Are you enjoying rogaining and wondering how to put something back into the sport? As well as regular volunteering, why not consider nominating for the committee and/or one of the following roles:

• Volunteer Coordinator
• Membership and Event Coordinator
• Treasurer
• Facebook Page Administrator
• Newsletter Editor
• Hash House Coordinator
• Camp Manager
• Event Coordinator
• Safety Officer
• Training Officer

Could you be the next Volunteer Coordinator ?

The job of the Volunteer Coordinator is to organise all the Volunteers required for each event. Some 25-30 volunteers (this includes Setters & Vetters, the Camp Manager as well as Admin & Hash) are required to run a successful event.

Place a Volunteer Board at each event and encourage people to put their name down. Did you know that if members gave up 1 event every 2 years we would never be looking for help and my job would be made so much easier. Please consider this.

Volunteers not only run the Association at the Committee level but run each event. Volunteers are needed for the Admin Tent, Hash House, First Aid, driving the truck with our supplies, towing trailers (one is for the gas bottles, the other is our wonderful recycling setup). Without volunteers, events would not be possible, and WARA is forever grateful to those members who give up an event every now and then to help out. Volunteering at an event is great fun, you meet new people and have fun making sure the competitors are all enjoying themselves and are looked after at the end when they come home looking tired and beat - to see the happy face behind the Admin or Hash House puts a smile on theirs as well.

All events are planned 1-2 years in advance and volunteers normally work around their existing commitments. Early planning for most people make life so much easier.

WARA also has a lot of procedures in place that make the whole operation run so smoothly and it is not hard to pick up any job and run with it.

Could you be the next Membership and Event Coordinator ?

The main tasks of the role are:
• Processing event entries - with most entries done on-line it does not mean reading messy writing, but rather matching in the database to suggested matches and/or creating new records for newcomers to rogaining.
• Producing the event paperwork.
• Processing any new teams and team changes post-event.
• Fielding the occasional membership or event-related enquiry.

Could you be the next Treasurer ?

Do you have a basic understanding of accounting, and want to put something back into rogaining? Are you good with figures, honest, dependable, and methodical? Then why not step forward and nominate for WARA treasurer? The Treasurer is responsible for all monies belonging to WARA, makes payments for various expenses, and maintains an accurate set of records of all this. They present a view of the financial health of WARA to the committee on a regular basis. Once a year they present to the Annual General Meeting a statement of the receipts and expenditure, the assets and liabilities, and the overall financial position of WARA.

Could you be the next Facebook Page Administrator ?

If you like Facebook, you will love updating our status, asking questions, posting photos from events etc - all good fun and it can create some great conversations over events and ideas.

Could you be the next Newsletter Editor ?

The Editor’s job is a series of regular intense efforts. Ten, twenty or more hours work, five times each year. Laying out
the newsletter, fitting it all together, making it look good. That’s the fun part.

The Editor also needs to remind people that they need to write an article. Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes it’s more of a
challenge. It’s essential that the Editor knows what’s required and sets dates for all submissions. That can also be fun.

And then there’s the future...

So I create a second version of each newsletter, in a number of common “ebook” formats -- formats designed specifically for
easy reading on a PC, a tablet or a smart phone.

Does all this sound like your kind of fun ? Do you have your own ideas for the present and future of the newsletter ?

Could you be the next Hash House Coordinator ?

At the Upside Down, both 12hr and both 24hr events, WARA provides food in the Hash House (HH) for the hungry masses . The variety of food is massive and we rely heavily on volunteers to run it. Most of the work for the Hash House coordinator (HHC) is before the event.

About a fortnight prior to each event we hold a volunteer briefing where the HHC takes all volunteers through what is expected of them. This includes instructing on many duties such as how to make the rice to health and safety standards. The HHC also appoints a Hash House leader to coordinate volunteers and tasks at the event itself.

Then a stock take is done on the existing non-perishable stocks (like coffee, tinned fruit, rice, cleaning equipment, toilet paper and more) which is left over from the previous event. The stock is also checked for quantity and quality.

