Bulby, that's a management problem, not a volunteer problem. Nobody is managing the people who are foaming about more restoration into people who get work done. Fire them and replace them with workers, or make a certain number of hours a requirement for voicing a wish.

dave

You're right on Dave, and part of the problem is that these four are so busy maintaining the equipment, that they have little time to seek out more people who are or could become skilled and helpful.

A little helpful management would go a very long way to improving the situation. Even if that help amounted to better promoting the ability to volunteer, something many of our organizations can work on being better at.

I once walked into a local museum, that shall go un-named, on a weekday. I asked the receptionist what it took to be a volunteer. All I got was a deer in the headlights blank stare. I turned around and walked out. I happen to know that this museum; A: relies on volunteers, and B: officially says they need more of them. When somebody walks in, willing to volunteer, any museum that accepts volunteers needs to have someone better than that receptionist as the first line of contact if they want to actually get the volunteers they claim to want. Suffice to say, I haven't been back, even though it is five minutes or less from my house.

One observation is that too many museums have too many different operating schedules during the year. The transit industry operates vehicle runs with light patronage in order to have consistent schedules year round. Perhaps operating museums should do the same. Of course the transit industry has union contracts that affect schedules.

You can't expect the public to remember that in February trains run on the first and third Sunday of the month, in April every Sunday, and in June on every Saturday and Sunday. You can't depend on potential riders to go to the Internet every time to see if a train is running today when you get an unseasonably nice day in February. Also different operation makes scheduling volunteer crews more difficult.

A few museums reduce these problems by operating seven days a week during the three summer months. Yes, I have operated a streetcar with only three passengers on board.

Wow, apparently you weren't all that dedicated to helping if that small of an obstacle was all it took to scare you off forever. Maybe she was new. Obviously she wasn't properly trained. I agree with that point.

However, letting a single error by one employee/volunteer drive you away from an operation permanently seems to be quite harsh. I think a far better approach would have been to get in touch with somebody in charge and say two things 1) I think you should know that when I inquired... 2) OK, so what is the proper method of volunteering?

You can depend on the public to go online, view a calendar and make reservations. Most operations are going that route and it works well. In fact, if you show up at a certain local railroad wanting "walk on" tickets for the Santa trains you may well be out of luck. At best you may be put on standby and hope somebody no-shows.

Remember, that's what started this thread? Too many people and not enough seats. Internet ticketing has revolutionized the industry.

I agree. Visitors who planned on coming by will look at the internet for a calendar.

The drive-by visitors - not so.

I was not hugely interested in helping, and this particular museum isn't directly within my field of interest. It was something to do that didn't involve a lot of driving.

At some point, I will be back, just not until other things get straightened out. Also, this would serve as a reminder to some, that the first impression, can be the only one. Choose the face of the organization carefully.