid-seventies after one
customer who frequented my auto service/gas station on
the way home, usually after I had left the business in
the care of some part time night shift employees.
He asked one of them if I was there, and was directed
to the back office where I was probably cat-napping
before leaving for home.
He said simply that he wanted to meet the person who
had assembled such a fine group of young men and women.
" They are always so polite and helpful, I realised
that someone had carefully chosen them from the available
field of applicants."

WOW, bully for me, but wait, he was not speaking of
something out of the ordinary or superb, just daily
decent service from what were essentially young employees.
It turned out that because he worked in New York City,
he took the train (LIRR) in leaving early and returning
on a late train, so his wife had been bringing both their
autos in during the daytime for repairs or service.
I recognised the name from Credit Card stubs right away.
I was quite pleased and, of course, conveyed his comment
to everyone during the next few days.
However, I began to think about that and how it made me feel.
So over the next few years I began to send short notes
to different businesses, teachers, including principals,
doctors, head nurses, and any one else I thought of who
deserved to know that their employees were doing a good job.
A few times I received letters or notes back, thanking me
for the input.
To be honest, since the computer has made it so easy I have
copies of most of the letters I sent out in the last twenty
years or so, and sort of a boiler plate file to use which
makes it easier. I never received a single negative response,
and a few times when later visiting a business or hospital,
and my name was recognised was thanked for the kind remarks.
But that was not my goal.
So, to end another long story, I hope someone reading this
is inspired to do something similar and brighten someone's day,
not waiting for that one super employee who moved Heaven and
Earth to help, just the ordinary workers who do a damn
good job day after day, and deserve some praise.
Charlie

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jkc1999

10 Dec 2018
07:14:30am
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

I don't volunteer to promote the hobby. I don't have time. I am still in the working world and I put in 45-50 hours a week plus another 10 or more commuting. I am on call 24/7 and I am fortunate if I get to work on my stamps a few hours a week. I deeply appreciate those who do and hopefully someday I will have a little more time. I am not a super active poster here either but I manage to buy a fair bit which supports the sellers here. I make sure to attend the local stamp show put on by the local club and drop a few bucks into their fishbowl to help support the show. For now, that has to be enough. Since I don't volunteer, I don't complain about how things are run, whether it be at the local show, here, other stamp forums, or anywhere else that is run by volunteers. I try to go out of my way to say thanks. I appreciate all the hard work by the moderators and for those who share their vast knowledge here. I have learned so much just by reading the "last 30 by time" threads.

paulsonja

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malcolm197

02 Apr 2019
10:26:50am
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Anyone who answers a query on here is a "giver".

On the rare occasions when I can contribute it makes me feel good. I sometimes think that that makes my contribution a bit selfish - to get the feelgood sensation !!

I don't volunteer for anything else, as frankly I am not sure what I can do. The gift of knowledge via the internet through boards like this has a corollary - that the need for "local" stamp clubs is much diminished. other than for social reasons why would you? When you can belong to one ( or more) of the biggest stamp club in the world.

Malcolm

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michael78651

02 Apr 2019
10:29:33am
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

It's pretty much a fact of life that in any organization, 90% pf the work gets done by 10% of the members.

Look at Stamporama. There are 1,666 members as of this moment. You don't see anywhere close to 1,666 people participating in the Discussion Boards to share their collecting experiences.

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keesindy
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02 Apr 2019
01:12:58pm
re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

I don't volunteer in the traditional sense of that word. I haven't even joined the local club.

I can't compete with what Don and others have done to advance the hobby. I've written a few articles the APS published in years past. I've been a non-collecting member of the Indiana Postal History Society for nearly 20 years and have written several articles for their quarterly newsletter. I have also made several contributions to their year-old Facebook group. I made a few productive contributions to the BidStart forums back in those days. I've posted a few interesting postal history pieces on my own Facebook page. These are related to the county where I grew up and I have shared those posts with the relevant Facebook groups, hoping to develop some new interest in postal history. I've shared scores of digital images here on SoR that I hope will pique some interest among members in new areas of collecting.

I enjoy finding items that seem to have unique characteristics. I enjoy sharing those finds with others and then learning more about them. Even when I am selling, either from my own accumulation or from the stuff Dad left me, the thought of helping collectors fill a blank space or two in their album(s) or obtain material for a presentation they are working on makes it worth the effort.

The digital era has made all of that possible!

Tom

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Pogopossum

06 Dec 2018
07:01:27pm

There's an interesting thread under another topic that went a bit off the rails but raised for me an interesting question. How do we volunteer to promote stamp collecting? There are many opportunities, small to large. Contributing a question or an answer to this board is one. Being involved in local activities such as scouts, clubs, and shows are another. Contributions to journals and specialist societies are another.

