Good Works

   It's been a while since I wrote an entry on this blog but I hit upon this subject as I was reviewing the agenda for this morning's Commissioners' Court meeting. There are a couple of items addressing funding for emergency services in the rural areas of Caldwell County. For the uninitiated the responsibility for fire protection outside of our incorporated cities has been borne by the volunteer fire departments. Two of them are supported by a small tax assessment but most are self funded. The County chips in a monthly stipend but it is a very small part of the cost to run these operations. When all is said and done much of the burden for the cost of equipment and personal gear is paid by the guy on the end of the hose. You got it. The guy that volunteers countless hours toward training and being on call gets to pay for the privilege to do it.

   Having always lived in the city I will admit that I kind of take it for granted that if my house catches on fire the firefighters will come and attempt to put it out. I pay taxes to keep a group of firefighters ready in the event that happens. A good investment, in my opinion. And I always make sure my insurance is current! However, I'm not sure how much those living in the rural areas have considered this. Sure there are great advantages to living outside of those never ending ordinances of the cities. But there are perils as well. A small grass fire from your neighbor's trash pile two miles away can turn into a fire line headed right for your dream house. In most cases the only thing between that fire line and your castle is some of your neighbors that have volunteered to drop everything when the call comes in and stop that fire. He does it for various reasons, not the least of which he realizes it could be headed for his house next time.

   This is an opportune time to bring it up for another reason. Labor Day marks the beginning of fund raising season for the VFD's in this county. Chili Cook-Offs, plate lunch sales, raffles, auctions, you name it, are on tap most weekends in September and October. These organizations raise a significant portion of their operating funds through these events and, as a side benefit, generate an awareness of the job these volunteers are doing. They are a great local charity to support and I encourage you to do so. There are several of these events that Emma and I make a point of attending.

   I did have another thought. I was watching some posts on Facebook about a local motorcycle club having a rally to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes research. While I can ride a motorcycle I don't own one nor will probably ever own one again. The same can be said for about 90% of the population. So it seems that this rally was and excuse for a bunch of middle aged Hell's Angels wannabes to get together, get drunk, and act "dangerous". Does giving a little bit of money to Juvenile Diabetes Research somehow make their behavior "legitimate"? Sadly, were it not for the rally most of the participants would just spend it ALL on playing bad ass! Why does our writing a check depend upon some entertainment being provided? It seems to me that the worthiness of the charitable pursuit should be the determining factor and the money they have to spend to entertain the donors could be spent on their charitable purpose. I know, radical thinking!

   Hey, my little blog with its limited distribution is not going to change anything. I am still going to support those charities and attend their fund raisers and do what I can to support their efforts. I would encourage you to reevaluate your charitable giving to include deserving local charities, such as Volunteer Fire Departments. You get the most bang for your buck with them!