To think people should buy presents for volunteers before teachers?

[SuperMoonIsKeepingMeUpToo]

I'm an assistant cub scout leader in a naice part of Surrey. My 'colleagues' and I run a very successful pack and put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that the children have a full and varied experience. Although I know that our parents buy presents for teachers and TAs at Christmas and at the end of other terms, we very rarely get anything. Please don't think I'm grabby, obviously I don't volunteer in order to get anything ('cos obviously I don't anyway!) but AIBU to think that parents should give us the odd token?

What's wrong with a bottle of something for a scout leader ? - plenty of us do like a drink, but we wouldn't crack open the vino at a cub pack meeting !!

I'd hesitate over a bottle of something simply because it cannot be shared and there are often people doing more background roles (maybe not so much in girlguiding, though). When I do get boxes of chocolates or biscuits I share them with all of my fellow leaders, including my young leaders (15/16/17 year olds). I have been given a small bottle of wine in the past. Not so easy to share, especially with children!

That is probably why they don't get presents - difficult to share. You can have far too many chocs and biscuits- especially, if like me, you don't eat them.

I am lolling at the personal advantages afforded to me by virtue of volunteering over the last 12 months. I spent every weekend fundraising with begrudging early teen girls, pay for petrol, then got to use the only two weeks annual vacation I got this year to go on a trip with them (and pay my own share - none of these freebies). I now have to take unpaid leave from work if I want any time off at Christmas to spend with my family.

Silent is of course right though - I was able to play a major part in broadening the horizons of those ten girls, and despite the cost (both monetary, physical, and mental) I am glad I gave them the opportunity.

They did say thanks at the airport when they got back. It took me another two weeks to stop waking up in a blind panic trying to headcount girls that were happily back at home

They did all sign up again in September, so it worked for retention purposes anyway...

Gain.

Tee hee.

I gained a few more girls, for sure.

Has anyone explained the personal advantage gained? I can't think of any!

You forgot to mention how good it will look on your CV, madwoman. Gain upon gain.

So then, Mehita, you are magnanimous and let your fellow leaders eat them whilst you abstain.

And that wasn't including the regular weekly meetings/ badge planning, other weekend camps, events, etc etc.

I have often pondered the volunteer/ paid teacher gift dichotomy. Usually when I am trying to buy three lots of teachers gifts the day before the end of term, as none of the kids have decided until that point what they want to get them.

Lol, yeah. Quite right. it doesn't seem to have helped up to this point lol.

Mostly interviewers are more concerned that volunteering takes up too much of my time and will impinge on my paid work... i asked a year and a half before our two week trip if I would be able to take the time off, and my then boss pursed her lips and said 'ooo, well x normally likes the first week in August off, so I'm not sure....'

Mehitabel - Silent explained (I think in response to a comment from me) that the personal gain she refers to is the job satisfaction of giving interesting and worthwhile experiences to the children.

Im a teacher and I can't tell you how much our volunteers are valued. Readers/special events in school/ making up ratios of adukt:children for trips. I buy all my own gifts for volunteers and thre pupils make the card and it's given from us together as a class.

agh bollocks you have reminded me OP that I need to budget yet another 20 for yet more bloody xmas gifts- for got school

fortunately not started scouts yet

for me, the benefit of volunteering is being positively involved in other people's lives in a structured way which makes me part of that community. It's not selfish exactly but I do get something out of it.

Really good point. and i am now going to make sure i buy a small gift and card for my daughters rainbow leader :)

So if you find it interesting and worthwhile no one needs bother with a present?
Leaders only want it for a CV if they are young.
A few biscuits or chocolates are nice- I don't think you want to be swamped in them.

The person who commented about me saying that presumably there was some advantage in being a volunteer and asked me what I thought the advantages were.

yanbu, but oh gosh, so as well as the teacher and the ta should be buying for every adult at every activity dd goes to (and friends kids, work colleagues, ex's extended family, uncle tom cobley and all?)

No, I think the concensus is that a message of genuine thanks is better to received than a present.

I think anyone would rather just have a message of genuine thanks and be appreciated- and that costs nothing. Verbally is fine- you don't even have to write it down.

I run a brownie unit, i don't need presents, but I love it so much when the girls bring me a drawing or a card they made at home. I keep them in a special box to remind me why I do it.

For those who think volunteering is advantageous, please feel free to step up and run my unit which otherwise will close at May half term when I am 8 months pregnant

It took me 2 yrs to get a replacement leader so I am a bit sceptical about 'volunteering being advantageous' - they are never queueing up!
People are quick to complain- very few make a special point of thanking and saying how much they appreciate leaders, teachers, volunteers in general.

Virtual . I hope someone steps up, such a shame when groups have to close.