I still work full time (sigh) and travel quite a bit, and find it very hard to contribute to the hobby except for participation on boards like this. I had planned earlier this year to prepare a presentation through our local community education program about stamp collecting, but never had a chance to develop it.

So my question is this: For those who can, what do you do to promote the hobby? Those who think they don't do much, remember, contributing to this board is significant. I am not looking for a curriculum vitae, merely some admissions of help to the hobby that may give others an idea that they may be able to do it also. Yes, in some ways, this is a "toot your own horn" exercise, and so be it.

Myself? Not much. I did do the volunteer week at APS in Bellefonte, and at the 2016 show. (For some reason I could not get the wife to go along, even when the NYC trip included Amtrak!). I somewhat pledged to return for another volunteer week but have not been able to do so for several years. I do highly recommend the week, the central Pennsylvania area is beautiful, if inaccessible. Happy

What do you do?

Geoff


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michael78651

07 Dec 2018
12:36:30am

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

I have given out packets of stamps to Trick or Treaters instead of candy.

I introduced the hobby to my sons and grandsons. So far it has stuck heavily on one, very lightly on another, while the jury is still out on the other two.

I use stamps on my outgoing mail that the postal clerks ask me questions about. One has started collecting stamps.

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51Studebaker

Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't
07 Dec 2018
07:53:27am

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

While I used to be more involved physically (i.e. VP of local stamp club, local shows, etc.) I had to transition to ‘digital donations’ due to medical reasons.

For each of the last 5 years, I’ve donated 1500+ man hours a year working on free online resources. This includes development of software, databases, album pages, and other online tools. This time includes digitizing various hardcopy philatelic books to make them freely available to all.

Additionally, I donate approximately 12-15 hours per week working as online Moderator for the SCF forum. I personally email every new member (between 5-8 per day) and welcome them to the community; many are brand new to the hobby. I also occasionally write philatelic articles and give presentations.
Don

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Bobstamp

07 Dec 2018
08:38:36pm

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

When my wife and I moved to Vancouver in 2001, I revelled in the opportunity to join a well-known stamp club, the British Columbia Philatelic Society. I'd been a member of the Fort George Philatelic Society for a few years in the 1980s, but it went belly-up because of a paucity of members.

At the second or third meeting, another new member said that he was planning to be "the greatest stamp dealer in the world," and that he would build a web site for the club, which had not previously had one. I was skeptical — the guy had bought a complete set of catalogues in a club auction but didn't have the cash to pay for them. When he failed to show at the next auction to pay for and pick up his catalogues, I decided I would work on a web site, and I did.

Within a few weeks I had volunteered to be vice president as well as exhibits chair for VANPEX. Eventually, I served as co-chair of VANPEX and club president. I also presented about a dozen programs featuring items from my own collection; several of the programs were designed to encourage beginning collectors to plunge deeper into collecting.

I was an active member of the club for more than 10 years, but eventually burned out. I became quite depressed at the lack of help offered by other members. There were never more than four or five members who were willing to do more than attend meetings. When one of the member told me that I was "stupid" for suggesting that members bring their own coffee cups so that we didn't use styrofoam cups, I quit. In fact, I walked out of the meeting seething with anger. At the same meeting, the immediate past president informed me that no one in our club ever did anything! I returned for a couple of meetings, but just could not return to my former enthusiasm. Now, Stamporama is my only club. The BC Philatelic Society continues, but its web site, the same one I designed, is not well maintained.

Bob

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TribalErnie

07 Dec 2018
10:08:52pm

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Since you were an active, long term member it seems a shame to have gone out on such a low note. Might there have been a more graceful exit?

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scb

Collecting the world 1840 to date - one stamp at a time!
08 Dec 2018
03:27:01am

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Not sure if I can talk about volunteering, but...

I write/author. What it basically means that I've written and shared 650+ studies/researches/articles based on my collection and growth as worldwide collector. About 580 of those have been through my SCB website, the rest through various print publications.

For me authoring is a method of clearing my head, focusing on something particular, documenting the unusual etc. But of course making all those write-ups public comes with the bonus of adding up new knowledge for others to enjoy as well as to promote hobby. For example earlier this week I wrote shortly about Syrian forgeries of 1946 airmail stamps that I found from my collection, an earlier topic was a somewhat lengthy book review (upon "Used German hyperinflation era stamps - genuine or not").

As most authors I've also drifted somewhere on the deep waters of DIY-publishing (sharing all those articles have got expenses, and they need to be covered somehow). It's possibly the only part of "volunteering" I don't enjoy so much...Maybe someday in the future I'll simply stop the sharing part and write for my personal pleasure only (just something I have given random thoughts).

