Rosi
Popp

von Uli Zeutschel am 07.08.2012 - 22:52 Uhr | melden

So wie ich Rosi über 25 Jahre erlebt habe – als kluge und herzliche Mentorin, die sich nie in den Vordergrund spielte, sondern hoch effektiv und effizient im Hintergrund wirkte – erscheint mir die nachfolgende „best practice“-Beschreibung des von ihr geschaffenen „Anlern“-Systems für ehrenamtliche Mitarbeit im Komitee Osnabrück eine passende Würdigung ihres besonderen Beitrags zu unserem Verein, mit dem sie eine große Multiplikationswirkung entfaltet hat.
Das Fallbeispiel stammt aus dem 1988 von mir verfassten "Report on the Exploratory Phase of the AFS Volunteer Resources Study in the Federal Republic of Germany" und basiert auf sechs ausführlichen Interviews vor Ort und teilnehmender Beobachtung bei einem Komiteetreffen. Das Komitee Osnabrück wurde neben fünf anderen der damals 53 Komitees für die Feldrecherche ausgewählt „since several sources had mentioned Rosi Popp, one of the most experienced and longstanding German AFS volunteers. Largely due to her efforts that committee has not only been extraordinarily productive in programming and fundraising, but has also turned out a number of volunteers who have become leaders in other AFS committees.“
Und es ist sicherlich nicht überraschend, dass auch mein dreitägiger “Forschungs”besuch in Osnabrück von Rosi perfekt und mit viel Herz organisiert war …

Case Example: The “Apprenticeship” System of AFS Osnabrück
The process of integrating new program participants into the committee largely relies on generic activities: Apart from one special meeting for newly selected hopees to inform them about structure and activities of the committee, pre-departure orientation is done on an informal basis through regular monthly committee meetings and general program activities. Hopees are also encouraged to take over volunteer tasks (e.g. representing the committee on the City Youth Commission).
Functional differentiation by mandates of committee members was not instituted because of
- fear that adults might dominate committee work,
- dislike to assume specific roles on the part of the young volunteers. (Several interviewees expressly mentioned that they were turned off by rigid AFS chapter structures in their host countries.)
As a guiding philosophy, it is believed that the “personal style” of chairpersons and current committee members should determine priorities of committee activities, and that program administration and straight organizational tasks (e.g. travel arrangements for short-term exchanges) are more efficiently handled by the National Office.
Each year, two chairpersons are elected, usually from among new returnees, one of them serving as a second mailing address besides the principal coordinator Rosi Popp. They are instructed about basic tasks by their predecessors and by Rosi, who has been active in this committee for more than 20 years [Remember, this was written in 1988! – the editor]. For further reference during the year, they are supplied with a folder in which all “business” documents (invitations, correspondence, planning details) from previous years are collected.
Other aspects of this “volunteer apprenticeship” system include:
• New returnees are given the opportunity to organize a number of “customary” social events and programs (e.g. weekend outings, short-term exchanges) with a minimum of prescribed constraints,
• they have full input in the decision making process in selections of new hopes,
• they are given the choice to pair up with experienced volunteers (e.g. as liaisons for host families and international students) or to work together with peers,
• Rosi Popp gives advice where needed and points out potential resources in the community and among adult committee members and affiliated persons,
• any financial surplus at the end of the year is donated as ear-marked grant through the National Office, so that each new chairperson starts at point Zero again, which fosters fundraising motivation.
A problem of these procedures as well as their reason-de-étre is the built-in turnover of young volunteers: As one of the co-chairpersons remarked, adult volunteers are generally more regularly involved over longer periods of time. Some of them have expressed frustration about “re-inventing the wheel” every year, and about discussing the same issues and procedures over and over with consecutive generations of new volunteers. Others, however, welcome the input of fresh ideas, and the chance for continuous reflection and development, especially of selection procedures and criteria. …
Quite a few of the Osnabrück returnees who have gone through this volunteer apprenticeship do get involved in AFS committees at their places of study or subsequent residence – at some recent time, five AFS committees [out of 53 at that time – the editor] in the FRG were chaired by returnees who originally came from Osnabrück.