I’m not the easiest person to lose my temper, but it happens occasionally. Recently I flipped out because I was given some harsh and totally unexpected critique for not providing my professional know-how (and tools of the trade) free-of-charge “for common good”. This got me thinking on larger scale the concept of common good and volunteering (on association level).

First, I don’t think that volunteer work itself is nothing wrong. It has always been the backbone of several associations; and on several cases I’m very much in favor of that. But personally I think that something has gone terribly wrong, when volunteering becomes a duty, something that is expected from members and partners of an association.

1981 Belgium. A lot of ground level activity, like youth philately is based largely on work of few dedicated volunteers. And I praise for anyone involved for their efforts.

Maybe what I’m feeling is a result of the “generation gap”… I remember reading that the current adults are so called “me-generation”, that support good causes but have very little interest in getting involved into “old fashioned way of doing”.

Take for example this blog. Yes, I could “donate” my time and knowhow on writing similar entries through other channels, like small and independent stamp publications. But for reason or another I enjoy more from being my “own publisher”. And I do have a feeling that by this way I have reached an audience far higher than by any other method.

Another good stamp related example of out-of-date approach semi-postals. Semi-postal stamps used to be somewhat popular (at least in Finland which issued semi-postal stamps annually for Red Cross and Anti-Tuberculosis for decades), but these days they have become largely extinct species due to low interest from non-collectors.

1943 Finland, East Karelia military administration. This semipostal was used to collect money for East-Karelia movement during the short-lived Finnish occupation.

If I was an anti-association person before, this latest incident gave me a proper reinforcement shot that is guaranteed to keep me totally away from the “association world” for the next decade. I think the expression “last out, please remember to turn off the lights” describes the feelings I have… Like Dr. Frasier Crane (from TV-series Frasier) would say – “Thanks for listening”. Stamps do make good therapy in all forms. LOL.

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