There was for some years a prevailing belief that the retirement of the "Baby Boomers" would result in a renewed influx of people into preservation related activities that would temporarily enlarge the volunteer work force. Talking nowadays with folks who are in their 60s and looking at retirement in the next five years or so, I am not hearing things that support the conventional wisdom on this subject. In fact I am hearing that many upcoming retirees plan on scaling back their activities of all types quite considerably.

Reduced volunteerism could have a substantial impact on preservation and I am wondering whether any of our forum contributors approaching retirement would care to comment on their anticipated use of their time after they retire, or whether anyone has seen any recent study results relating to this topic.

PC

I can advise you that, in my experience, the generation or two behind the Baby Boomers--at least the realistic ones--don't envision retirement at all save a lottery ticket win. The most cynical are looking at NO retirement funds, NO pensions, NO Social Security (unless the retirement age is jacked up to 75-80 or so), and seizing what leisure time they can while they're still young and working.

Not to start any political debate here, but factor THAT into your long-term staffing/labor needs.......... don't "plan" on retirees that will be "busier" in retirement than when they were working.

As a blue collar boomer, I know I don't plan to retire until I can't work any more. I won't be too useful as a volunteer at that point either. Projections based on a strong economy are obviously less valid than they were when the projections were made a decade or so ago.

Not saying there might not be boomers with means to follow their desires out there, but certainly not as many as there were "in line" before.

The lottery ticket strategy isn't working too well for the vast majority of us either, but about as good as the stock market.

dave

Volunteering is a realitive low cost endeavor, isn't it!? Unless you are travelling 20 miles a day to volunteer!

I don't see how changes in our society and economy relate to reduced numbers of volunteers?

As someone in his late 30's, I'm more worried about the demographics of the preservation community. Everyone is grey beared and grey haired (if they have any hair left)! Guys that know how to maintain and operate steamers are dying every week. We loose decades of experience.

-Jason

On top of loosing generations of knowledge every year the preservation movement is faced with another issue. There are very few young people who want to learn and absorb the knowledge. I see too many kids who want to pass go and go immediately to super expert without paying the price of getting experience. I have begun dubbing the twenty something crowd the Holiday Inn Express crowd. I think they have all slept at the holiday inn last night and therefor have gained all this knowledge without barely turning a wrench.

The question was about boomer retirees, Jason - retirees with longer than previous life expectancies looking for things to do while no longer being employed. Economic changes have made no longer being employed impossible for many of us which changes the game. We can volunteer, but not any more than any other fully employed worker, less than young guys with more energy (although the electricians in my plant are in their 20s and are scared of stairs or walking more than 50 feet to their truck so the youth = energy equasion may not hold true).

10 years ago, retirees working on weekdays got a lot of large projects done in many places. It was expected that the large number of boomers entering retirement would make for even more getting done, but it seems unlikely now.

dave

Folks of my generation (just slightly older than boomers), and the non profits we volunteer for, have benefitted from our good health - better than that of previous generations - and from retirement ages and plans based on the life expectancies of the generation that preceded us. Because of improved longevity the usual retirement age will have to increase. As a result, folks in their 60s (and perhaps even early 70s) will have less time for volunteer service.

NO retirement funds? Well they've been saying the world will end every few years now. And guesss what? We're still here! If these young people just had the money they spent on credit card interest. They'd have some savings. Plus the prices would be lower in the stores. Because the merchants wouldn't have to pay all those merchants fees to the bank when someone charges. I've been told this service fee will go up soon to 10% for some businesses. I also see people useing "Pay Pal" think they work for free? I avoid this by just sending a check like I always did. If the group only takes on line banking. I'll go somewhere else. And I'm not alone.
How much you do in retirement depends on your health. If you feel bad, you'll not want to do much.

For information at this point, I keep in touch with quite a few preservation organizations, not all of them railroad oriented, and most of them tell me that volunteerism is presently on the decline. HOW MUCH varies widely from group to group, with the older "stodgy" groups having the most problems. As far as reasons, some cite cost of travel, and cost of staying near their facilities, but the biggest factor right now seems to be individual financial uncertainty looking into the future which is resulting in many people staying close to home and saving their money.

One large organization has indicated that it has been almost impossible to find people who want to volunteer nowadays, but I suspect their high priced location and internal situation has some bearing on that.

On the other end of the scale you have the often mentioned (by me) USS SLATER that has several "teams" of volunteers that pool their transportation and vacation time and drive close to 1000 miles to work on the ship. But you also have to take into consideration that many of those volunteers are destroyer veterans who are literally on a "mission" with their preservation efforts. And it is a wonderful "mission" for them, everyone I talk with over there is very enthusiastic about what they are doing.

