Mandatory Volunteerism

[TheGeepster]

I heard today about some sort of push in Congress by John Kerry to institute volunteer service as a requirement for graduation from school. I couldn't find an article written on the latest push, but I did find out that this idea has been instituted in some schools.

Link not working - Try carrot red's below. It's exactly what I was talking about.

Any thoughts on this?

[Starkist]

If it's mandatory, can it still be called volunteering?

[carrot red]

I'm getting a bad link, Geepa. I don't know if it's just me, but I was able to find this on yahoo.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030519/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_community_service_2

[Kirby of Doom]

:P not my problem. j/k

IMO, it's stupid. Ok, so we already have the MCAS here in Massachusetts, now this. I think maybe they're trying to solve the economy problem by getting students to work for free. Oh well, lucky for me I'm graduating high school in a few weeks, but good luck to all the little people.

[TheGeepster]

You're a doll, carrot red. Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for. :kawaii:

I may try to find the other link sometime.

[Ich]

I picked out two key lines from that...

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry offered a $3.2 billion plan for community service...

Kerry did not offer details on how he would pay for the proposal.

[Mercy]

Roughly thirteen-hundred secondary school seniors failed the standardized test required to graduate in my state. If these students can not find the time to learn such fundamentals as reading and mathematics, I dare say they do not have the time to volunteer for anything other than study hall. Or possibly 'crash test dummies'.


m.

[Beldaran]

I think we used to have mandatory volunteerism in this country. Yeah, we made it mandatory for black people to volunteer to pick cotton.

Mandatory volunteerism = slavery.

[TheGeepster]

It violates the essential principle of volunteerism if it's forced on people. The idea that the gov't will teach young people civic duty with this notion is understandable but extremely flawed. It is the parent's responsibility to teach civic responsibility, and it is up to the individual whether they are willing to give of themselves and to force people to give will breed resentment.

And it strikes me as true that the gov't's inability to properly manage such a large program would mean that the benefit would be diminished by the efforts of many to counteract the good which might be accomplished.

[inori]

People at my high school were required to complete some community service for psychology. (I have no idea why.) Not entirely coincidentally, I never took psychology in high school. (Although I did do some community-service stuff... but I wanted it to be on my own volition, not forced onto me.)

[AlphaDawg]

One week of "senior service" was always a requirement for graduation at my old high school. I personally had no problem with it, in fact I enjoyed it very much. I got to spend a week at my old elementary school. Much better than wasting away the week at my high school doing endless graduation rehearsals.

[Axel]

as a former Boy Scout I support volunteer work, but if its mandatory all the meaning is lost, along with most of the effect. you can't require someone to do volunteer work, since the purpose is for it to be optional.

[plith]

Heh. Yet another reason that I'm glad I go to a private school and can therefore ignore most laws like that. Instead of volunteer work being required to graduate, it's offered as an alternative to fourth term of senior year (since as we all know, senior's become useless by that point) except for students in AP classes or the ones that are failing a class.

[bigjoe]

Originally posted by Beldaran
I think we used to have mandatory volunteerism in this country. Yeah, we made it mandatory for black people to volunteer to pick cotton.

Mandatory volunteerism = slavery.

Youre right! Its a conspiracy!

[TheGeepster]

Hmmm, ironic that you used to be in Boy Scouts, Axel, considering that it is a private religious organization which opposes atheism.

But you are right, the concept of volunteerism by necessity ought to volunteer, performed because one wants to, and not because they have to.

[Tygore]

If you turn this into another religious debate, I'm boycotting Moogles.

[gdorf]

Well, In a way you could say volunteer work is required to graduate my high school. Because it is required to pass any of the health classes, which in turn are required to graduate. I don't really care though, doing volunteer work feels good.

[Axel]

Originally posted by TheGeepster
Hmmm, ironic that you used to be in Boy Scouts, Axel, considering that it is a private religious organization which opposes atheism.

But you are right, the concept of volunteerism by necessity ought to volunteer, performed because one wants to, and not because they have to.
actually, there's 12 points to the Scout Law. the last one is Reverence, my own personal interpretation was reverent irreverence. I was occasionally called to say grace, therefore I said: "Grace, dig in!" I had a great time... :cry:

anyways, there's no point to requiring volunteer work

[Jemsee]

In the old days, or at least at my school, only if you took civics class did you have to "volunteer" for some community service.
It was a requirement of the class and you could pick from a list of things to do.
So to pass the class I guess it was a forced thing.
But keep in mind that one did not HAVE to take that class for it was not required to gradutate and even then a peron had a choise of what he/she could do.

[TheGeepster]

Nah, just pointing out an irony, Tygore.

That doesn't sound like too bad a thing, Jemsee. Especially is you knew that was a requirement going in, and had a freee choice in where you served.