Volunteer rant-
I try to balance my time between my job, my art, and being involved in volunteering. I take all three of them seriously, because I think each one of them are important. I recognize that if I want people to be there to make my community function, I have to do my part.
I have volunteered in different capacities, depending what else is going on in my life. At one point, I was involved in the art guild. Now, I find that my job makes it difficult to make those meetings, so I volunteer with 4-H now.
I got a call from our Church's religion education coordinator. She wanted me to volunteer to help with the VBS. I told her I could not, the family was scheduled to go on a trip that week. She asked me if that was the truth or an excuse. I stumbled over an answer, telling her that we were going on a trip and where we were going and why. But, it made me very angry. She was, in fact, asking me if I was a liar. If I had been a bit more aggressive, I might have told her that not only was I NOT volunteering for VBS, but I was UN-volunteering for the other things I do as well.
Instead, I said nothing. Later, I received an email from her asking if I was teaching again this year in the children's classes. I said I would. (still smarting) I wrote back that there was a conflict with the scheduling for my son's classes. Because they are at a later time, I had to choose to keep my 8 year old and 11 yr old out very late on a school night so he could attend the classes, or make sure they got home in a timely manner and he NOT attend classes. Why did she have it set up so the HS kids attended at a later time?
She wrote back saying because the school scheduled sports practices on that night, having classes start later allowed these kids to attend. She added that she's spoken to the schools every year to no avail and that I should run to be on the school board. (oh yes! The only substitute teacher on the school board!)
I wrote her asking if there was any way my son could continue the classes at home? She wrote back saying that she had developed the classwork herself(with the teacher, her daughter) and that being there in class with his peers would be a good thing for him. I should encourage him to attend.
Ok, what am I missing here? Is she paying any attention at all? I said the problem with my son attending is because of HER schedule, yet I'm supposed to "encourage" him to attend?
Yes, I could encourage him to attend, but then I'd also be making certain my 8 and 11 yr. olds were going to school sleep deprived.
It's enough to make me throw up my hands and give up.