Survey for a class... HELP PLEASE!

i do beleive it should be for High School Grad.

Enforced labour is for criminals, last I looked studying at university was not criminal, although some of the lecturers marking practices are questionable.

Voted and agree that some sort of public service should be a "rite of passage" for young folks.

You betcha. 1,000 hours, baby!

But football players, cheerleaders and marching band members should be exempt.

Voted.

Can we stop the comparison with criminals? While it's true that criminals are forced to do community service, the "comparison" stops there (I know some posts are intended as a joke, haha. Joke's over; we all get it.). Most of the posts we've seen here seem to come from people who have never done volunteer work in their life (if the shoe fits, wear it; otherwise, don't scream at me).

In today's society, where "my rights (to laziness)" are well dominating over "my help given to others", I can't see anything wrong with introducing kids to volunteering. Parents certainly won't do it. They are too busy with their personal activities to spend some time with their kids, educating them. I know that kids are busy with many activities, but I also think many can find the time to do 25 hours of volunteering per year (for four years). Time is an illusion. If you want, you can always make up some time for a given activity.

We live in societies where individualism is growing exponentially. We're talking about personal computers, personal music players (which isolate you acoustically from the outside world), personal this and that. The human being is a social creature. We need social interaction for our well-being. But the human is also lazy by nature. We tend to do the things that require the least effort, even if this tramples over other basic needs. Today, the lazy part of our nature seems to be dominating our lives and I would like to see this trend reversed...

Okay, enough blabbing about everything "wrong" with our modern society... Just venting out, but I hope some of you may give a thought or two about what I said. It's certainly not the absolute truth, but you may find a little thing or two that fits in your life... I'm just saying that volunteering work will get kids out of the house, many will feel good about themselves helping others, meeting new people, interacting with individuals from different backgrounds. Will some do a crappy job? Sure. Will many do a good job and feel good about themselves? I certainly think so.

I agree with you in the main Sebastien. I dunno about the US but over here the 'voluntary sector' itself is generally against forced volunteering. There is nothing wrong with the concept of people being introduced to community service, but this kind of thing isn't volunteering in it's true spirit. It is forced service to get a degree, or whatever. Do people really think forcing kids to do this kind of thing will make them somehow more community minded? More likely turn them off.

I also wonder where all these politicians get off thinking it is somehow 'the youth' who must volunteer, as if it is them who have some problem within their community. Most young people are perfectly well integrated. Those that aren't are usually victim of shabby parenting: let's get them parents into 'forced volunteering' or 'forced parenting' classes!

Our so called leaders should try it themselves. They make the decisions that have led us where we are today. Maybe they should get a bit more community minded!

If something is good and worthwhile people will do it anyway. Anyone seen any 'youth forced to have sex in order to get degree' programmes? No, they do it already because they want to. We need to help people want to engage with their communities, not force them.

Better get used to others having opinions as well as free will mate. I was not joking either.
Volunteering does not mean enforced labour... 2 seperate words for 2 seperate ideals.
Sounds like communism based thinking to me, but I won't go into that as it's political.

Well said condyk.

As for the parents too busy, maybe in your case. I choose to stay home more than work for more income to see my kids grow and help them learn. I make enough to feed and clothe them decently, the rest is for luxuries that fall down the list on my priorities.

sblais wrote in post #3311738
Can we stop the comparison with criminals? While it's true that criminals are forced to do community service, the "comparison" stops there (I know some posts are intended as a joke, haha. Joke's over; we all get it.). Most of the posts we've seen here seem to come from people who have never done volunteer work in their life (if the shoe fits, wear it; otherwise, don't scream at me.

Since I'm the only one that mentioned anything about crime/criminals, that means you're talking directly to me, I guess.

(EDIT: Alright, JCR mentioned slime too )

While granted that you didn't say "everyone here", I'll add that I've indeed been arrested, and had to do hundreds of hours of community service. I'm no stranger to it. I like volunteering, too. I've volunteered to help the elderly, help out regularly at the local play house in the interest of keeping it going, I'm an active member of the local Lions Club, etc.

I'm no stranger to volunteering.

That said, you don't need to get huffy about me mentioning criminals. One person said it. It's that community service shouldn't be mandatory. It's something you should want to do, not something you should have to do. Volunteering is just that.

nah I said same Ronald.

whoops. Missed your comment.

Ronaldo ... at last, we agree son. The therapy was worth it in the end. Come to Papa lad


PS: you got fewer posts than me again tho!

That's ok Ronald i'm used to being ignored, i'm married

condyk wrote in post #3312045
PS: you got fewer posts than me again tho!

I've been using my camera lately.

condyk wrote in post #3310966
'Volunteering' is by definition a freely given activity ... you add 'must do it for graduation' conditions and really it degrades the notion.

The question was about community service. The poll doesn't ask about "volunteering." Service is is service whether you volunteer or do it as a condition of graduation. If you know it's a requirement of the school and you register at the school, you have agreed to do it (volunteered).

JCR wrote in post #3311632
Enforced labour is for criminals, last I looked studying at university was not criminal, although some of the lecturers marking practices are questionable.

Again, it's a choice whether you go to the school or not. We all have choices, some just seem more like they're being forced on us than others.

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I think community service as a requisite is a good way to introduce people into being a part of the world outside their normal circle. It can broaden their horizons in a way that may not have occurred otherwise. And I don't think there is a place on earth that couldn't benefit from some extra help.