THE CARE AND FEEDING OF VOLUNTEERS

In any organization made up of volunteers, who in many cases are unpaid and without any substantial budget, it is necessary to use special skills to accomplish the mission. These skills are not new, but sometimes it is necessary to review history to learn what to do, or what not to do.

It has been said that military leadership is that state of training which renders willing obedience under all conditions. Perhaps a more realistic way of looking at it might be that the job of a leader is to motivate personnel to accomplish a task which they might not want to do. How can we in CAP do this?

A Revolutionary Lesson

Perhaps a good example can be taken from the American revolutionary war. In 1777, a German officer volunteered his services to General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Von Steuban had experience in the "real" European way of military training and battle. General Washington needed experienced officers to help train his combination of back-woodsmen and militia volunteers. Baron Von Steuban became a brigadier general and inspector general for Washington's army, and he must have done some good, because the rag-tag bunch of volunteers who suffered at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania then went on to defeat the greatest military power of the day, the British army. Even so, General Von Steuban had to learn a lesson about leading volunteers before he could succeed.

General Von Steuban was used to dealing with "professionals" who would obey orders given by officers who were usually of a higher social standing. Officers were noblemen, and in most cases, the soldiers were uneducated peasants who were not permitted to think or speak freely, and could not elect their own government. But in the American colonies, a new kind of solider had evolved. Even the officers of many state militia companies were elected and if they did not succeed they might not remain elected. Of course, if they didn't do a good job, the soldiers might not survive the battle, or the community might not be protected. Guarding the community was entrusted to the militia since there was no police or national army.

What Did General Von Steuban Learn?

How did General Von Steuban adapt himself to train this new type of army? Why did this American army succeed? Surely not the only reason, but one which we in CAP can especially learn from is explained by General Von Steuban himself.

During training he sometimes was confused and frustrated, but he soon learned to adapt to the environment in the American army. Speaking to his American interpreter, the General explained, "In Germany, I tell the soldier 'go -- do this,' and the soldier immediately obeys. But here [in America], I tell the soldier to 'do this', and he asks me 'why?' If I give him a good reason, the solider will do it and I do not have to check to see that it is done. He will do it because he sees the necessity."

How Von Steuban's Lesson Relates to CAP

We all know that in many situations, it may be necessary to give instructions which must be immediately obeyed without question. If lives are in danger, an officer might not have the time to explain "why." But if our CAP volunteers trust us and become used to understanding there is a reason they will carry out the project without detailed explanations. This is the lesson we all must learn.

Our volunteers are members of our organization to accomplish some good and to enjoy their membership. We earn their trust and willing obedience when we have shared the reason that we are working toward a common goal. Let us all learn a lesson from General Von Steuban's experience. We can help all our members learn to trust us. We can work together to accomplish our missions, no matter what they might be.

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