What does it mean to be a volunteer?
If you look up vol·un·teer in the dictionary, it can mean "a person who performs or offers to perform a service of one's own free will, to do charitable or helpful work without expectation of reward." There is another definition used by farmers -- "self-sown or grown from accidentally dropped seed." And in music, 'voluntary' can mean "a short piece of music, often improvised on a solo instrument, played as an introduction to a larger work."
Wheatland volunteers meet all three definitions. First, volunteers freely donate their time and talents (as well as financial contributions) because they believe in the cause of preserving and presenting traditional arts.
Wheatland volunteers also work to ensure that the organization is strong and creative enough to continue to expand its charitable work -- whether funding a child to pursue music lessons, hosting artists at an after school program or a musician leading a sing-a-long with elders at a nursing home through Wheatland's community education programs.
Second, the founders of Wheatland never dreamed of an organization that is one of the largest volunteer based arts organizations in the state. That first handful of volunteers accidentally dropped the seeds that eventually bloomed into a thriving traditional arts organization that serves over 30,000 people annually with year round activities, is the steward of 160 beautiful acres on a centennial farm and benefits from the labors of nearly 1,000 volunteers.
Last, like the music definition, each Wheatland volunteer is valuable for his or her individual contribution. Each volunteer should know that solo work leads to the larger work -- those harmonious sounds, feelings, colors and efforts of the Wheatland Music Organization.
When we first founded Wheatland, we early volunteers had a phrase: "Let work be our play." Let the work and play continue.
