Definition of Volunteer Service Hours

Volunteer Service Hours are defined as work performed to support and promote the mission and objectives of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The work should increase members’ knowledge and skills and be educational in nature. The County Extension Agent/ Master Gardener Coordinator and Comal Master Gardeners Executive Board must approve projects in advance for volunteer hours.

Occasionally the Executive Board will approve a special project on a one-time basis. The approval must be obtained before work starts on the project. An Application for Non-Approved Projects can be located here. Master Gardeners should promptly report all worked Volunteer Hours online in VMS.

Travel Time Recorded for Volunteer Service Hours

For most volunteer activities, travel time is NOT allowable as volunteer service hours. Thus, driving to serve volunteer hours in a CMG garden, driving to attend a CMG general membership meeting, driving to attend a committee meeting, driving to assist the AgriLife office by answering phones, etc., are examples of travel time that are NOT allowable as volunteer hours.

Some volunteer projects inherently have travel time incorporated in them as part of the performance of that duty. This travel time can be counted as volunteer service hours. Examples of incorporated travel time include driving time to pick up/deliver mulch or soil for a CMG garden, driving to deliver produce from the CMG Demonstration Garden to a food bank, driving to businesses to request donations for CMG events, driving to order/pick up CMG financed items, driving to State Director or other meetings on CMG business, driving to drop off flyers or posters for publicity, etc.

Timely Recording of Volunteer Hours

Master Gardeners shall promptly report all worked Volunteer Hours online in the Volunteer Management System within the month the hours were served.

Examples of CMG Volunteer Hour Opportunities

  1. Attendance at the General Membership meetings qualify for one (1) Volunteer Hour and should be recorded in the Volunteer Management System (VMS) under the appropriate project.
  2. Time spent writing articles, preparing hand-outs or Power Point presentations for Educational Programs qualifies for Volunteer Hours and should be promptly recorded in VMS.
  3. Attend and participate in committees:
    • Seminar – attend meetings, volunteer on related projects, volunteer at the seminar
    • Auction – attend meetings, decorations, gathering donations, helping on the day of auction
    • Youth Education – attend meetings, help at a school garden, help at Vacation Garden School, help with teacher education
    • Adult Education – attend meetings, prepare and give presentations, find speakers, organize classes
    • Scholarship – attend meetings, contact schools, help choose recipients, take a leadership role
    • Open House with AgriLife – attend meetings, prepare for event, attend and work at the event
    • Communication – take pictures at events, write articles for website, help edit and add content to website, work the techy side of the website, and contact media to publicize CMG information.
    • Ask A Master Gardener – research and answer questions via email for the public’s horticulture inquiries
    • Hospitality – help organize, set up, serve, and clean up at CMG events
    • Speaker’s Bureau and Library Series – research, prepare and give horticulture related presentations, help at speaking events with registration, set up and clean up
  4. Work in our 9 demonstration gardens  across the county.
  5. Work in the greenhouse.
  6. Attend the monthly Executive Board meetings.
  7. Work the CMG booth on the last Saturday of the month at the New Braunfels Farmer’s Market.