Besides writing,I help other "stamp collecting geeks" in building up philatelic software. Sometimes it means being involved in beta-testing, sometimes it means whipping up some code. I've also build up few utilities, most notable being digital (online+offline) perforation gauge, that allows precision up to 0.001 units based on scanned stamp image.

I haven't counted the hours I spent on all this (who does that for thing they love/enjoy), but as a wild stab lets say 5-20 hours a week (depending on how much my work limits collecting activities). So approx. 250-1000 hours a year, and I've doing it for 10 years (ever since I got down with CU).

All in all I think a lot of folks don't realize how much time (and resources) we "digital content producers" spent on creating "stamp edutainment" for others to enjoy. For example ExploringStamps (Graham, the nice chap behind all those stampy Youtube videos) spends approx. 60-70 (and all the way up to 120+) hours for single Youtube video. And BigBlue (Jim) also spends a LOT of of hours whipping up articles for his superb blog. And...

-k-

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51Studebaker

Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't
08 Dec 2018
06:14:30am

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Hi Bob,
I think that there are ‘givers’ and ‘takers’ in life. The unfortunate truth is that ‘givers’ often get burned out by the inconsiderate actions of the ‘takers’. This is not much different than the horrendous treatment that Vietnam vets like yourself received after the war. ‘Takers’ can be quick to point out mistakes, be harshly criteria, and act entitled. It takes little effort to write a post, it takes little effort to make an inconsiderate comment, it takes little effort to whine. But volunteerism is always greater than virtue signaling.

Only later in life did I learn some important things about remaining positive. First, life is very short and precious. It is easy to get caught up in negativity, so every day I seek to find joy in my life. When I feel myself getting negative I stop and consider something joyful. I might listen to an inspirational song or music, pull out my stamp albums and enjoy, call a friend I haven’t talked to in a while. Whatever the joy is, I find that getting out in front of the negativity is important for me, I cannot let it gain momentum. I am most successful when I nip it in the bud.

I also try to avoid renting head space to the ‘takers’ and have come to grips with knowing that I cannot change them. Additionally I work on not playing the victim role, I accept that there will always be people who will make negative comments and be insulting while they ‘take’ what is being ‘given’ to them. And for me I find it easier to not donate inside a structure like a larger organization; I find I deal with less negativity working in smaller groups. There are plenty of volunteering opportunities, if I find myself feeling taken advantage of then I simply redirect my efforts in another direction.

Aside from finding joy in my own life I also try to bring joy to others; if this is not cathartic for me then I know I have to be more introspective and/or seek changes in what I am doing. The salient point for me not giving up on benevolence but rather changing the altruistic focus.
Don

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TribalErnie

08 Dec 2018
06:57:03am

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Don,
You bring up a great point by contrasting volunteering with virtue signaling. I had never heard it put quite like that but the phrase nails it.

If one storms off in a huff were they volunteering or virtue signaling? Hmmmm

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Al
Collector, Moderator
08 Dec 2018
07:03:19am

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

It is harder to define a taker. For example, if one pays money for something (joining a club, etc) but does not take in a very active role as an officer, etc. does that make them a taker? It is not black and white. Contributors to the positive aspects to hobby are easier to identify than the opposite.




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51Studebaker

Dialysis, damned if you do...dead if you don't
08 Dec 2018
07:14:18am

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Hi Al,
I consider people who donate time or money as ‘givers’. If a person does not have money, then donating their time and effort is plenty to be giver. If a person does not have the time or ability to apply effort, then donating money is plenty. I think there is a balance between giving and taking; the question is if the balance is tipping in one direction or the other.

I admit I struggled a bit with something like ‘carbon credit’. It has a feel of ‘buying benevolence’ but in general I think it is ‘giving’. It is only ‘taking’ if a person uses the carbon credit to justify even more carbon discharge and the balance is tipped in one direction.
Don

Edit: And it should be added that giving and taking are not mutually exclusive; a person can be a giver and taker at the same time. Communities like Stamporama and SCF are good examples, they thrives when folks both give and take. Giving includes donating money, supporting the sellers/advertisers, or helping other hobbyists. Taking includes seeking help form other members. And it is great if folks do both give and take. But there are some who only take or take far more than they give. Obviously if everyone did that then the community would not thrive.

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"Current Score... Don 1 - Cancer 0"

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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
09 Dec 2018
12:24:36pm

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

" .... Takers’ can be quick to point out mistakes,
be harshly criteria, and act entitled. It takes little
effort to write a post, it takes little effort to make
an inconsiderate comment, it takes little effort
to whine. But volunteerism is always greater than
virtue signaling. ..."


