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Want
to Help?
Once again we are again using an online registration form. Try to be as accurate
with the dates you volunteer as you can, but we know that it is hard to predict what will happen in the next couple of months. With that in mind, we will use this sign up as a general indication of how many we have for each camp, but we will be sending out a final email commitment request approximately 2 weeks before each camp. Please help with filling out both your intended involvement here, and later when you get the second commit request.
Once you have filled out the form you will get a
email confirmation that will be automatically sent to the email that you
entered, so please watch for it. This does two things, it lets
you know that your volunteer form was received, it also tells
you and RAW that your email is correct. Remember, your email is
our main source of contact with you. If you don't get it within 4 hours, send a email to us at webmaster@rideawave.org Please don't resubmit another volunteer form! Click
here to go to the 2007 Volunteer form
Next, we will need a Volunteer wavier for each person
that helps with RAW.
Click here to get the wavier to
print out and sign, then bring to the next camp and give to RAW staff.
~~Note, the information you give is not shared with anybody!!!~~ *Depending on your browser of choice, you might see some cosmetic problems. There will be no problem with saving the data you entered, as long as you get the confirmation email.
Send any problems noted to : webmaster@rideawave.org ************************************* Hey! Lots of good information below!! Click on the link to see the job description. Kindly
note that each section has it own group leader, with the group
leaders email address listed within the section description.
Tandem Surfer Responsible for the
participants while taking him/her out for a Tandem surf session.
Surf Escorts Four escorts provide
in-water support for the Tandem surfer by following front and
back, and on both sides, while on highly stable "soft-top"
boards.
Kayak
Paddlers (and beach crew) The paddlers takes a participant
out for a cruise on along the shore outside the wave break,
while a 2 man crew that remains on shore ensures that both departures
and landing are safe.
Body Boarding Each participant is teamed
with a water buddy that not only ensures safety, but to help
with getting the most out of the beach break rides.
Beach
Buddy Some of the participants enjoy the simple pleasures
of Sand castle making or just dipping their toes in the warm
sand and cool ocean water.
You
can also email your availability at
info@rideawave.org.
You will be contacted about volunteering for each specific day.
(Schedule at http://www.rideawave.org/sched.htm)
Please read all of
this "Introduction to Volunteering" page before committing yourself
to becoming part of Ride-A-Wave.
It's
EXTREMELY important that we know exactly who is volunteering
for each camp. If we have too few, the safety of our participants
is jeopardized. If we have too many, some of you may not be
needed and will end up disappointed and not too happy at having
a weekend day wasted. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE respond ASAP when
you get a phone call or an email asking for confirmation on
whether you can make a camp or not.
Also, please understand two key points.
1. Communicating
your availability does not necessarily guarantee your assignment.
We have 300+ volunteers, and we want to make sure everyone has
a chance to participate, hopefully, at least twice. Ideally,
we would like to have less Volunteers that can commit
to more days. We completely understand that most people
have very busy lives and it is hard to commit fully to something
that can be many weeks away, and take up priceless weekend days.
However, that being said, we would much rather have you come another time, when it works
better for you, then to have you strain your life to make it,
and maybe have some resentment. Also there is nothing more frustrating
then to have you give up a day of your weekend, to find out
that there are 3 volunteers to each single participant, or the other side of the coin, which is worse, which is to
end up having to keep some participants out of the water as
we don't have enough volunteers to keep it safe.
Second point.
The Crews that perform the Tandem and the Escorts are a hard-core
group of folks that show up each and every time, so we rarely
need help in that area. Please feel free to volunteer for those
for those roles, but realize that as Santa Cruz is a town full
of very good water folks, there is always more requests to volunteer
in those two groups then we generally need. Remember, we could
use your consistent volunteer commitment in other places. Volunteers
will generally be contacted 2 weeks in advance of each camp,
and confirmations should be emailed (Note once again, make sure
we have your correct email address!) the week of the camp. We
really need to know at least a week a head of time so that we
can shuffle folks around if there is need for coverage in another
area. Believe us, trying to coordinate 75 to 100 volunteers
is not an easy task. So, the more time we have to set things
up, the smoother things will run the day of the camps.
We know that plans change and unexpected situations do pop up,
but please let us know if you are not able to make it to one
of the days you have volunteered for. This really puts us in
a bind and trying to move people around the day of the event
is extremely difficult and frustrating plus it usually leaves
us short handed which in turn effects the safety factor for
the participants. Also, the groups that we serve sometimes have
people dropout or have an extra person come along unexpectedly
for the day, so our actually number of folks on either side
can change up or down either way.
There may be times that we will need your help in another area
that you may not have been originally assigned to on a particular
day. For some, this may be a disappointment, but the only reason
that this may happen is that we are short in another area for
the day. Remember, you are here to assist with some really special
people that are glad to receive any of the help that you can
give. This is all about our participants having a fun and safe
day at the beach.
If you commit to being there, please show up on time. We need
all volunteers to meet at the Beach access ramp in the parking
lot in between the West Coast Inn (or whatever it is called at
the moment) and the wharf, at 8:30AM the day of the events. We
have a very short time to get all the gear down to the beach
and set up, so the more hands we have there at 8:30 AM will make
things run much smoother before the participants arrive. Your
day will end around 2:00 PM, unless you stay and help with the
clean-up. We always need a clean-up crew to help out for a few
hours in the afternoon, from 1:30 until approx 3:30. If you want to help, but
can't make the morning, this is a perfect way to lend a hand.
Once the administration table is set up, please let the Beach
Director of the day, know that are there and what task you think
that you are signed up for. Realize that the assignment may
change, depending on the day's needs. Please be willing to do
whatever is needed with a positive attitude; Remember, this
is all about the participants, not us. Each Activity Coordinator
will meet with his or her group of volunteers to go over important
details of the job. It is extremely important to take the directions
to heart. Communication is the key to safety and keeping the
day running smooth. Remember, if you don't know, ask!
We know that for many of you this is your first year volunteering
for the RAW program so we wanted to share this information
with you so that everything will run more smoothly for all of
us. When that happens, it makes it that much safer and more
fun for our participants and for all of us as well.
Once again, we thank all of you for wanting to help with the
success of this program. There is nothing better than seeing
those smiling faces looking up at you. If you have any questions,
email us at
info@rideawave.org.
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