Red tape on a smaller scale

[greybeta]

I'm part of this "prestigious" senior honors society named Mortar Board. One of the member requirements is to do four community service activities. Cause you know, that's what honorable people do. Of course, one of the things that my scheming roommate and I have discussed is that whether or not it's good for it to be set up like that, the reason being that people do it because they have to do it. Shouldn't people do it because they want to do it? Then again, if that were the case, then nothing might get done. Better have people do it to pad their resumes than nothing get done at all. It's not going to make a difference to the kid.

Incidentally, should we complain when any politician raises money for disaster relief or community food banks? I mean, sure, some of them do it to get votes, but is that really a bad thing?

Oh, I'm in this mood because I went to volunteer for this Mom's Study Night at a nearby Presbyterian church. The idea was that some volunteers take care of some kids for single moms, so they could get at least two or three hours of good studying done. As usual, the resiliency of kids always amazes me. And they're entertained by the most mundane things. Ah, if only throwing a ball around was as fun as it used to be.

But afterwards, I talked to the lady who was trying to get start a campus organization for the group (coincidentally, she was the sister of a fellow leadership team member of the BSU). Well, she met the right person because I'm the Bills Chair of the Financial Appropriations Committee, the person who is in charge of dealing with funding new organizations (funny how the good Lord works). She was pleasantly surprised that of all people I happened to be one of the volunteers. So I talked to her a little to gather more information about her group. Unfortunately, one piece of information made it a moot point to ask for money from our student association.

They had to meet off campus.

According to the dean of student affairs, this organization could not meet on campus because of child liability regulations. This would kill the need for most of the money because we have a specific provision in our funding guidelines that prohibits giving any money for off campus activities. I guess someone a long time ago abused the money in some way, and now it cuts both ways. I know many service organizations are inconvenienced by this provision.

On the flip side, I know that the student association can't afford to pay for everyone's bowling trips or off campus volunteering activities. Furthermore, we restrict the money to be only used on TU students, so strictly speaking the money couldn't have been used for the children anyways (won't someone think of the children...sorry I couldn't resist). Oh yeah, the cynic inside of me says we shouldn't be paying for an alternative to babysitting in any case.

It's red tape on a smaller scale, yet it still makes me sigh.

Comments

[cheesentoast.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't mind me saying so but, your roommate sounds like a putz.

No, whatever your motives are, it's not a bad thing to do something good. God reads your heart and He uses everything for good even if your reasons suck.

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

I actually think my scheming roommate has the same thoughts you do...that the good outweighs any ulterior motives.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

You are a member of the Mortar Board Society, but you don't have to be. If the requirement of community service was too odious for a person, that person could simply refrain from joining.

Hence, the compulsory requirement has a voluntary side to it. Even if you are doing it because the benefit to yourself is greater than the cost of community service, it's still your choice. As opposed to a requirement that one fulfill community service or not be allowed to graduate at all.

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

You know, I never thought about it like that before.

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

See, age and wisdom are a good thing!

;-)

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

But they also say that age is no guarantee of wisdom. ;)

[zoethe.livejournal.com]

With that, I can't argue.

Moral Worth and Altruistic Acts

[(Anonymous)]

Kant would say that if you do something apparently in accordance with virtue (e.g. volunteering at a soup kitchen, babysitting for single mothers, etc.) because you 'want to'- viz, because you derive some sort of happiness or fulfillment from said act- your action is not properly morally worth. For an action to hold some degree of moral worth, therefore, it must be done sheerly out of duty; the only way to be certain that your action was executed simply because of it being your duty (as determined by the categorical imperative, incidentally) is if you DO NOT 'want to' do it.

I do not necessarliy think this is the case, but I would be interested in hearing your take on it, old friend. Must we be always lugubriously labouring away at some task that we abhor, or can we be both moral AND happy (think Plato, here). Let me know your thoughts.

Cheers,
John Drymon
St. Andrews, Fife, UK

Re: Moral Worth and Altruistic Acts

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

Hey, old friend! Did you happen to find me through facebook or something?

I just remember that story about the Pharisees, and how they did all their good acts to get noticed. That did not please the Lord's eyes. But you know, you wouldn't be human if you didn't hate the fact that you were doing things anonymously. So I understand Kant's point. But I also think we can be happy in the fact that we're making a difference, to take up Plato's case. Not sure if this is a satisfying answer for you.