Finding someone to take over volunteer role 13.1.4.5.6 -> 15

[compass]

Hi,

For many years I've been volunteering for a charity that works with children and decided this past year to step down from my role of running the local branch by the end of 2022. Back in May I sent out an appeal to all the families involved, but no one stepped forward to take over my role. I even approached a few parents direcctly but all said they don't have the time to take it on. This is quite understandable as I know many people have busy lives.

It being the start of December now, there's not enough time to train my replacement between now and Christmas. So yesterday I sent out an appeal again to parents, saying I'll stay on a little longer but that personal health issues (which came to light over the summer) have made it pertinent that I step down soon.

So I asked the IC whether yesterday's email will persuade any of the parents to agree to take on my role, and I got 13.1.4.5.6 -> 15: People in Harmony's Integrity. With all the changing lines, my interpretation is that the reading says my relationship with the parents is good but distant; that is, that parents are happy with the work the other volunteers & I are doing, but that they're not willing to volunteer themselves; that it's very frustrating that parents aren't willing to step forward when so many others have been willing to do so in the past (the charity's existed for decades); and that it might take a while before the situation changes.

Does that sound right?

Best wishes,
Compass

 

[Liselle]

13 can be about people forming a social mechanism, forming alliances "in the wild" among people who don't have a lot in common. Seems an odd way to describe a group which does have things in common. Maybe Yi's giving you some news here? Might be part of 15's realism, seeing the group as it actually is.

Hilary notes in WikiWing that 13.1 can sometimes be about people gathering to say goodbye, not hello. I wonder if nothing will happen till you actually leave, and they have no choice but to figure things out? Maybe the upper trigram's lines will kick in at that point.

Line 4 changes by itself to 37, defined roles in a family, which certainly seems to reflect the part that's proving hard to accomplish: no one being willing to assume this role. 13.4 itself is about making the thing in question immune to attack. You figure this means everyone's climbing onto their walls out of reach of being dragooned - is that right?

Line 5 and line 6 are both encouraging. I wonder if line 5 means that it will take a sorry period of leaderlessness to convince someone to take it? But then someone does, or someone at least has a good idea for successful 13-ing. I half wonder if 13 might mean it'll be a different sort of organization, maybe something looser. Not sure.

Line 6 says the group eventually finds its way...I conclude weakly. (This is a difficult reading, at least for me, and I haven't come up with a single idea about the letter which after all was your question. I don't know...maybe someone will get a guilty conscience about you having to keep worrying about this while having health trouble? Best wishes with that, by the way...)

 

[breakmov]

Hi compass

To me it makes sense like this:

compass said:​

Finding someone to take over volunteer role 13.1.4.5.6 -> 15​

"Awaken this group to the need for someone, among them, with the natural gift of "walking on their own feet", and with integrity and simplicity, making their capacity available for volunteering in favor of the needs of this group."

13.1: someone with a sincere desire to take the first step towards this mission

13.4: Someone who manages to get out of their "protective armor" and open up to the needs that defines this group.

13.5: someone with the necessary leadership who wants to understand and fight for the objectives of this volunteer work

13.6: Someone who can carry on with the mission despite situations that don't galvanize the group's genuine interest.

...I got the idea that perhaps, in addition to the appeal, a "continued, careful and solitary journey on your part" is necessary to awaken in someone the best conscience and vocation for this very important role of volunteering.

breakmov

 

[compass]

13 can be about people forming a social mechanism, forming alliances "in the wild" among people who don't have a lot in common. Seems an odd way to describe a group which does have things in common. Maybe Yi's giving you some news here? Might be part of 15's realism, seeing the group as it actually is.

...

Thanks, Liselle--you've hit on exactly what the dilemma is. I think many of the parents/families involved are supportive of the charity, but only so far, so trying to get them to join us is sometimes like pulling teeth, or that the support only goes so far. Other local branches have resorted to threats of closing down when they've not gotten new volunteers to keep their group going, and lo and behold, new adults step forward. It's a tactic that the national organization frowns upon, but they know it works.

I'm loathe to use it though. Colleagues in my group have stuck around for 6 months - 1 year before replacements could be found for their respective roles, so I feel it might be the same for me. However, my health has the final word (thank you for your kind words about it, BTW), and if it makes things more difficult, then I will definitely have to stop volunteering.

But that may be what lines 5 & 6 are pointing at, as you describe: the group will have a looser organization then but will find it's way through it. My line manager did tell me yesterday that a new structure is coming down the pipeline of moving to a team format, rather than a hierarchal one.

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[compass]

Thanks for your reply, breakmov!

13.1: someone with a sincere desire to take the first step towards this mission


13.4: Someone who manages to get out of their "protective armor" and open up to the needs that defines this group.

13.5: someone with the necessary leadership who wants to understand and fight for the objectives of this volunteer work

13.6: Someone who can carry on with the mission despite situations that don't galvanize the group's genuine interest.

That's the exact sort of person I'm looking for.

...I got the idea that perhaps, in addition to the appeal, a "continued, careful and solitary journey on your part" is necessary to awaken in someone the best conscience and vocation for this very important role of volunteering.

This is an interesting thought. Can you please clarify what you mean by a "continued, careful and solitary journey on your part"? I can take it to mean either one of two things. After Christmas, I'm drastically reducing a lot of my responsibilities, so I'm wondering whether the solitary journey is the additional time I'll need to stay with the charity until a replacement can be found.

Or I'm wondering whether it refers to me having to separate myself from the group after much deliberation, because my health will make things more difficult. Something to contemplate. Thanks!

 

[breakmov]

compass said:​

Can you please clarify what you mean by a "continued, careful and solitary journey on your part"?

I think this way:

A solitary, disciplined and careful walk, focused on your function/mission, even despite the limit to your availability in the function.
This careful and solitary walk, extended to perceive and approach the person with the necessary characteristics for the function.
And if this careful and honest journey on your part results in inspiration and awakens the natural gift of a person with a vocation for the role, so much the better.

breakmov