I don’t have any incredible reasons why I chose this one…
It was within walking distance from the Long Beach 5k. I didn’t have anything I really needed to do that day. I still needed more volunteer activities. And I love the arts. So, let’s do this thing!
I did hear from some of the other volunteers that the reason they came was because they adored Long Beach Opera. Word on the street is it’s a very creative opera company. So, I’m happy to know about it. Maybe I’ll check out a show sometime!
I just helped to carry things in, and then glue numbers on the back of paddles. It was a very simple day.
One thing I took away from it though, is that it’s good to try to think “What would one step better than this be, and can we do that?”
When we were gluing on the numbers, someone (who’d been a city planner, so I understand the awesome attention to detail) mentioned that when she first heard we’d be attaching numbers, she thought they would’ve been printed on labels that could’ve been peeled and applied.
Working with glue sticks was more time consuming and messier than if we’d used labels. (Also, we went through a surprising amount of glue sticks!)
(Since this woman’s ides for something better intrigued me, I even found a nice little advice video when it comes to making auction paddles. (Yay for the good ol’ internet – full of information.))
Granted, we were all volunteers. So, ostensibly, we had the time to spare. And none of the volunteers had any real complaints. But I love that that woman spoke her thoughts out loud, because she made me think about the fact that if I ever run an event like this, I do want volunteers to feel that I’m using their time as best I can. (And I want people attending the event to feel that the stuff around them is quality.)
So, my main takeaway (which I think is good not only in events, but also in life) is, “What would one step better than this be, and can we do that?” Can you imagine what we could accomplish if we asked that about every thing we did?