Don't get me started. I attended a private school with more than a few of these sorts. There was an annual 2-week March Break "humanitarian" trip to some exotic locale that had an itinerary that read like a politican's schedule. It usually involved several photo ops--bonus points if you were photographed with someone who matched the following description:
1. Missing teeth
2. Barefooted
3. Tribal
4. Crying
5. Physically deformed or visibly diseased
Then the girls would jet set to a 4* resort and hit the spa to "reward" themselves for all their "hard work". Upon their return, they were trumpeted as heroes for helping the downtrodden and sharing their (parents') resources.
Of course, my parents were scrimping and saving to enroll me in this school because its curriculum was quite good. In my interests, I was always the person actually leading the club or team and doing the legwork, so I just didn't include their names in my yearbook write-up, ha! I can't stand these bullshitters. Pardon my French.
Oh, I should also mention that our Head Girl was elected by the student body on the basis of these and similar "accomplishments". I recall her particularly edifying valedictory address (valedictorian was automatically Head Girl) on how her friend taught her to use a hair dryer in eleventh grade, complete with beauty pageant tears and eye fanning. It was more Oscar acceptance speech than Gettysburg, suffice it to say.
Or, as in the more egregious examples I've witnessed, that you have sufficiently flexible ethics to, er-- obfuscate and rationalize why nominal participation, being present merely for roll call and photo-ops (or signing up rather than 'showing up') is fine and dandy as long as the "right" people are convinced of its authenticity, and to be convincing, sometimes being brazen about it is a good solution.
This.
