[Northkeep] Northkeep and burnout

[Marc Carlson]

At 12:21 PM 8/8/01 -0400, Alton wrote:
>><<  Since it is well
>>known that Northkeep has a high burn out rate, How do any of you, feel that
>>burnout in both the B&B and membership can be avoided. >>
>>First, what constitutes a "high" burn out rate?

Or for that matter "well known"?

>...officers during the shire period.  We have quite a few members who are
>>dedicated enough to actively participate even after 20 years of this "high
>>burnout rate."  Honestly, this is the first time I have heard that we were
>>considered a "high burn out rate" group before.

Speaking as someone who is known for doing a lot, going away for a long time,
coming back, repeat;  (not to mention the person who's been trying to collect the
names of those who've left over the years) I'd have to say that the evidence isn't
clearly there for "burn out", but there have been many people who have moved away,
quit playing, and so on, for any number of reasons -- not the least of which -is- some
people do get burned out.

I think that over the 20 years, more people have left because of some political thing or
other (whether between themselves and the group as a whole, between households,
within households, or just sick of the crap others are doling out to others, and being
uncomfortable about it) than have ever left because they "burned out" (all of their
excitement, energy, enthusiasm, interest, and so on has been used up, usually from
working really hard and feeling REALLY unappreciated).  Unfortunately there is a bit
of an overlap between these two groups, and so it is easy to assume that since we
*know* (whether they told us, or God happened to mention it over coffee, or we heard it
from a Friend of a Friend) that  Ferd, Frick, Frack, and Fremily all left because they felt
they were busting their hump for the group, and no one cared enough to even mention
it (give them awards, public adulation, whatever), that maybe we can assume that Dirk,
Dingle, Dobie and Ethyl all left for the same reason -- when in fact, that may not be
the case.

None of this, BTW, is unique to Northkeep.  This is fairly common in volunteer organization
politics.

Marc/Diarmaid