AWSOMM Volunteers!

Volunteering for AWSOMM Trials

Volunteering to work at an AWSOMM agility trial is awesome! It's not just the free food or the really AWSOMM worker's raffle, it all about the fun! For those new, we are happy to train you in a supportive atmosphere. Please join us in making the trial run smoothly while still having a good time.

TRIAL WORKER INFORMATION

Workers Schedule for our May 2-3, 2009 USDAA trial is now available

Prints on 4 pages, set your printer to Landscape

I've scheduled all who either contacted me or volunteered with their entry, except a few of you who are entered in all classes/both rings - those few can just jump in where they see a need! Most of you are scheduled to work two classes for each day that you are entered. We still have a LOT of spots unfilled - most urgently needed are in red. If any of you feel you can fill empty spots, or if you are bringing a family member or friend who can help out, please email me at gwargo@mill.tds.net and let me know.

If you have any questions about the job you are scheduled to do, feel free to ask. I've tried very hard to avoid any ring conflicts so that you can enjoy the trial.

All of you are AWSOMM! Thank you so much for volunteering....you make agility events possible!

It takes MANY volunteers to run a USDAA agility trial.
There are nearly 300 worker spots to be filled for this trial
and only 27 AWSOMM members. We depend on our volunteers!.

If you have questions about the worker's schedule, or are bringing
with you someone who is not entered but would like to work,
please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator Sherry Wargo

Minor Problems and conflicts can be worked out at the trial

Volunteering is easier and more fun if you know your job responsibilities. Recommended Reading:
Trial job descriptions linked in this article:
"Inner Workings of an Agility Trial"

How we schedule volunteer workers for our 2-ring outdoor trials:

As each entry is received, volunteer preferences (from boxes checked on the entry form) are recorded in our Trial software (AgtSec), Each volunteer's name is also entered into a MASTER CHART like the one below, and the boxes are shaded dark grey for each class entered.

When all of the entries are in, a timeline for the trial is developed.
As an EXAMPLE ONLY, here's the timeline for the Saturday classes at our May 2004 trial:
AWSOMM TIMELINE MAY 2004 TRIAL - Saturday
1^st Courses built Friday night
Masters Ring ready for walk-through/briefing by 7:30 AM, Novice Ring by 8:00 AM

Ring 1 (Masters) Saturday 1.6 minutes per dog except Jumpers is 1.0 mpd

1^st dog 8:00 PIII/ Masters Gamblers – 49 dogs+ course adj.=78 minutes, class ends 9:20 15 minute course build, 15 minute brief + walkthrough 9:50 PIII/ Masters Standard – 47 dogs+ course adj.=76 minutes, class ends 11:10 15 minute course build, 15 minute brief + walkthrough 11:40 Masters Pairs – 23 pairs.= 40 minutes, class ends 12:20 15 minute course build, 15 minute brief + walkthrough JUDGES LUNCH 1:00 Advanced Pairs – 8 pairs.= 15 minutes, class ends 1:15 15 minute course build, 15 minute brief + walkthrough 1:45 PIII/ Masters Snooker – 47 dogs+ course adj.=76 minutes, class ends 3:00 15 minute course build, 15 minute brief + walkthrough 3:30 PII/ Advanced Snooker – 19 dogs+ course adj.=30 minutes, class ends 4:00 15 minute course build, 15 minute brief + walkthrough 4:30 PIII/Masters Jumpers – 49 dogs + course adj.= 50 minutes, class ends 5:20 Ring 2 (Novice) Saturday 1.8 minutes per dog except Jumpers is 1.5 mpd 1^st dog 8:30 PII/ Advanced Standard – 25 dogs = 45 minutes, class ends at 9:15 15 minute course build, 20 minute brief +walkthrough 9:50 PI/ Starters/Novice Standard – 42 dogs = 75 minutes, class ends at 11:05| 15 minute course build, 20 minute brief +walkthrough 11:40 PI/ Starters/Novice Pairs – 13 dogs = 25 minutes, class ends at 12:05 15 minute course build, 20 minute brief +walkthrough JUDGES LUNCH 1:00 PI/ Starters/Novice Snooker – 39 dogs = 70 minutes, class ends at 2:10 15 minute course build, 20 minute brief +walkthrough 2:45 Steeplechase Round 1 – 55 dogs = 99 minutes, class ends at 4: 20

Next, using the timeline we've developed, we make an
accurate bar graph of the classes in each ring, and align them
side by side:

Using the graph, it's easy to see that if a volunteer is entered in Starters Standard, Starters Pairs, & Starters Snooker on Saturday in ring 1, that person is unavailable for Masters Std, Masters Pairs, Advanced Pairs, & Masters Snooker in ring 2, so those boxes will be shaded light gray in the MASTER CHART. The boxes that are left white show us where we can schedule that volunteer. We refer to the volunteer preferences report from our trial software to be sure each person is placed in a job that he or she requested. While it is still possible to have conflicts, especially if the timeline doesn't hold, this system minimizes conflicts and stress for our volunteers.