With all due respect to Don Delson whose voluntary, unpaid service to Swarthmore has been extraordinary — voluntary, unpaid service is a luxury many are unable to afford.
All tagged Community Service
Like Don Delson, I was disappointed to read that the Swarthmore Borough Council is considering payments for its members. I am grateful to the Swarthmorean for reporting on this matter. I took the time to watch the proceedings online and certainly have no problem with the concept of reimbursing elected officials for necessary dependent or child care. What I did find objectionable was the special pleading by certain council members that because their “day jobs” were based on billable hours, they should be compensated for some element of lost earnings.
Last week, the Swarthmorean printed a short letter written by Don Delson expressing his view that “service is its own reward.” Don speaks for others. On Borough Council for eight years and spending my days after college building the Swarthmore Senior Citizens Association, I always felt it a privilege to serve my town, as I know did Don.
Fifth graders made the day
It’s not easy to select a day for volunteer work in Little Crum Creek Park, what with many competing events, and questionable weather. The other week, we scheduled a work day and announced it via our usual social media resources. About 1 p.m., three of us met at the park and waited for volunteers to appear. We wondered, were we the only ones who were going to complete the unfinished work needed to put the park to bed for the winter? Suddenly, five boys, all 5th graders at SRS, showed up, eager to help!