Volunteers - how to attract them?

[SolarFlare]

@AMWookey

I didn’t let lack of knowledge stop me from doing any of it

I’m like you - I just went and did it. You can learn a lot too by being a competitor and NOT having a good/experienced person in certain roles so you realize what does need to be done. But, I understand that some people who have been around less time, or who are more shy, or just are unsure might have a harder time than us. I think we’ve been around a long time

@AMWookey

it’s harder to figure out how to get out and volunteer in the Ottawa area.

I can help you with that, if you need a gentle shove to get out there I haven’t volunteered out there myself (or had a chance to visit) but I can send you in the right direction. I’m sure they’d love to have you and your husband.

I’m hoping to get out to scribe at the Ottawa Dressage Festival next year - apparently it’s hard to get in but I have a contact from my years of volunteering at events Maybe we need an Ottawa area get together!

[Djones]

@SusanO

think the GMO did hold a scribe’s clinic a few years ago. I kind of remember that you had to pay to attend, but I may be wrong. I think getting somebody to pay for a scribe’s clinic is not a smart idea if you need scribes for shows and good experienced ones are in short supply. I did not go and I may be remembering wrong.

That’s incorrect. As the person who organized it, arranged for test riders, rounded up help, cleaned the barn kitchen, printed the tests, made handout packets, and picked up lunch at Publix then cleaned up afterward. No ma’am. It cost participants nothing to attend. While it was well attended and people spoke highly of how helpful and educational it was, It did nothing to move the needle on who scribed or scored.

[NeedsAdvil]

They use the Eventing Volunteers app so you can sign up for whatever. We live about 90 minutes away so I don’t get to volunteer as much as I would like, but I try for at least 2x a year there. If you ever go, let me know, you’ll have a friend!

[SolarFlare]

@Djones

It did nothing to move the needle on who scribed or scored.

This is the part that saddens me. People are trying hard to get new faces into volunteering, providing training, with nothing to show for it except getting increasingly fed up with giving time and energy. Seeing things like this makes me think there might need to be a mandatory component somehow. I think there will be a lot of resistance to that from venues who won’t want to lose entries (although if a mandatory rule applied to everyone, we wouldn’t lose entries unless people left the sport altogether - again we don’t have many unrated events here).

[SolarFlare]

@Texarkana

We should send a COTH contingent. I’m about 2 hours and have considered it.

I’m kind of far (8 hours and a border) but I would be there in spirit! Maybe one day…

[NeedsAdvil]

For those interested in scribing, I recommend starting at local venues with good reputations (if you are lucky enough to have those). The pace is usually much slower and more relaxed than a recognized event and you get more of the judge’s time (and time to write!). I’m in Area 2 so opportunities are endless, I understand not everyone has that luxury. I would not want to begin scribing or certain other jobs without some more experience.

[Djones]

@SolarFlare

This is the part that saddens me. People are trying hard to get new faces into volunteering, providing training, with nothing to show for it except getting increasingly fed up with giving time and energy. Seeing things like this makes me think there might need to be a mandatory component someho

It’s just one example of why I was DONE when I left the Board. There’s this skeleton crew of doers and a GD pile of complainers and whingers LOL.

[trubandloki]

@Djones

There’s this skeleton crew of doers and a GD pile of complainers and whingers

This is typically true.

Even with ‘mandatory’ volunteering.

The doers still go above and beyond. The other people do less than is helpful an then spend all their time making the doers job more difficult while they, the complainers, get in the Doers way.

[enjoytheride]

We’ve seen a grouping of what’s stopping people from volunteering

1. difficult to attend 12 hour days. Combined with long drive times or finding expensive lodging.
   -Organizers state many rolls can’t be divided in half, and the need to make a profit by fitting in as many rides as possible makes the long days normal. Long drive times, lodging expenses, or taking PTO need to be understood to be sacrifices you make for the sport.

2. Unable to work half days around competition ride times.
   -Riders need to be more flexible, organizers are unable to work with shorter than half day shifts or can’t offer half day shifts at all, or there are no stalls for competitors staying late/early to help. Shorter shifts than blocked do not count for volunteer hours.

