Blog Forecast: Expect scattered, occasional rants on the state of home educating today. Spotter activation will not be needed.

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I recently had a conversation with Helen Hegener, managing editor of HEM, and one of our conversation threads meandered over to the subject of support, and support groups themselves. We've both been hearing several support group leaders lament on email lists about the declining volunteerism of their members, due to general lack of interest, time, money, or what-have-you. The leaders are trying to figure out why, and what to do about it. In the meantime, they're running out of energy trying to keep things afloat. It's not just happening here and there. Oh no, it's a nationwide trend. And that's not to imply that it's a new complaint, either. These same woes have been going on as long as I've been homeschooling.

For instance, in 1994, about a year after I began, I joined the original statewide organization here in Colorado: CHEA. CHEA was the all-inclusive group that had rallied homeschoolers across the state to come together, formulate, compose and work to get our home school statute passed into law in 1988. (Sadly, CHEA no longer exists. It went kaput around 2001.) Anyway, when I got there in '94, there were a total of 6 volunteers and $57 in the bank account. That was it. This was the state organization that put out a bimonthly newsletter, manned a Homeschooler FAQ Telephone Hotline, kept watch on the Colorado legislature for us, and sponsored the National Scripps Howard Spelling Bee and Odyssey of the Mind for homeschoolers? I was astounded. I was flabbergasted. Heck, I was horrified. These people needed help.

After a few meetings and a feel for what they needed and how things worked, I, (being my oddball, energetic self), dived right in. I made an estimated 2.4 million phone calls, rounded up a slew of volunteers (many hands make light work), became Volunteer Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, revamped their antiquated advertising rates, contacted every support group we knew of in the state to update the outdated 4-year-old contact info, and got elected to the Board of Directors. Within a year, CHEA was solvent again. In fact, they were so in the black, we began planning our first-ever statewide conference. None of it was easy. But, it was necessary - if I wanted to keep my inclusive, statewide org alive. And it was fun. It's very satisfying to succeed at something you believe in.

Getting folks to volunteer to do something (anything) within a support group has always been a struggle. Me being me, I see it, but I don't get it. Don't people want the satisfaction of keeping their dreams alive? Don't they want these wonderful support centers to be there when they need them? If you don't pitch in and contribute a little, who's going to? "Somebody else"? Who are these somebody elses? If every one of us said that, there'd be no support groups left in the world.

It was a problem then, but it seems a lot worse now. There's a lack of connection, or commitment, or something. There's this feeling of disconnectedness out there. Support groups struggle to get started, and then they struggle to stay afloat. Helen and I wondered if it was because of the internet boom. I mean, it seems to be, read your email, pop off a reply or two, and there you have your 'support'. Okay, that's fine, that's great. It works. For awhile. But, what about IRL? Park days? Mom's Night Out? Spanish or Science classes? What about mentors who'll answer your phone calls and speakers who'll share their expertise with your group? Do we all live in a vacuum? I certainly wouldn't want to homeschool in one. Good grief, I wouldn't have a single shred of sanity left by this point.

So it begs the questions: should we be thinking about support groups the way we always have? Or are we veterans being too 'old school'? Maybe we should be envisioning Support 2.0 instead? (Whatever that might entail.) But if that's not it at all, what could we, should do, can we, do about this ho-hum, I-want-it, but I-won't-help-out attitude?

Any ideas? I'd love to hear your comments.

Tags: Support | Home School | volunteering