The last bit of info I’m going to pull from the Saskatchewan Nonprofit Partnership‘s 2022 report is the motivations that prompt people to volunteer. The reasons identified by the survey’s respondents are varied, often overlap with each other, and they generally differ according to age group. Summarized, they look like this:
VOLUNTEERISM IN SASKATCHEWAN AND THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19, SASK NONPROFIT
- 75% of respondents want to contribute to their community;
- 72% of respondents are interested in a particular cause;
- 36% of respondents hope to improve their own well-being;
- 31% of respondents want to meet new people, and
- 11% of respondents want to improve their job prospects.
If you’re floating the idea of taking a seat on the CMMM’s Board of Trustees, rest assured: No one will be asking, “What’s your motivation?” We will be asking you to attend Board meetings, and to help with some of the hands-on activities, as you’re able. We look forward to hearing your voice at the Board table, both questions and suggestions. We look forward to fresh energy and brave new ideas. You will be welcomed.
Chris Schoular’s comments were presented in the previous post, With or Without Makes a Difference. Below are Randy Strelioff’s, Colton Stapley’s, and Debbie MacLeod’s replies to, “Why do you volunteer with the Museum?”
RANDY S.
Like Chris, my ancestors came from the soil, though not in this part of Saskatchewan. The Museum is a way to honour and respect those who came before. It’s a bonus that the history and artifacts are so darned interesting.
Personally, I feel it’s important that I stay productive since I retired. The Museum gives me an opportunity to do that.
I agree totally with Chris that the quality of your community is a reflection of the amount of effort you put into it. The nice things in a community don’t happen by chance. Nice things happen because people care and put the work in. The tax base can support the essentials but it’s volunteers that improve the quality of life for people.
COLTON S.
I volunteer with the museum because it’s something that I want to be here when I’m retired. I’d like to be able to enjoy it and dedicate a larger portion of my time to it. I want to make sure the stories from our town continue to be told. If I don’t help out with it now, there is that much less of a chance that the museum will still be here at that point in time. So, I guess I volunteer in the present to make sure that myself and others will have the ability to enjoy and promote the museum in the future .
DEBBIE M.
My maternal grandparents were immigrants to Alberta: one homesteaded with her family in the Ukrainian block east of Edmonton, then married an English veteran who had come over via the 1919 Soldier Settlement Act. Together, they farmed west of St. Paul. I grew up listening to family stories about homesteading and farming.
Many of the CMMM’s stories are similar to the ones I heard, and they resonate with me. The stories may seem local in nature, but many of the elements in them are universal. Preserving local histories is like saving the threads that connect individuals, communities, and generations. I volunteer because I feel the heritage buildings, the artifacts in them, and the archival items in the museum’s possession are all important pieces of the stories, and I hope we’re able to preserve all of it far into the future.
The current Board has about 3 weeks to find a few more people interested in joining us as a Trustee. If you have any questions, or would like more information, see below.
CLICK THROUGH FOR INFO ABOUT THE CMMM BOARD
1. This Report is Talking about Us
2. With or Without Makes a Difference
3. Why We Do It
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Sunday, March 26 at 3pm at the Cut Knife Community Centre, 205 Orton Street. In addition to reviewing the Annual Report and Financial Report, the CMMM will be electing Board Trustees.
- Trustee terms are 2 years
- Meetings once a month on the 4th Monday evening
It is essential we have a full slate of Board Members so we can maintain seasonal museum operations, initiate and complete new projects, and so much more. Each person brings something different to the table including their personal skill set, their interests and experience. Without a full Board, the museum is merely existing. If you’d like to find out a bit more, visit the Volunteer page here and/or email us at cmmmcutknife@gmail.com.
The CMMM celebrated its 50th Anniversary a few years ago. Let’s all work to insure its success for another 50 years.
~ Debbie M.
Clayton McLain Memorial Museum 