One of the benefits of belonging to the Association for Women in Communications is the valuable information that we get from other members, chapters and other sources. The series of Sizzling Hot Tips for chapters are posted on this AWC website page with ideas to help you grow your chapter, retain members, and enhance your chapter operations and administration.
As the new year begins, we see revitalized motivation and commitment to the organization. It is important to be very aware of the volunteers in our chapters. These tips focus on the exemplary chapter volunteers who devote so much of their time, expertise, and experience. Let us not forget that volunteers have RIGHTS and RESPONSIBILITIES.
VOLUNTEER BILL OF RIGHTS and RESPONSIBILITIES
| It is your right: | It is your responsibility: |
| 1. To be assigned a task that is worthwhile and challenging. | Not to take on more responsibility than you can handle. |
| 2. To receive the orientation, training and supervision needed to do the job. | To meet time commitments or to provide notice so alternative arrangements can be made. |
| 3. To feel that your efforts have real purpose and contribute to the organization’s [sic] mission. | To perform the tasks assigned to you to the best of your ability. |
| 4. To receive useful feedback and evaluation on the volunteer work that you perform. | To provide input on ways your task might be better performed. |
| 5. To be treated with respect and as an equal partner within the agency. | To follow organization [sic] policies and procedures. |
| 6. To be trusted with confidential information necessary to carry out your assignment. | To respect those confidences entrusted to you. |
| 7. To be kept informed about relevant matters within the organization [sic]. | To be open-minded and respectful towards opinions shared with you. |
| 8. To expect that your time will not be wasted because of poor planning or poor coordination by the organization. | To notify the organization [sic] in advance of absences or schedule changes that may affect them. |
| 9. To ask any questions that will clarify a task or assignment. | To accept reasonable tasks without complaints. |
| 10. To give the organization [sic] input or advice on how to better accommodate the needs of present and future volunteers. | To communicate and work with others in the organization [sic] if the task calls for it. |
[sic] = “organization” is substituted for “agency.”
Kudos to all volunteers who work so hard for the Association for Women in Communications.
Thanks for all you do!
Anita K. Parran
Chair, Membership Committee
About the Author
In 2006, she received the National Headliner Award from the Association for Women in Communications, and in the same year was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kansas City Association of Black Journalists, having served as president for that organization for two years. Anita is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, National Association of Black Journalists, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)/Kansas City Press Club, and Kansas City Freelance Exchange, American Association of University Women (AAUW), NAACP, and VIP member of the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW).
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