3. Rude competitors or other volunteers
   -Good responses to this

4. No incentives, or lack of incentives.
   -Riders should volunteer out of a duty to serve and not expect incentives, shows can’t afford incentives.

5. Bathroom or weather concerns while on XC for 10 hours
   -see that tree? Pee behind it. Also bring your own sunscreen and shade and expect to get wet if it rains.

I don’t think that ALL reasons people don’t volunteer are valid or should be addressed, but there seems to be a grouped theme among people and how someone addresses those concerns can matter a lot.

[Larksmom]

That is what I did. I tried scribing at the local event. It did go very badly. I REALLY like the idea of shadow scribes. A clinic would be great, but I doubt it would fill.

[NeedsAdvil]

I’m sorry to hear that! I think it’s important to choose shows that even if local are well run with good judges, but I’ve had bad/not great experiences with very well respected judges so who knows?

[SolarFlare]

Some of the complaints aren’t as applicable where I am in Ontario. For example, all of our events run on one day, so definitely somebody riding isn’t going to be able to volunteer. But, riders/family/others can volunteer at those shows that they aren’t riding in. Many of our venues are fairly concentrated (within 2 hours of each other) so it’s not a massive hike across the province to get to them in my area.

Our events absolutely have people volunteer for half days. I scribe - dressage usually runs from say 8am to maybe 2pm for a really long day, often not that long. XC usually starts closer to noon and runs for the afternoon. A very well attended show in Ontario is still under 200 entries so we’re really small compared to other places. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for shorter amounts of time.

All of our venues here recruit their own volunteers. We don’t have any sort of overall sign up system like you guys do, or way of tracking hours, or volunteer awards on a provincial level. I think this is an area to look into. However, I’ve now heard from at least 2 people (not here on COTH) that some organizers are totally uninterested in any sort of volunteer program because they are fine in that department and I guess don’t want to waste time and effort and possibly money on helping our other venues. Also very saddening and very short-sighted. My efforts are likely going to be better spent on helping local venues develop a program.

I have no authority as I’m not on our provincial governing body’s Board. I have offered repeatedly to help, I’ve spoken with the president more than once, I’ve collected ideas - nobody has taken me up on it yet. I’ve decided to just work directly with venues closer to me (if they are interested) or try organizing something on my own while I wait for them to decide what their plan is. I know it’s a lot to organize and the wheels turn slowly, but some of our venues need help now, not in a few years.

[Larksmom]

it isn’t anyone’s fault, I just sucked at it. No one discouraged me from doing it again. I just know it is not a good fit. I don’t have great handwriting anyway. I LOVE jump judging, and I do think I am relatively competent at that. Maybe most people wouldn’t suck at that but I do think for people who haven’t done it before there should be a way to find out. It was awful to try to find someone else to do it after the first break. I felt I couldn’t go on. I will NEVER volunteer to scribe again. But I do help with steering trailers and jump judging. I don’t come out on Sundays because I go to church, and don’t really want to drive out for half a day. If they would ask me though, I might.

[Libby2563]

I know technology has been raised on other eventing threads and there are some challenges, but just to think outside the box a little, does anyone see ways that technology could reduce the number of volunteers required to run a show?

• When electronic scribing is not used, could tests be scanned/photographed and uploaded/emailed to the scorer? Hard copies could be turned in on breaks or the end of the day. The last time I volunteered (a few weeks ago, at an event that was begging for volunteers) they had two dressage test runners for three rings that were all right next to each other and very close to the scorer’s booth, and frankly it seemed like overkill. I couldn’t help but feel like I could have been better used elsewhere. The scorer was scanning tests in the booth anyway and then emailing them to competitors (which is so great!!), so with a slightly-extended internet connection and a cell phone or tablet in each booth, two volunteers could have been freed up for other duties.

• Jump judging… this will probably be controversial but would it be feasible for fewer jump judges to monitor more fences, if they had an aerial view, instant-replay ability, AI to flag possible issues for review, sensors, etc? I think at most fences it is fairly straightforward from a video whether the rider had a run-out/refusal. Skinnies, corners, ditches, banks, water, and combinations will always be the trickiest to judge. (Sidebar: I wonder if someday at the big events there will be a drone overhead to film lines in combinations?) Obviously you’ll always need humans on course to hold riders, help after a fall, reset pins/clips/decorations, pick up lost shoes in front of or behind a jump, etc. I’m not suggesting a bank of videos to be watched back in the show office. But if a jump judge could cover multiple fences without worrying about perfect line of sight or having to watch two riders at once, would that help? Could it open the door to less-experienced people feeling comfortable jump judging, if they knew a more-experienced person could review their video and make the final call? Or would it feel more like undermining and second-guessing?