This brings up a point that I have had as a goal
for many years.
First, an explanation, often when I receive poor service
from someone, I am fairly quick to make my dissatisfaction
known.
Management, especially of small businesses need to know
when substandard customer interactions have occurred.
On the other side of the coin, doing that creates an
obligation to be just as fast, possibly even
faster to write a complement not only for superb service,
which incurs its own level of obligation, but for
very good interactions.
I realised this sometime in the mid-seventies after one
customer who frequented my auto service/gas station on
the way home, usually after I had left the business in
the care of some part time night shift employees.
He asked one of them if I was there, and was directed
to the back office where I was probably cat-napping
before leaving for home.
He said simply that he wanted to meet the person who
had assembled such a fine group of young men and women.
" They are always so polite and helpful, I realised
that someone had carefully chosen them from the available
field of applicants."

WOW, bully for me, but wait, he was not speaking of
something out of the ordinary or superb, just daily
decent service from what were essentially young employees.
It turned out that because he worked in New York City,
he took the train (LIRR) in leaving early and returning
on a late train, so his wife had been bringing both their
autos in during the daytime for repairs or service.
I recognised the name from Credit Card stubs right away.
I was quite pleased and, of course, conveyed his comment
to everyone during the next few days.
However, I began to think about that and how it made me feel.
So over the next few years I began to send short notes
to different businesses, teachers, including principals,
doctors, head nurses, and any one else I thought of who
deserved to know that their employees were doing a good job.
A few times I received letters or notes back, thanking me
for the input.
To be honest, since the computer has made it so easy I have
copies of most of the letters I sent out in the last twenty
years or so, and sort of a boiler plate file to use which
makes it easier. I never received a single negative response,
and a few times when later visiting a business or hospital,
and my name was recognised was thanked for the kind remarks.
But that was not my goal.
So, to end another long story, I hope someone reading this
is inspired to do something similar and brighten someone's day,
not waiting for that one super employee who moved Heaven and
Earth to help, just the ordinary workers who do a damn
good job day after day, and deserve some praise.
Charlie

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".... You may think you understood what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you think you heard is not what I thought I meant. .... "
jkc1999

10 Dec 2018
07:14:30am

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

I don't volunteer to promote the hobby. I don't have time. I am still in the working world and I put in 45-50 hours a week plus another 10 or more commuting. I am on call 24/7 and I am fortunate if I get to work on my stamps a few hours a week. I deeply appreciate those who do and hopefully someday I will have a little more time. I am not a super active poster here either but I manage to buy a fair bit which supports the sellers here. I make sure to attend the local stamp show put on by the local club and drop a few bucks into their fishbowl to help support the show. For now, that has to be enough. Since I don't volunteer, I don't complain about how things are run, whether it be at the local show, here, other stamp forums, or anywhere else that is run by volunteers. I try to go out of my way to say thanks. I appreciate all the hard work by the moderators and for those who share their vast knowledge here. I have learned so much just by reading the "last 30 by time" threads.

paulsonja

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malcolm197

02 Apr 2019
10:26:50am

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

Anyone who answers a query on here is a "giver".

On the rare occasions when I can contribute it makes me feel good. I sometimes think that that makes my contribution a bit selfish - to get the feelgood sensation !!

I don't volunteer for anything else, as frankly I am not sure what I can do. The gift of knowledge via the internet through boards like this has a corollary - that the need for "local" stamp clubs is much diminished. other than for social reasons why would you? When you can belong to one ( or more) of the biggest stamp club in the world.

Malcolm

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michael78651

02 Apr 2019
10:29:33am

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

It's pretty much a fact of life that in any organization, 90% pf the work gets done by 10% of the members.

Look at Stamporama. There are 1,666 members as of this moment. You don't see anywhere close to 1,666 people participating in the Discussion Boards to share their collecting experiences.

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keesindy

02 Apr 2019
01:12:58pm

re: Volunteering to Promote the Hobby

I don't volunteer in the traditional sense of that word. I haven't even joined the local club.

I can't compete with what Don and others have done to advance the hobby. I've written a few articles the APS published in years past. I've been a non-collecting member of the Indiana Postal History Society for nearly 20 years and have written several articles for their quarterly newsletter. I have also made several contributions to their year-old Facebook group. I made a few productive contributions to the BidStart forums back in those days. I've posted a few interesting postal history pieces on my own Facebook page. These are related to the county where I grew up and I have shared those posts with the relevant Facebook groups, hoping to develop some new interest in postal history. I've shared scores of digital images here on SoR that I hope will pique some interest among members in new areas of collecting.

I enjoy finding items that seem to have unique characteristics. I enjoy sharing those finds with others and then learning more about them. Even when I am selling, either from my own accumulation or from the stuff Dad left me, the thought of helping collectors fill a blank space or two in their album(s) or obtain material for a presentation they are working on makes it worth the effort.

The digital era has made all of that possible!

Tom

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"I no longer collect, but will never abandon the hobby"
        

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