Get YOUR Behind Behind Trial Volunteer Action Day!

Get your bee-hind out of this chair.

Chair available from Amazon.com.

Get it into this one.

Chair available from Office Depot.

In support of the Trial Volunteer Blog Action Day sponsored by the Agility Nerd, the View From 4 Inch would like to encourage all agility participants to re-evaluate their level of volunteer support at the agility trials they attend.

Lord knows it's not always easy or convenient, but I would like to suggest everyone in the community take on at least one job at every trial they attend. Doesn't have to mean all day or even for hours.

Maybe it's just helping to empty trash, move some equipment or add an extra set of hands to help a harried trial committee member.

On the flip side, I would like to encourage host clubs to adopt some of the suggestions extended by Steve Schwarz on his AgilityNerd Blog:

"I think the most important things a club can do are: stay flexible, create many short tasks, and thank your workers. Ideally if someone has 5 minutes free and feels like helping you could take advantage of their help.

"For flexibility allowing day of show sign up for tasks is really a necessity. It allows people jump in when they have time and allows them to change their assignments in case the judging schedule has changed or one ring runs faster/slower than planned."

From my viewpoint, the biggest worry I have when volunteering is that I will be stuck in the ring when it's time for my walk through or run.

Since I run in 4-Inch, I am usually the very first dog in the ring or the very last.

If I'm first, there's no leeway in getting to the ring. There's a walk through, then "boom" you better be in the ring. And believe me, there are still situations where the ring crew evidently hasn't gotten the news about the 5-minute warning and they jump the gun to rush the 4-inchers to the ring immediately after they're done walking.

If we're not first, there can be significant time variances in how the rings are running by the time they get to the last dogs, and that might affect a subsequent volunteer job I've signed up for.

I do like the suggestion of flexible sign ups so that if we get out early I can grab a slot, or not have the worry of being stuck in another ring, or if we're running late, I won't worry about missing my volunteer slot.

Also, I do know of club(s) out there that do not provide volunteer appreciation. At minimum this should be lunch, water and snacks.

And as the article in AgilityNerd and Steve suggests, there are organizations who are coming up with lots of creative and motivating ways of engaging volunteers. Free runs and catered lunches get my vote.

Also, I think offering jobs with narrower time commitments and "small chunk" jobs would help with flexibility. Having the availability of smaller time commitments helps address the often unstated concern that raising a hand will commit a person to a half-day or more of being anchored to a volunteer task, while risking time and attention to preparation for their runs.

Thanks to all who take the Trial Volunteer Blog Action Day Challenge to get out of your chair on the sidelines and into one at the ring!

Thanks Steve, and I for one intend to take the challenge at the trials I enter. Take one...until all the jobs are done!