I envy anybody who has less that 20 miles to drive. The three groups I assist most frequently are respectively 75, 150, and almost 400 miles away.

PC

Personally I plan to volunteer more, but I am on the leading edge of the Boomer generation, and have a decent retirement expected...

In addition to the railroad museum (www.spcrr.org) where I volunteer, I run a historic house museum, and am seeing my volunteer base change... 10 years ago most volunteers were "women of retirement age". Today, I have 5 high school students (male and female), one a bit younger, three "20 something" women, three more less than 45 women, as well as the many "of retirement age"

It takes some flexibility and willingness to change with your volunteers...

Randy

I'm age 59 and still dreaming of a time when I might afford to have some more leisure time for volunteering 150 miles from home. I do envy my elders who are already retired and still alive to participate in week day activities at the museum. Right now, there is still a good supply of them, but we are attending more member's funerals than before. For me, retirement will probably mean a part time job instead of full time.
I don't know what many of my contemporaries intend to do, but some who have been "bought out" and taken early retirement say that they have had to take on a little volunteer work to stay active and sane.

I always thought that I'd be volunteering at some museum or tourist road when I retired. Given the state of things economically, I question whether or not I'll ever be able to retire. (Might have to take a page out of some other fan/railroader's books and drive for one of the RR jitney companies part-time!) My guess is that most of my generation (solidly in the middle of the Baby Boom) is going to be in the same boat - and I never had kids to soak up resources. I know very few fans of my age compared to the generation ahead of me. I was always the only railfan in school. Up until about 10 years ago I was still one of the youngest members of just about any railfan group I belonged to. I can think of more than a few that are quickly becoming "last man clubs", with no new blood coming in. One well-known electric railway museum I know of has lost at least three key volunteers to death this Summer, is down two board members, and the youngest member at their recent picnic was over 30, and I was still one of the younger people there (as a guest) at 53.

In the shop, we have had a modest increase in recent retirees in the past two years, primarily a few skilled tradespeople from good jobs with good pension plans and benefits, who retired in their mid to late 50's and were looking for a hobby. Almost all of these were from the rail transit industry. They have been a huge asset. We have also gained several active volunteers in the past few years, who are over 70!

On the operations side, we rely heavily on longer term retirees for weekday operations and charters. We have gained a few under 50's but they usually operate on weekends. We are always struggling to find enough operators for weekdays

Our Board has a broad age range but again, nobody under 35. There is but one baby boomer, retiree on the Board.

The real question is where the next generation comes from? Many of us will not be able to do the work in ten to twenty years. We have almost nobody under 40 with the majority well over 50. Many of the skills are specific to antique streetcars and interurbans (air brakes for example) and there is nobody to pass them down to. Most people who are good car drivers can be trained to operate a streetcar or interurban, few know how to keep them running.

We are very accomodating to youth but they either are scrambling to make a living, dealing with young families or don't like hard, dirty work. Will we have to contract out and hire more staff to do what volunteers now do, in the future? Undoubtedly. Where will the money come from? Good question.

Gord
OERHA / HCRR
Milton, Canada

There is a major change occurring in our society. The current economic condition just emphasizes it. I try to manage 5 history museums with a docent organization (volunteers) that is aging, in spite of efforts to recruit new, hopefully younger, members.We are finding that fewer people have time to volunteer--many of them are taking on other jobs (if they can find them) to make ends meet.
Attendance is also declining. In reading industry publications, this seems to be a national trend. There appears to be a lack of interest, or even respect for history amongst the new young adult generation.
I am 57, and was looking forward to retiring by 65, but not certain that will happen then--and I realize that I am already wanting to be retired. Work does not provide the rewards that it used to. And yes, I volunteer too.
Wish I had some answers, but from here, things do not look so good.
Steamcerely,
David Dewey

Even though retirement is still 12 years away for me, I know that I will be doing exactly what I am doing now - Working on and running trains. To scale back on activities when you retire, especially ones that you enjoy, is a good way to become an unhealthy, non thinking couch potato.
For those who enjoy the railroad industry-hobby-job-pastime (call it what you want) it is our duty to get the younger ones involved. Let them know you enjoy what you do. Get them interested. Don't cut them off. Take them under your wing and train them. Teach them the right way to do things. Let them in on the little tricks you have learned about your job that makes things easier. Let them help with some of the more mundane tasks. Once they are involved, they will enjoy coming back to learn and assist where they can. They are the future of railroad preservation. Without them, will will not have anything to enjoy once we do get too old to get out there on the front lines.

"Each one Teach one"


Bruce Mowbray
Springville, PA