Everywhere you see Volunteer Recruitment Ads that begin with “Energetic Volunteer Wanted.” Or “Caring volunteer.” Or even “Friendly volunteer.” Maybe “Enthusiastic,” “Flexible,” or “Compassionate” appears. But does “Detail Oriented” float your boat? Does “Organized volunteer” send you running in to help sort an organization out of their accounting mess?

The point is, how can a volunteer be enthusiastic about a role they have not yet undertaken? And what does flexible indicate? That a volunteer will be called at 3 am? Or that they have to drive 50 miles just to participate?

What about caring? How much can a volunteer already care about people they have not met?

What does energetic mean anyway? That a volunteer will have to run back and forth at an event, carrying 30 pound boxes of give-aways?

The World War II generation responded to these adjectives. They were after all, people who believed in humble service…