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Pioneers, a Volunteer Network, also known as the Telephone Pioneers of America, or simply as the Telephone Pioneers, is a non-profit charitable organization based in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. It was founded in Boston in 1911 as the Telephone Pioneers of America, with 734 members, including Alexander Graham Bell who received membership card No. 1. As of 2009 it has grown to an organization of about 620,000 members, consisting primarily of actively employed and retired employees in the telecommunications industry, making it one of the world’s largest corporate volunteer organization.〔〔(Collier Youth Services Announces Honorees for 85th Anniversary Celebration Gala ), Collier Youth Services, April 29, 2012.〕 Pioneers volunteer more than 10 million hours annually responding to the individual needs of their communities throughout the United States and Canada. It is funded through company sponsors and public charitable donations. In the United States, the organization is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. == History and mission == Pioneers is a network of volunteers who effect immediate, tangible change in local communities, in partnership with their sponsors.〔Sawka, Jack. "The Telephone Pioneers and Early Childhood Education", Education, Fall 1999, v120 i1, p27.〕 The history of the Pioneers is tied closely to the science and technology of telephones. The need to communicate gave impetus to Alexander Graham Bell, whose fascination was bolstered by his concern for those whose hearing was impaired or non-existent. With the able assistance of Thomas Watson and the support of several others, the rest became telephone history. And for the men and women who took part as Bell's invention and enterprise blossomed and grew, it was the foundation of an new industry and the beginning of many careers. In 1910, AT&T's Henry W. Pope suggested the industry's success warranted more than paychecks and job satisfaction. Many of the people who pioneered the industry and who had spent 20 or 30 years together indicated they would like to stay in touch. However, Pope wondered, where were all those who had started out in the industry? The question sent both Pope and his office mate, Charles R. Truex, to their desks to compile lists of old friends and co-workers. Thomas Doolittle, already retired, was quick to join the effort, and the notion of the Telephone Pioneers of America was born. Once completed, the list was presented to Theodore N. Vail, then president of AT&T, who concurred in the plans and suggested an annual gathering of the group. The first meeting of the fledgling Telephone Pioneers of America convened on November 2, 1911, in Boston, where Dr. Bell signed as the first charter member and Mr. Vail, who would serve for nine years, was elected the organization's first president. Membership was initially limited to those with 21 years of industry service, a standard that stood for 53 years, In the beginning, friendship and fellowship were its primary concerns. Industry people recalling the facts, traditions, and memories of the early history of the telephone. The service requirement was gradually reduced over time and today, any employee of one of the organization's sponsor companies can become a member on the first day of his or her employment. The focus of the organization has changed as well. Those who wrote the original Pioneers purpose were forward thinking in adding that it would also encourage "such other meritorious objects consistent with the foregoing as may be desirable." That became what would make the Pioneers different from other industry groups. In 1958, Pioneers adopted community service as a core value, and in 1959 adopted a new motto: 'United To Serve Others'.〔(Telephone Pioneers of America: A Group With Worthy Causes ), Spartenburg Herald-Journal, October 23, 1971.〕 Chapters, councils and clubs began their own initiatives, mostly working with children's groups. Telephone Pioneers of America evolved into TelecomPioneers in 2002 to better reflect the shift from basic telephone service to broader telecommunications provided by the companies that support and sponsor Pioneers projects. These include AT&T, Bell Aliant, FairPoint Communications, Frontier Communications, Qwest, SaskTel, the Verizon Foundation and the self sponsored New Outlook Pioneers group composed of employees and retirees of Lucent Technologies, Avaya Communication, and Agere Systems. In 2009, the organization's name further evolved into just 'Pioneers'. Today, the organization is the world's largest group of industry-specific employees and retirees dedicated to community service.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pioneers, a Volunteer Network」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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