Short-term
or “episodic volunteers” can be valuable assets
for service units in their work with Juliettes, STUDIO 2B
groups, troops/
groups, service unit events, and Girl Scout projects. These
areas provide great opportunities to recruit volunteers who
have a wide variety of skills and interests but a limited
amount of time to share. But where do you get these volunteers
come from and what is required of them?
Depending
on the audience that the service unit is trying to reach,
recruitment efforts for short-term volunteers should be different
from that of long-term volunteers. For a diverse pool of volunteers
with a range of skills and interests, recruitment can be done
through corporations, advertising in corporate and professional
organization newsletters, approaching special interest groups
and clubs, and through academic institutions. |
Episodic
volunteers do not need the extensive volunteer training that
full-time volunteers receive. Service units can cut back on
the amount of training time. Training time should not be more
than the volunteer work itself. Keep in mind that this pool
of volunteers usually comes with a skill base.
Episodic
volunteers should be trained on Girl Scout safety practices,
on What We Stand For, and on ways of working with Girl Scouts
on their specific activity topic.
Like
all volunteers, episodic volunteers should undergo the application
and screening process just like full-time volunteers. This
is especially important if they are meeting directly with
girls. Episodic volunteers should also become registered Girl
Scout members.
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