When Tolley was retiring, good friend and Goodyear retiree Fred Betzhold asked him that most common question: "What are you going to do when you retire?" Tolley said he responded that he expected to pursue the usual retiree activities, including golf and travel. Betzhold assured Tolley those activities in no way would take up all his time, and convinced him to attend a meeting of the Akron chapter of the Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE. "I liked it and I've been there since July 1991," Tolley said. "I'm still doing what I did at Goodyear. I'm the PR and communications guy. I edit the newsletter for them, I do the news releases and press relations. SCORE is my client, and I'm trying to get them publicity."

He said the group's basic premise is simple: "Retirees like me have something they want to give back to the community. It sounds corny, but it's true." The Akron chapter has about 40 active members with a wide range of business experience, covering such areas as management, engineering, financial, human resources, law and marketing. The chapter is part of the national SCORE group, which was set up in 1964 as a resource partner of the Small Business Administration and now boasts 380 chapters nationwide with more than 13,000 active counselors. The organization helps either someone looking to start up a new business, or aid a business already in existence that has run into a problem, such as cash-flow or operational obstacles.

"We act almost like outside directors," Tolley said. "We have no ax to grind. Our role is to see what we can do to positively help fix the particular problem." While the Goodyear retiree said it is a tremendous joy to help someone succeed, he cautions that the counselors try to be realistic with their advice. "Not everyone is a success," he said. "Sometimes the best advice we can give is to not go into business. Normally we structure that advice so they answer their own questions."

One of the best things about the confidential SCORE counseling is the price: It's free, as the SBA provides seed money for the organization. Volunteers aren't paid but are reimbursed for basic expenses. "Some people think that because there is no cost, it's not worth that much," Tolley said. "It's just the opposite. We have hundreds of years of experience in virtually every aspect of business. If we were paid a normal consulting fee, on the low end that would be $150 an hour. That's the kind or value they receive. Nationwide, that adds up to hundreds of millions of dollars."

And while all the volunteer counselors are retired, that doesn't mean they're not trying to keep up with the times. The national organization promotes itself on its Web site at www.score.org, while the Akron chapter has a comprehensive site at www.akronscore.org that has contact information and counseling request forms. "We're getting hits like we never believed," Tolley said. Another new offering is cyber counseling. The Akron chapter itself has two cyber counselors whose expertise is registered with the national SCORE group so they can be referred as problems arise. "They can be counseling someone in Wichita, Kan., or Miami, Fla.," he said.

Tolley said the group always is looking to recruit volunteers, both locally and nationally. He said the title is a bit misleading, that you don't have to be a retired vice president or above to qualify. "Primarily it's your business expertise we're looking for," he said. "Most of us would have been classified as middle management." He averages roughly one day a week volunteering, sometimes more or less depending on what project he's working on. "I approach it like I did my job at Goodyear," Tolley said. "I put in whatever time is necessary to get the job done."