A few weeks ago, someone brought up the idea at a school board meeting of requiring students to devote some of their time volunteering in the community, before they graduated from high school. This is actually being done in other towns. Of course it will take quite awhile for some committee to develop a policy and then to market the idea to the kids and their parents, if it ever gets off the ground.

So far, the response to such an idea has not been surprising, to me, at least. Why do we think teenagers would overwhelmingly accept such an idea? Their parents are as adamant as the kids about the foreign idea of actually doing something for no pay! And devoting hours of time for free? Ridiculous.

Meanwhile, volunteers throughout the town, state and country will continue to ease the lives of those adamantly against volunteering. I think of such things as our volunteer military, fire fighters, rescue personnel, the hundreds of hours given joyfully to community theater, missionary trips, soup kitchens, collecting thousands of bottles to benefit young people’s groups, folks who put your books back on library shelves, doctors who volunteer in other countries, and all of the town councilors, planning board members, zoning board members, school board, coaches, and so many more – the list is endless.

You can bet there will be a committee set up (of volunteers) to write a policy, delegate authority for oversight and search out areas where volunteers are needed. I can think of many. Volunteers could clean up the trash that litters our public buildings and grounds; they could shovel out hydrants after storms, so our town personnel would not have this added burden; they could read to children, help teach people to read, visit bedridden elderly in nursing homes, make things to give away (quilts, mittens, hats, scrapbooks), babysit, shovel snow, rake leaves, fix fences, paint buildings, and so much more. It’s called giving.

Over the course of the past dozen years, my fellow Windham Historical Society members and I have spent hundreds of hours helping students do research for a variety of projects including English classes, history projects and hours upon hours giving tours of the town. Sure, this is something we love to do but I doubt that it occurs to many that these hours could be spent earning money.

I’ve noticed (and it’s been documented nationally) that volunteer hours are becoming a thing of the past. Generations of hard-working citizens have gladly given of their very sparse spare time to help make things easier for others. Soon, with the attitudes recently displayed, that will be history. Like David Nadeau recently stated, I am a volunteer.

See you next week.