A week prior to the event, the participant numbers are released and the food order is put together. There are sometimes up to 80 items that make up the order for a 12 and 24 hr event and each and every item has a formula which calculates, based on previous rogaines, how much is ordered. Of course other factors influence the order such as the weather, or less breakfast for a 12hr if its close to Perth because some people don’t hang around). Once the weather and human factors have been put into the equation along with existing stock, the order is re-checked and sent off to our supplier who puts the order together over the coming week.

The volunteer truck driver, a volunteer food checker and the supplier are coordinated for a pick up time where the food is checked and loaded onto the truck and then brought on site. If any items are missing (which given the amount of items is amazingly not often), it is a this point we are made aware and efforts are made to source them.

Post event, the HHC coordinator ensures that the tea-towels get washed, examines the post event stock take completed by the HH leader, reviews how the HH operated and makes amendments to procedures accordingly, liaises with the equipment coordinator if any repairs are required and then also reports back to the committee at the next meeting.

This is a very interesting and challenging position. Most of all it’s very rewarding to see such a massive operation come off!

Could you be the next Camp Manager ?

• Be early to the Rogaine site to oversee the setting up of the camp site.
• Position of the truck, toilets and tents (HH, Admin, 1st Aid and sundry tents) as required in liaison with the Setters.
• Help with the loading of the truck at Morley on the Thursday night, checking that all the required equipment is on the truck.
• Help with the erection of the tents and position of various equipment for an effective camp layout, on Friday afternoon.
• Order the required amount of toilets from Coates (Forrestfield or Bunbury) for each Rogaine according to event numbers and meet Coates driver on site Friday afternoon.
• Order the Truck from Thrifty (Bassendean) with plenty of notice (preferably 6 months in advance)
• Liaise with equipment Officer regarding any damaged equipment.

Could you be the next Event Coordinator ?

Work in conjunction with the President and Volunteer Coordinator as to who is performing the various roles at each
Rogaine Event. (Setters / Vetters / Admin and HH leader / Truck Driver and 1st Aid Officer):
• Stay in touch with the Setters and Vetters to see if you can assist them in any way or point them to someone who
can, eg map making, permissions etc.
• Committee members perform different roles to assist with the tasks required to obtain the best Rogaine outcome.
• Review the Rogaine map from time to time to make sure that everything is on the map that should be there, eg. Sponsors, controls not too close to the edge of the map, adequate water drops proportionally placed within the map area and patrolled roads etc.

All of the above tasks, whilst seemingly overwhelming at a first reading, really just flows from one task to the other. So long as you have a timetable for your various tasks the roles are not hard At all times work with the Committee in their allocated positions, especially with the Volunteer Coordinator and each Event will be a successful one.

Could you be the next Safety Officer ?

Prior to each Rogaine obtain all the necessary Emergency contacts within the Rogaine area and be ready for any possible emergencies that may arise.
• Assist the 1st Aid officer where ever possible and discuss strategies.
• Ensure that the 1st Aid tent has all the equipment necessary for the Rogaine weekend.
• Sign off any incident sheets filled out by the 1st Aid Officer.
• Maintain the 1st Aid kit with any replacement items used during the weekend.
• Contact a week in advance the Police, Ambulance and Hospital giving them the details of the Rogaine and directions of how to contact us.
• Maintain the satellite phones between Rogaine events.
• Liaise with Setters and Vetters.
• If required, conduct the occasional safety patrol to give the setters and vetters a rest, especially at night.
• Have Search and Rescue procedures in place for during and after the close of the Rogaine for late, lost and or injured competitors.
• Generally oversee how equipment is assembled in the hash house especially the gas bottles and that the “fire blanket” is in position.

Could you be the next Training Officer ?

In consultation with the President and Committee, plan for the 2 main training events on the Rogaine Calendar:
• Prepare the Dryandra Training weekend for “How to Rogaine Successfully” usually in May each year. There is usually a willing group of Rogainers who are willing to help on the weekend.
• Book a year in advance to ensure the Dryandra cabins are available for your chosen weekend. The Caretakers are always friendly and helpful.
• Prepare the Setters and Vetters training weekend. Liaise with the President and Vice President for this weekend and again there are always willing helpers to assist with the lectures.
• Conduct the Novice Training at each Rogaine prior to the start. If there are too many people to handle, grab a competent Rogainer or two to assist you.