AIBU to think someone else should bloody well do something?

[Sisinisawa]

I am not U. I need a rant.

I head up, as a volunteer, a local summer activity that only runs for a short period once a year.

Everyone on the committee is a volunteer. We are all busy. I get that. I try hard to be grateful for anything anyone does and am very encouraging.

But I am almost the only person who does any of the work!

I have three jobs which I do around full time childcare of my toddler and my eldest who is at school but has special needs.

I chair the committee. I do all minutes. I do registrations (which takes hours) and now I've been lumbered with recruitment and organising dbs checks for over 30 temporary staff, plus all admin and basically everything except finances (we do have a wonderful treasurer).

Why doesn't anyone else bloody well DO something?

I also currently have a big building project we are living through (think mattresses on floors and no kitchen) and I cannot cope any more.

I don't understand how to get anyone to do anything. I'm so stressed I just swore at my children and cried on the phone to the dbs check people

Aibu to think the rest of the committee should bloody well DO something other than just turn up on the day?

Ermmm, well as Chair isn't it your job to make sure the committee do what needs to be done?

Have you asked them to do specific tasks?

Can you recruit more volunteers?

yanbu but you seem super organised, maybe delegate some of the jobs out ? perhaps people look at you and think 'sis has it all sorted,' but as they are volunteers means they want to be involved.

Well I would think they're not doing it because they know you will. Have you asked them to do it?

I ask them to do stuff and they all stare at the ground. If I allocate jobs they just don't do them!

I'm only chair because the last one left and no one else went to the agm so she just handed me the paperwork!

Resign your post with immediate effect. If it's all too much rather just one bad day then you need to out yourself and your family first.

Resign if it's too much?
You can't make people do stuff. You also don't have to do it. I know it's great when people are community spirited etc but not everyone is so available or basically wants to be.

I just left my position on the pta and board of management for out school for this very reason.
It's incredibly freeing.

Besides you get told no one else can do the up but when you aren't there you will be surprised, others will have to step up or the organisation will hire some one.

Definitely resign. You will feel so much better for it. Good luck!

Put your cards on the table with the committee. You find your self in a position of being unable to do everything you are, so they either step up or you step down. With immediate effect.

Tell them you can't be an effective Chair if you are also doing minutes. Allocate specific jobs and say that you can't do them because of your own commitments. Don't take no for an answer.

Always difficult with voluntary stuff but sometimes you do need to put your foot down.

Yes I think I need to. It's just so hard because if it all falls apart if no one does anything and the activity is cancelled we will be thousands in debt and as chair I am responsible for that.

Maybe get all the members together and tell them, that unless you get some help, then your resigning. You and your family come first.

In school we put together an action plan. This is written, gives actions to be achieved, costing, timescale/deadlines and person/people responsible. For 'buy in' this would be put together by a key group, perhaps a committee.
Agree this, put it in place and stick to it. At each meeting, start with this agreed action plan, as a group, evaluating progress made. We highlight in colours, red for no progress, Amber, some, green for achieved. It will make others accountable. (And hopefully embarrass some).
It will also prevent you from doing it all. If you do it, others will let you because it still gets done.

This is a tough way to work but will at least make apparent success, which you need to celebrate to make others feel valued and also where others aren't taking responsibility.

Good luck!

Allocate tasks, don't do it all yourself. Tell the rest of the committee that the activity is in danger of not going ahead unless they step up and pitch in.
The more you take on, the more they'll let you.