This isn't by the normally wonderful Hayley Enoch, but rather a guest column by Art Chase--but it's still quite worthwhile:

http://www.friendsoftheflange.com/2015/ ... .html#more

A personal observation, and a slight difference of opinion--

Mr. Chase thought the problems he had were generational. I will partially disagree; he was working with other people, some older than he by a good margin. That doesn't suggest a problem on "the shop floor."

Rather, the problem came from someone else in what sounds like "management." In my opinion, for whatever that's worth, the problem wasn't that Mr. Chase was too young, but that the manager was a "control freak."

How many of us have run into such a person, and not just at the railroad museum?

I would agree that it isn't an age thing, but an issue with a particular manager. Some years ago, I was volunteering on a well-known tourist railroad as a docent, car host, tour guide or whatever you want to call it. The conductor, a paid employee, on the train I was working came up to me and said that he had overheard me bad-mouthing about him to one of the other volunteers, and how he did his job was none of my business. I agreed with him that how he did his job was none of my business, but that I had never bad-mouthed him to anyone (which was true). He called me a damned liar. I reported this incident to the manager of the railroad, who said that he worked with that conductor 52 weeks a year and me for only 2 weeks, so he'd have to take the conductor's side of the story. I quit volunteering there immediately. Not an age issue; I'm 10-15 years older than that conductor. Bad management. (Later, several other people told me that they had had similar issues with the same conductor)

Own your situation.

Thanks for sharing. One thing I've learned to do is say "thank you" often, the second thing is to focus on teaching as much as getting the jobs done. If we're not teaching we not fulfilling half of our mission. If the younger people don't learn this stuff where will we be in the future.

In spite of the fact that two National Historic Landmark railroads in the US that were saved by the efforts of volunteers with different skills and abilities, I have seen current management in both places treat volunteers and supporters poorly and the result has been a loss of support for both properties. In one case I know of two people who have donated over $100,000 each and one realizing that the other donor was not liked by some made it a point to check the list of "significant donors" to make sure this person had not been left out due to politics of the organization. Further complicated by the fact that the new leaders do not care about the past and the result is a group that has not addressed bad behavior of a member because of some social system within the group. Due to this bad behavior that management has given its blessing, the results are;
1. the groups become small similarly minded people who drive off any non conformist.
2. It became acceptable to drive off new people if they do not totally agree and worship us.
3. as time passes and existing members move on there are fewer and fewer to replace them.
4. eventually the group changes due to personal agendas becoming more and more important.
5. The group dies due lack of new members.

It is important to recognize that a volunteer who can donate a lot may not be making the same personal sacrifice that a person of lesser means is making.

Adults with young kids have a lot of pressure on them. I have felt that one of the things we needed with SP 3420 was child care This was made clear on my first day on the locomotive. At the age of 13 I started volunteering. In the copper refinery there was a policy that no one under 18 was allowed due to a volunteer brining his children in and then not watching them and they wandered to the casting department. I was fortunate that the plant manager saw my true interest and changed his policy for me.

If your organization exists because you want to work with people your own age the result is that you do not bring in different or younger blood. If someone can only work part of the day, fine, be glad you had the help you did. Being inclusive and grateful for any help will go a long way toward expanding the groups. When you are exclusive you become closed and begin down a dead end road.

Robby