Workshops on Volunteer Trends

Recreation Nova Scotia is offering workshops this fall to examine trends and challenges facing today's volunteer boards and organizations. The free workshops, to be facilitated by Eva Marks-MacIsaac, will be held in Halifax on Oct. 2 and in Sydney Forks on Oct. 23.

"Apart from an opportunity to network, these workshops offer professionals who work with or support volunteer groups an opportunity to discuss and plan for the emerging trends identified in the recent Statistics Canada findings," said Dawn Stegen, executive director of Recreation Nova Scotia.

Statistics Canada found close to one-half of Canadians -- 49.5 per cent or 12 million aged 15 and over -- reported that they were members of, or participants in, community organizations, and that they contributed just over 1.1 billion hours of their time. These findings indicate volunteer-based organizations would benefit from working with qualified professionals.

Also, the near doubling of the volunteer rate among 15-to 24-year-olds -- to 33 per cent in 1997 from 18 per cent in 1987

• suggests professional management skills need to be kept up-to-date.

Through sharing experiences and successes, Ms. Marks-MacIsaac will help professionals identify issues, and plan and discuss future training needs and resources.

Ms. Marks-MacIsaac is an instructor for the National Skills Program for Management Volunteers on Volunteer Management and the Volunteer Canada Screening and Vive programs. She has facilitated more than 35 workshops on volunteer management.

The Profile of Volunteer Organizations Trends and Professional Learning Needs workshops are offered by Recreation Nova Scotia with the support of the Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation Commission.

The workshops will be held:

Oct. 2: Sport Nova Scotia classroom, second floor, 5516 Spring Garden Road, Halifax Oct. 23: Sydney Forks Recreation Centre To register, please contact:
Recreation Nova Scotia
Box 3010 South
Halifax, NS B3J 3G6
902-425-1128
Fax: 902-422-8201
E-mail: [email protected]

NOTE TO EDITORS: Statistics given are from: Caring Canadians, Involved Canadians: Highlights from the 1997 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating. Statistics Canada, Catalogue No. 71-542-XIE, August 1998.