I became a MG in 2001. I've said before that I could have been sick and would have still crawled there every Tuesday afternoon for the classes. I loved every minute of them. You know, they really want people/MGs who are not working, so they can answer the phones, spend weekends interacting with the public, giving presentations to clubs and schools, setting up school gardens, etc. There are MGs that still work and spend weekends getting their hours, but it is difficult at times to fulfill those hours. Some groups expect the hours spent to be of a specific nature. Finding those opportunities to volunteer can be frustrating.
I jumped in with both feet. I co-managed the MG greenhouse on the grounds of the botanical garden, was on the MG board, co-chaired the first garden tour (still going strong), travelled to TX A&M four times a year as a state delegate, as well as helping out where necessary. I submitted our club for an award for contructing a greenhouse and we won 2nd place for a large club. I loved it all.
That wasn't the case for everyone in my class. Some took the classes just to gain knowledge about what to grow in Austin. Some didn't quite understand the time commitment and dropped out before getting their hours. Others just couldn't fulfill their continuing hours. I'm not sure about other MG groups but in Austin when I took the classes, if you paid for and completed the classes and the internship, you were considered a Master Gardener and given a certificate and a notebook. To remain active, you had to keep up your hours.
I also belonged to two garden clubs and enjoyed being able to do it all for quite a while. After DH retired, I found I was too busy to take off on a trip or head up to the lake on a weekend with him. I gradually decided to ease out of some commitments. In good standing, I can take some classes and hours to resume being an active MG. But I am still a Master Gardener!
(BTW, my last internship hours happened the morning of 9/11. DH wanted me to stay home, but my phone partner from Hutto would have been there by herself. Not a call came in, we were all standing around the TV at the Extension office and worried about what the future would be like).
