The feedback to my previous post has been quite interesting. I have quickly found that if I want to increase my readership, I should find a way to incorporate Glenn Beck. However, that will not be the case as I believe I have given him more attention than was initially merited. I have also found that a majority of people don’t like what he had to say regarding volunteerism, but also, that the “no press is bad press” adage was relatively true. I appreciate those of you who took the time to comment or e-mail.
However, the whole ordeal got me thinking about my own place and why I’ve always tried to maintain activity in volunteer activities. I always wish I could do more, and often get frustrated by the excuses I make. Some are legitimate reasons, but I’ll be honest…some are also excuses. In terms of volunteering, I had the consummate example growing up. My father, John A. Ronquillo, is one of the most selfless individuals I know. And granted, that’s definitely a son’s bias, but one that has taken me nearly thirty years to realize. He rarely backs away from an opportunity to give service, and though his company has a volunteer program in place, much of his efforts have been initiated through personal contact with other individuals.
Though we share a name (different middle initials) we’re actually quite opposite. My adolescence would be considered privileged compared to his, and I am most definitely in the position I am in because of his hard work. As much as he wanted to go to college, and despite being a very good student, a number of things prevented him from doing so. He served in the Armed Forces and received training as a mechanic and later served as a military policeman. After that, he spent decades working as an industrial and commercial painter, electrical lineman, and now as a material handler for one of Arizona’s largest electric utilities. He is blue collar, through and through, and I must be a bit selfish here by saying that I am glad he is such. If anything, it has kept me grounded and always helped me remember the sacrifices he made so that I could go to college (and apparently never stop, because here I am, still in school).
The one thing I can’t exactly tell you is why he does it. Yes, we can generalize and assume quite easily: he does it because it makes him feel good, or because he has a big heart, or because he wants to help kids succeed (all true). But to capture the real intrinsic motivation he and many others have is something that has been a topic addressed by volunteer researchers for some time.
His explanation to me once upon a time: “It’s fun.”
I have always been taught that if you want something done, you need to do it yourself. My dad exemplifies that. Where he sees need, he takes action. His countless hours of volunteer work truly merit a high recognition, but his humble, good-natured persona hardly keeps track of the hours he puts in (and he really only does it because his company wants to know).
My father volunteers because he believes it’s his duty. I don’t know how many checks he’s ever written to charities…or if he ever has. But the amount of time he has put into helping a JROTC unit put up a flagpole, or help tourists find their way, or help Phoenix Zoo patrons enjoy their visits, and everything else he does, rivals the good any wealthy philanthropist does by donating money. My dad’s time is precious because he has taken it upon himself to give it to others. And I am happy to say that others have begun to recognize it. At age 55, he was asked to sit on his first Board of Directors for Youth Evaluation and Treatment Centers in Phoenix, Arizona. Again, he’s not a high-profile businessman, an attorney, or a publicly elected official…but he’s literally built his career with his hands and selflessly given his time to others. May I only wish to follow his stellar example.
I may be engaged in researching the science of volunteerism, but the art of it was taught to me by my dad.
In case you haven’t seen it…
I need to categorically state here and now that I view Mr. Beck first and foremost as an entertainer. However, I am fully cognizant of the fact that he has many followers who hinge on every word he speaks. Barring the political rhetoric that typically accompanies every discussion surrounding Mr. Beck, I am going to make my best attempt at making this post a civil one (but I’m certainly not perfect).
Upon my first viewing of the video, I was angry, but also perplexed. Is it really conceivable that Beck is truly that anti-volunteerism? I realize that there are plenty of nonprofit or otherwise tax-exempt organizations that should probably be monitored closely. To assert that nonprofits don’t have a dark side, is to turn a blind eye away from reality. However, the third sector is filled with amazing individuals and organizations who are fully professed idealists on a course to create sustainable social change and confront society’s most beleaguering problems. I believe that the causes that the Entertainment Industry Foundation are involved in with their iParticipate campaign are nothing to scoff at. Upon visiting their homepage, one can get a quick snapshot of the target areas the initiative is focusing on (in the order listed on the site):
- Well Being
- Education and Children
- Community Health
- Environment Conservation
- Financial Security
- Support for Military Families
Perhaps it’s my youthful naivete, but those six areas seem exceptionally worthwhile given the current state of the world. If you believe this is a prescription for movement toward communism, then you just might 1) fall into Mr. Beck’s camp and 2) have an equally distorted view of volunteerism.
In addition to my own thoughts, several listservs that I’m on were also buzzing. One topic that was discussed was the very concept of what volunteerism is.
One contributor wrote:
I do not consider Americorp [sic] or Vista a volunteer organization. I do not believe it is necessary or appropriate to establish an entire bureaucracy to facilitate and administer “volunteers” and volunteer initiatives.
I found this interesting and immediately thought of Peter Frumkin, not only because of his recent research on AmeriCorps, but also because of what he wrote in his 2002 book On Being Nonprofit. He stated these three differences between nonprofit organizations and their public and private counterparts:
1) they do not coerce participation; 2) they operate without distributing profits to stakeholders; and 3) they exist without simple and clear lines of ownership and accountability…these structural features give these entities a set of unique advantages that position them to perform important societal functions neither the government nor the market is able to match.
Whether or not you agree with the above observer’s definition of volunteerism, I see nothing wrong in promoting what many people often synonymously link to volunteerism: service. Though Frumkin is not specifically addressing volunteerism here, these points are important to consider. The United States surely is not alone in terms of government promoted service (or volunteering), nor will it be the last. Have we not a responsibility to do our part? I believe we do, and I also believe it is counterproductive to achieving social change by delving into an unnecessary semantic debate.
Another listserv observer, a professor whose research is cutting-edge and sophisticated, in my opinion, wrote:
…although we may employ commonly accepted definitions of volunteering in our research, most definitions are still narrowly constructed. The benefits for us are in our ability to standardize the research question more often than the ability to capture all forms of volunteering.
Once we understand that volunteering has widely varying political, methodological and conceptual meanings, we are unlikely to agree on the meaning of this term – nor should we try.
Though I’ve deviated somewhat from Beck’s rant against volunteerism, I hope I’ve illustrated that it is, in fact, a critical issue that many people not only take seriously, but also have exceptionally wide views on. The big picture, however, apart from research, is action, and without action, there is no change. If Glenn Beck wants to rally against that, fine. But it should be the absolute least of his concerns.
The sad and hypocritical reality of this is that Glenn Beck is mocking the power of celebrity…when in all reality, that is exactly how he has amassed his league of supporters.
Fathom that.
