kids who volunteer themselves

[Rich Potter]

What do you folks do when you ask for a kid volunteer and a kid runs up to be it?

I can't say this is necessarily a big problem, but it does happen from time to time and I never feel like I deal with it very well.

I am reluctant to reward such pushy behavior (especially because it ruins a bit I'm trying to do), but I always feel like a schmuck not using the bright eyed eager kid. I know one method is to encourage every kid to run up and only the best one gets to help, or the fastest one, etc...

Usually I say, "I'm looking for someone who's with their parents..." which seems to work OK, but still...

Thoughts?

[jester]

This is a tricky one. Rewarding one kid running up can lead to lots of kids running up.

I normally send the kid back and then pick them anyway once they are back in the crowd. This always wins approval and laughter from the parents.

Sometimes it isn't pushy - it's just over excitedness and enthusiasm -

I once saw an adult run up on the stage to be in Rex Boyds Show.

[gav]

Kids being enthusiastic to be in the show is quite rare for me. It's the adult volunteers you have to be careful with.
Even still, if you have that problem, with a few kids rushing forward, I sometimes do like you suggested and have them compete for the 'honour'.
If you can jump this high into the air, you have a good chance of being in the show.
If you can get down and give me ten (pushups) you have a good chance of being in the show. Ok, you you and you, If you can run across the road through 2 lanes of traffic and back to me.....
I never get to finish the sentence, and always manage to stop the kids that have already set off on the run. I choose 1 of the kids that didn't start running.
I find it's always better to 'promote' someone less willing, than those that are overly keen.

[scot]

"you, go find someone to help me."

"raise your hand and lower your blood sugar"

also, if you get a bad volunteer, you can do a quick thing with them that's really simple and then pick another volunteer.

Remember, your 20 minutes of parenting isn't going to make the kid behave.

[Patrick Kelly]

"Sit down you little alcoholic"
"Go take some more ritalin kid"
"Shut up you little weasel"
"Your a walking advertisement for birth control"
Or you could just be mean to him.

[Guest]

Volunteering kids

Hey Rich,

Not sure what you get the tykes to do, but...

Since I need kids to speak in my show, I turn the volunteering into an audition. Give 'em a line to say and determine from their energy/attitude/intention whether they're the one to use.

On occasion I've used "don't just rush the stage, that's no more likely to get you picked that yelling PICK ME, PICK ME!"

One thing I never do is take a "volunteer" shoved forward or otherwise impelled by friends/parents.

Also, if they get into the show and prove useless (dicking around, not following instructions, giggling insanely, etc) I fire their pint-sized buttocks in favor of someone who will actually forward the production. Sometimes this makes the show's energy take a momentary dip, but when the "understudy" arrives and actually does what s/he is asked, the kid is praised to the skies and the audience responds very positively.

Hope that's of some small assistance, and that you'll be at the Minifest in a few weeks.

All the best!

Chris

[jester]

Re: Volunteering kids

Originally posted by The Renaissance Man

One thing I never do is take a "volunteer" shoved forward or otherwise impelled by friends/parents.

That is such a good point. Why take a conscript when you got 40 volunteers begging for their moment.

On a slightly different note, I was asked to do a turn at a music gig on Saturday, and half the room were talking over me and ignoring me until I got the volunteer up.

The right volunteer can make all the difference, once I had her on stage we had their undivided attention.

How did I get the right volunteer? I asked for a volunteer, a pushy teenager came forward so I said to him:

"Go find me the most beautiful woman in the room and drag her up onto the stage." So he did.

I shall continue to experiment with this tack and let you all know what happens.

[gav]

it's better if you say that you need a kid that is not ugly. When you see the right kid, you say 'you, yeah you.' ........Go find me a kid that's not ugly !

[Rich Potter]

Gav, that reminds me of Dirty Fred's line that I've always loved (and never used):

I need a kid, but not just any kid. He must be stupid.
But not just stupid. He's got to be ugly, too.

(he grabs the kid) You'll do!

(he situates the kid on stage)
I'm sorry. It was just a joke. You're not stupid, and (looks closer) You're not....stupid.

Thanks for the suggestions, folks. Yeah, Minifest! Whooohoooo! For those of you stuck with work instead of coming, my heart goes out to you.

For those of you who don't think you need it or think you can't afford it? Nanny-nanny-boo-boo!