We all know our state motto, “The Volunteer State.” There is quote from an 1885 edition of the Knoxville Journal that really illustrates that. “Tennessee’s quota was always full, and scores of men enrolled their names whose services were never called for at all”(1). Never called for at all! They had too many people stepping forward. The enthusiastic citizens were denied the chance to use their abilities to advance their cause. What a problem to have, huh?
This isn’t a heavy-handed call for people to step up and help, but what if that happened at Old School Theatre? Well, first of all, I would probably faint, but when I came to I would be whooping it up! The benefits of volunteering your time and talents to Old School Theatre are enormous.
The advantages to Old School Theatre are pretty obvious: The quality of our programming is improved, more people hear about us, the faithful can take a break, just to name a few.
Acccording to a Corporation for National and Community Service report, “those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer” (2). Wow! You’ve got to love that!
So I’m asking you to step up, come to a monthly member meeting, come to auditions, help with marketing, email us what you enjoy doing, and volunteer at Old School Theatre. Won’t it be fun watching me faint?
~Laura Holderman, president Old School Theatre
1. Knoxville Journal, Editorial, “A Volunteer State.” November 12, 1885
2. “The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research,” Corporation for National and Community Service, http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/volunteering/benefits.asp 2007.
