Three Great Ways of Thanking Leaders

When working with volunteers, thanks is the only payment we can really give them. And there are only so many official awards that can be handed out. Then, once a volunteer has been given all of those, what other ways of thanking leaders are there?

This was a question that would come up more often than you’d think in my 10 years working for the Boy Scouts. How do we show this volunteer mom how much her contribution has meant? How do we thank the dad who taught the kids about beekeeping? What do we do to thank the firehouse that let our kids see how the trucks work and try on the turnout gear?

It also comes up when a long-time leader is getting ready to retire.

And it is nearly camp season, there will be lots of leaders to thank who give up their time this summer.

So, here are three of the answers that I’d give out from time to time when people were looking for great ways to thank the people who helped make their program successful.

The Kid Signature Certificate

Over the years, I’ve received a lot of thank you certificates for working Scouting events. But none meant more than this one. I didn’t outwardly cry, but I was really moved.

We were doing a day camp in Fort Kent, Maine. It served the three of the most remote packs in the North Star District of theĀ Katahdin Area Council.

It meant a lot to me to be able to help those packs bring a program to these kids, and I had an awful lot of fun doing it. In Northern Maine, Scouting is truly a family program.

I’ll never forget that particular day camp. It’s where I learned that good grouping for Cub archery is a neat pile of arrows about three feet in front of the boy. I also got a lesson in how great a day camp can be when the local packs really own it. Pack 189 in Fort Kent marshaled the full strength of their community in putting on a great program for the kids.

My own contribution wasn’t all that great. I handled registrations, and the money, and kept the paperwork in order. I answered any questions that came up. But mostly I felt like I got to be along for the ride. I got to spend the day managing by walking around and seeing kids have a lot of fun.

Getting the Certificate of Appreciation covered in kid signatures meant a lot to me. Still does, even ten years later.

Of course, with all great ideas in Scouting, I stole it later on. I used it to thank leaders. I used it to thank donors who helped get kids to camp. The reaction to getting a thank you card or certificate covered in kid signatures is always a good one.




The Poem From A Parent

Okay, maybe I spoke too soon about the last one having the most meaning. I’m calling this one a tie for first.

This next one came from a very special scouting family that had been through a lot over the previous couple of years. Sometimes life throws things at you. I won’t get into the specifics, but suffice to say, Scouting builds character, and the character of this young man and his family was second to none.

So it meant an awful lot to me and the other leaders in the troop when we were presented with the framed poem you see to the right. A great scout mom named Carol wrote it. She had two Eagle Scout sons.

Most parents in scouting are amazing, but sometimes as a leader, you wonder if all the things you’re doing to help kids are recognized.

And then you get a beautiful poem that actually lists all of them.

That’s why its still sitting on my desk 11 years later.

 

 

The Thank You Video

Here’s an idea for a keepsake that a leader can treasure for a long time – a thank you video. Imagine that you’re at a ceremony recognizing a 30-year scout volunteer when the lights go down, and a video montage comes on the screen with scouts and former scouts from different decades looking into the camera and saying thank you.

Think of the reaction you’d get if you’d get from the leader seeing a long line of scouts looking into the camera, saying their name, and saying a heartfelt thank you with a brief personal message.

Imagine how much fun it would be tracking all these people down, and letting them know what you’re doing?

We live in a world where everyone has a movie studio in their pocket, and editing software is increasingly user-friendly. (Here’s a link to the software I use.) So this wouldn’t be nearly as difficult to achieve as it would have been even 10 years ago. How difficult would it be to ask these scouts and former scouts to record a ten-second message to their former leader?

As much as any District Award of Merit could possibly mean, wouldn’t this mean so much more?

Did I Miss Other Great Ways of Thanking Leaders?

Any other great ways of thanking volunteers? Please leave them in the comments section below.

Oh, and before I forget, thank you for all that you do to make our world a better place.


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