How about engaging Facilitators?

If the word "moderator" has a strongly negative connotation, use a different term. If you have more than one "level" of volunteer jobs, label them differently and define them for users somewhere in the FAQ about the forum that will eventually develop.

I've been an overall forum admin with full privileges everywhere, a section moderator with full privileges over a section, and an informal facilitator with no privileges anywhere. My role was not that much different in the 3 scenarios but it was absolutely essential when I didn't have privileges that I could contact someone with privileges at any time because eventually Something Happens that needs to be taken care of quickly. I always saw my role as a helper: help soothe ruffled feathers, help the conversation move forward, help people find answers, help broker disputes, help the forum stay clean, busy and active and help spot signs of troubles before they became serious and ward it off when I could - preferably without heavy handed action. It didn't really matter what I was called.

Bike tour sounds risky. Is that within Bob's Terms of Employment?

Whenever I hear the phrase "English Major" I'm reminded of the comedy sketch by John Mulaney that my daughter likes to make me watch "...the worst financial decision I ever made.... $120,000 for a degree in a language I already spoke"

Yes, the role of the moderator, or whatever you want to call them, that isn't what the OP was asking about, it just happened that the conversation turned in that direction.

But to be clear about my opinion - I don't want anyone who isn't genuinely interested in a topic I post giving me a fake "high-five", just to stroke my ego.

And institutionalizing this type of activity would bring into question the validity of anyone who actually did have a compliment to pass on.

Walmart eliminated front-door greeters back in 2019 and replaced them with "customer hosts” who… must be able to lift 25 pounds, clean up spills, collect carts and stand for long periods of time, among other things. What a crock.

The disabled community was enraged by this change, and rightly so.

Respectfully, I would see that activity more as priming the pump than stroking someone's ego. Like a garden, a new online discussion forum needs nurturing to grow. I may not be the world's biggest zucchini fan, but if it's planted in my garden, I'm gonna water it if Ma Nature isn't taking care of business.

If the occasional post helps call attention to a forum as a place of active discussion, it's a strategy that can help the forum find its audience and grow to stand on its own two feet.

I posted some pictures 20 days ago and nobody responded. Now what I have to leave forum?

Try to reach 30 👀 - you never know what number will tilt the balance for a response!!! 😁

( you can also try with a slightly out-of-focus one )

A volunteer could also be an 'informal combobulator' & help combobulate the Foundation.

I liked both these posts. There are posts were Bill's idea might work, For instance, a question might be interesting, but needs elaborating. OTOH there are threads that while not obviously trolling, are close and IMO shouldn't be helped along.
So I think it's up to all of us to decide which is which, no greeter required.

But that is not what the OP was talking about, which is threads started but getting no response.
Whether an OP needs to stay in a thread is another matter of forum etiquette