1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,280
page 165 reading two some take the time gladly and problems with mandatory volunteering

2
00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:15,840
some take the time gladly by mensa dean from the washington times

3
00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:22,540
mandatory volunteering made many members of maryland's high school class of 97

4
00:00:22,540 --> 00:00:28,720
grumble with indignation future seniors however probably won't be as resistant

5
00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:35,080
now that the program has been broken in some like john maloney already have completed their

6
00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:41,560
required hours of approved community service the buoy high school sophomore earned his hours in

7
00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:47,400
eighth grade by volunteering two nights a week at the larkin chase nursing and restorative center

8
00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:55,140
in buoy he played shuffleboard cards and other games with the senior citizens he also helped

9
00:00:55,140 --> 00:00:58,500
plan parties for them and visited their rooms to keep them

10
00:00:58,500 --> 00:00:58,700
comfortable

11
00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:07,760
john 15 is not finished volunteering once a week he videotapes animals at the prince george county

12
00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:14,540
animal shelter in forestville his footage is shown on the buoy public access television channel

13
00:01:14,540 --> 00:01:21,040
in hopes of finding homes for the animals volunteering is better than just sitting

14
00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:25,980
around says john and i like animals i don't want to see them put to sleep

15
00:01:25,980 --> 00:01:28,500
he's not the only volunteer in the buoy high school he's also a volunteer in the buoy high school

16
00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:35,360
in his family his sister melissa an eighth grader has completed her hours also volunteering at larkin

17
00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:42,380
chase it is a good idea to have kids go out into the community but it's frustrating to have to write

18
00:01:42,380 --> 00:01:48,200
essays about the work she said it makes you feel like you're doing it for the requirement and not

19
00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:54,980
for yourself the high school service learning office run by beth ansley provides information

20
00:01:54,980 --> 00:01:58,480
on organizations seeking volunteers so that students can learn more about the buoy high school

21
00:01:58,500 --> 00:02:07,500
it's ridiculous that people are opposing the requirements said amy rouse who this summer has

22
00:02:07,500 --> 00:02:14,240
worked at the ronald mcdonald house and has helped to rebuild a church in clinton so many people won't

23
00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:19,720
do the service unless it's mandatory rouse said but once they start doing it they'll really like

24
00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:27,060
it and hopefully it will become a part of their lives like it has become a part of mine problems

25
00:02:27,060 --> 00:02:29,860
with mandatory volunteering i think it's a good idea to have a volunteer who's willing to help

26
00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:35,220
i think the school board's plan to implement a mandatory volunteering program is a terrible idea

27
00:02:35,220 --> 00:02:42,500
first of all let me say that i am already a volunteer and proud of it in fact i do volunteer

28
00:02:42,500 --> 00:02:48,040
work at my local library as well as tutor elementary school kids at my church's after

29
00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:55,300
school program i believe that at least in part the reason that i enjoy volunteering and am effective

30
00:02:55,300 --> 00:02:59,860
at it is that i am not being forced to do it in addition to that i am not being forced to do it

31
00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:06,160
in addition i can choose to volunteer with people and organizations that interest me that is not

32
00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:11,700
always the case with mandatory volunteering i am a new transfer student in this district

33
00:03:11,700 --> 00:03:18,040
and am very happy that we currently do not have a mandatory volunteering program here

34
00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:24,780
however my last school did and for many students it was not a good experience

35
00:03:25,260 --> 00:03:29,020
imagine how new students must feel when they are told that to graduate

36
00:03:29,020 --> 00:03:29,860
they will have to go to school and they will have to go to school and they will have to go to school

37
00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,960
they will have to volunteer hundreds of hours they are already overwhelmed by school work

38
00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:42,060
and so often end up just completing their hours but not putting in any effort as a result the

39
00:03:42,060 --> 00:03:47,040
quality of their volunteer work is much worse than the work done by volunteers who actually

40
00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:54,160
choose to volunteer in addition students who are told they must volunteer may become resentful

41
00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:59,860
and not want to volunteer in the future volunteering becomes a negative experience

42
00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:06,600
on the other hand many students do already volunteer and those who choose to do so make a

43
00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:13,480
real difference another problem is that many students have busy after-school schedules they

44
00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:21,060
have family work and athletic responsibilities for example many students need to be able to work

45
00:04:21,060 --> 00:04:27,440
after school in order to help out their families or to save money for college some have to take

46
00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:29,860
care of younger siblings or grandparents for example many students need to be able to work

47
00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:29,900
after school in order to help out their families or grandparents for example many students need to be able to work

48
00:04:29,900 --> 00:04:37,040
and still others use this time to participate in athletics school starts and ends at set times

49
00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:44,740
and any school-related activity after those times is extracurricular such as the football team or

50
00:04:44,740 --> 00:04:51,800
science club to participate in these activities is a personal choice just as volunteering should

51
00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:59,720
be nothing should be required of a student after school except homework finally the term mandatory

52
00:04:59,720 --> 00:04:59,860
work is a personal choice just as volunteering should be nothing should be required of a student

53
00:04:59,860 --> 00:05:06,200
volunteering is an oxymoron volunteering is something you do of your own free will

54
00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:13,980
if it is mandatory it is not volunteering for all these reasons i am totally opposed to our school

55
00:05:13,980 --> 00:05:21,000
implementing a mandatory volunteering program and suggest that volunteering be left as a personal

56
00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,160
choice it should not be made mandatory