If you have a newsletter announce the upcoming projects and ask for volunteers so everyone has a chance. If it is for something like talks to groups have the names of the interested MGs and the subjects they like to talk about in a resource file and have someone responsible for assigning talks. This works out well here. Sandy

Our MG's seem to have frequent get togethers just to discuss things that are going on, and how they can help out. They have a rule that you can only work on two projects in a row, so as to give others a chance to work also.

Have you thought of asking for suggestions from volunteers for future volunteer opportunities, or does you county set that up? Some places do give their volunteers a voice in it.

At the end of the training the new members know they will need to get their hours to get their badges. Each one is asked at this time if he has already made a choice, if not he is assigned one of the projects. If he wants to change to another that is arranged, but he is not allowed to choose to do nothing. When he signed up he agreed to do the hours and in some cases he needs to be "dragged" into becoming active. Al

I understand the problem. We seem to have a core group who does everything. This isn't fair to the group, as the constant volunteers start to burn out, & the newer people feel intimidated jumping into what looks to be a small tight-knit group of members. It's sort of a cunundrum.

Our goup has tried to institute some fun activities like a plant exchange connected to some of our regular meetings & also planning tours of memeber gardens & local plant farms.

I think it takes a lot of out-reach to new members to keep them involved. Otherwise it's just too easy to do he minimum to keep certified & nothing more.

It's also important to discover the individual talents of members - old and new. Committee chair change every year or two and the chair is suppose to be grooming a person to take their place. I did that when I was field test chair and also newspaper chair. It worked beautifully. I do think it is important for chairpersons to ask individuals for help rather than wait for volunteers.

Fun activities have to be included in also so people get to know each other and feel comfortable.

Penny

At the beginning of the year, all MG's have to sign up for committees. That way, the new members are included in the current projects.

We have to sign up every year for the number of hours we expect to be able to volunteer and which acitivities we're most interested in. Nothing is set in stone, but it sets the mood for the season and reminds everybody of the projects and opportunities available. We also get emails (or letters for those that don't have email) from the office on a regular basis letting us know what's coming up soon.

The new class each year has a mentor for every member. This gives them an opportunity to make friends with at least one older volunteer and I think that helps a lot.

We also have get-togethers several times a year. Graduation of the new members is a nice time to meet and greet and then we have a plant swap and a couple of events to thank those who have volunteered in specific areas. We also have an end-of-year party in November that's very well attended.

Even with all of that, we only have about 50% who are really active, the rest doing the minimum hours necessary to maintain their certification. I think that's the case in most volunteer organizations. There will always be those who give more. I suspect there are many who love the work but don't have the time to devote more hours to it. As much as I enjoy this, there was one year when I was lucky to make the minimum. Most other years I've done several times that amount and wish I could do more.

Our MG's are great! We have bi-monthly meetings, during the summer months it is usually at someones home with everyone bring a dish; MG Christmas Party, again bringing everyone together with a covered dish dinner; lots of fieldtrips to local nurserys, gardening events, etc.; a monthly update letter sent to all MG showing whats going on in the next month; quite a few opportunitites to do county beautification projects; a fall and spring plant sale, a hugh flower and garden show hosted by the MG's; lots of workshops such as bonsai, wreath making, herb growing, etc.; a trip to the state MG conference; and recently we have had comittees for everything from the christmas party to the plant sales; a junior master gardener 4-H club that is active; and a lot of great people who love gardening and having fun : )

I hope this gives you some ideas for your group. It is a very rewarding way to volunteer.

My county in PA has the largest MG group in the state - well over a hundred. Penn State rules require at least 20 hours a year to stay active. Many of our members do over 100 hours every year. The key is to make it fun and educational for the volunteers and have lots of choices. Everyone has different interests and talents.

I just happened to wander in here becuase I noticed it was a new topic. If you want to know how to maintain the interest of volenteers, I would suggest that you ask the ones that leave. Our local MG program has about a 70% 5-year drop-out rate. It gets higher after that. I am a drop-out.

The 1st year I was gung ho and wanted to really help out the community. When news came of a farmers market project, I volenteered right away. After a few meetings it became abundantly clear that the 2 women who started out the project were primarily interested in using the market to advance their own private businesses. They were bossy, rigid and over-bearing. Ideas and concerns that came from anybody outside thier little clique were beneath consideration. I stuck with it, helped get the market going and left the project.

I figured that smaller projects were better suited to my personality, but those were few, far between and mostly just make-work. My suggestions to help hospice patients maintain their gardens was not considered a benifit to the community. My idea to landscape the new humane society animal shelter was.....but the humane society would not let us do it unless we paid the fee to join the society.

Then there was the continued education problem. Out here in the boonies, not many classes are offered. That cut it. It just doesn't make sense to pay $50-$600 for a seminar, plus transportation, hotel, food, etc. in exchange for the priveledge to volenteer my time.

Currently I volenteer an average of 15 hours a week between our school district and hospice (both in the garden and personal care), don't have to pay to do it, don't have to pay for the hospice training and don't have to keep my mouth shut when somebody asks me a gardening question and I disagree with the extension opinion on how to deal with a problem.

That's my take on it.

Kay.

First do a survey to find out everyones interests and talents, not just in gardening but everything. USE this information. Publish it in a membership directory for everyone to see. At one garden club I attend, after every meeting they ask "Does anyone have anything to say?" That is a good start for getting feedback. I always figure, if you want to know something, then ask. So ask at the meetings and in the newsletter what projects would be interesting and who wants to be involved in what. I am a very good speaker and speak at symposia in surrounding states but my local Master Gardener club has never asked me to speak. I think it's odd but I am not going to ask them to let me speak. That's just an example of how someone's talents are underutilized or ignored. I think it is a human condition that you are always going to have some of that. But don't give up, keep smiling and grow where you are planted.

All the above ideas are great. The best way to motivate people is to do the same as you do for your garden- NUTURE. Adults respond well to praise and recognition- maybe because they don't get it anywhere else. Also knowledge- with regular emails and a newsletter. Also- time together that may not be strictly MG orientated. As for the ones who do all the work- it's the same for every group I've ever been a part of- and the same is true for the complainers- just decide which one you'll be and move in a forward direction.

Confession time: My father was a wonderful man but he was a complainer, likewise my mother, therefore, I am a bit of a complainer too but my wife is absolutely not and by her example I am slowly getting better. But in my defense I am also a worker and I believe in the saying that anything worth doing is worth doing right.

Oh, come on, Eddie! As a writer, you can do better than call yourself a complainer.

You just have a persistent need to explore neglected avenues of opportunity. ;-)

IronBelly

We have a monthly calander with the months actvities listed. We also hold what we call first Wednesday. It is a work day in the garden till 9:00 am then we have either a guest speaker or a workshop class till noon. Right after that we have a potluck dinner. Everyone who wants to eat either brings a dish to share or contributes $5.00. We keep everyone involved with various committees or get-togethers. Needless to say it makes it worth it.