• I don’t know much about how time-consuming XC timing is, but for 5Ks and marathons it is now electronic. https://www.verywellfit.com/what-is-a-chip-time-2911621. Could chip timers ease any burdens for the XC personnel, as well as possibly making times more accurate? (In the past couple years I’ve been recorded as a full minute slow at Training and also a full minute fast at Modified, both of which were highly implausible.) Chip systems need to be purchased or rented so I don’t know if the cost would be worth the saved volunteer-hours, though as a competitor I’d happily up my entry $5-10 for the peace of mind.

Technology obviously isn’t free, but some of these things sound more expensive than they are. A “camera” could be a cheap or old cell phone. Entry-level drones are pretty darn cheap now. Every year there are more ways to get internet coverage. Maybe there’s a business opportunity in streamlining event logistics and renting out technology that can replace some volunteers? I haven’t organized an event so maybe this is way out there and I’m not saying it’s THE ANSWER, but the test runner thing got me thinking and I do wonder if there are ways to make do with fewer volunteer-hours. Any thoughts?

[beowulf]

@Libby2563

• When electronic scribing is not used, could tests be scanned/photographed and uploaded/emailed to the scorer?

Somewhat related but your comment about efficiency and electronics made me think of it: I wonder about AI being used to score tests. I’m really interested in it as a metric - not to replace the human eye in the booth, but maybe as a supplement weighed against their score. Possibly a conversation for a different thread?

The rest of your post, IDK - I wonder why they had so many. Sometimes it can get really bogged down at the score booth. If their MO is expediting scores maybe they needed that many to stay ahead. At my org scores usually aren’t posted very fast - we try to keep up with the scores as they come in but most riders have about 30-40m before their scores are posted.

[Arzny]

The first time I jumped judged, an UL rider had a very clear stop. Horse screeched to a stop at the fence. I correctly reported the stop, only for the rider to protest the stop and tell me that I didn’t know what I was doing. They took the stop away. Getting chewed out by someone like that left a bad taste in my mouth.

The other reason I don’t volunteer anymore is because the dashboard app thing is a pain in the ass. If I could text a coordinator and be added I would happily show up. But they say they don’t have time or some other reason. I also don’t really have time - but I’m still volunteering. I don’t want to create another account and remember yet another password just to give my time away.

[leighbo009]

I think these ideas to reduce the volunteer need would be awesome. I think the timing chips maybe really easy to implement with technology that is already there.

The hardest part would be making sure everyone gets a chip & returns it. (unless they are disposable?). But I still think you would need backup timers incase its incorrect (swimming still has backup timers even though there are touchpads on the wall).

But the backup could be running video of the finishline & start line and if concerns about timing you could review times in the video. Instead of a person having to do the job for every rider.

[Larksmom]

I HATE that dashboard thing. But I admit technology is leaving me in the dust. The dashboard for our local events doesn’t allow for anything but the days of the event. Not three days early if you need to paint jumps or anything like that. Or days after if you are picking things up.

[Willesdon]

I’m sure there is room for more technology but Jump Judges are not just scoring horses over the fence. They have a very significant health and safety role, being the eyes and ears on the course, the first people to report an incident, the ones at the crash scene before medics arrive and also the witnesses for subsequent form-filling to provide material for analysis to improve safety. Jump Judges are also often the ones keeping spectators safe, warning them of oncoming horses and blowing their whistles to tell the next fence that a horse is on its way. Which is a far more stressful role than many organisers realise, in light of the current discussion about volunteering.

[Ghazzu]

@Djones

There’s this skeleton crew of doers and a GD pile of complainers and whingers LOL.

The last time I managed dressage for AHANE, I had a sign up that read “Complaints will be accepted from sponsors and volunteers only. Which one are you?”