Volunteering

We are a club run by volunteers and we need your help to ensure our club continues to be successful! In swimming, we need volunteers to tend to club operations (the executive), to coordinate events and fundraising (committee members), and to assist at swim meets.

When we host our own Super 7 swim meet, we need every family to step up in some capacity. When we attend other clubs’ meets, we help out as timers and on-deck judges. If you are ever unsure of how you can help out, please just ask. We need you!

The Volunteer Timeline

First Year Families…

  1. GET TO KNOW the club: ask questions of those who look experienced, email your division parents and/or coaches and/or executive.
  2. Sign up for DEVELOPMENT MEETS if your coach thinks your swimmer is ready; just ask the coach.
  3. Get to know other parents in your child’s swim group, so you can CARPOOL and PARTNER UP to watch each other’s kids at meets. You can reduce your driving and this partnership makes it possible for you to help around the deck, and your kids have a blast hanging out in the tents together. Volunteer coaches will also be there to help get your swimmer to their events.
  4. Sign up for a couple of EASY SHIFTS to help at OUR own swim meets, the Stingback and Super 7; we need you at both. The Super 7 is a HUGE fundraiser for us and is primarily the reason we haven’t had to increase your membership fees. WE NEED ALL HANDS ON DECK for our fundraising events.
  5. Attend a Stroke and Turn CLINIC FOR PARENTS just to learn how swimmers are judged/refereed; no need to go out on deck yet, but these clinics are very informative.
  6. BE A SHADOW TO learn how to marshal swimmers and to be a judge just by asking other experienced parents on deck if you can shadow them; ASK, ASK, ASK!
  7. Sign up for WEEKEND MEETS if your coach thinks your swimmer is ready; just ask the coach

VOLUNTEER JOBS for YOU: clean the club shed, manage the lost and found, help at the various special events.

Second year families…

  1. SIGN UP for more development and weekend meets; always talk to your coaches to find out what is best for your swimmer.
  2. Sign up for a TIMING SHIFTS for each day you are at a meet; the deck food volunteers will bring you treats while you press a button and there is no better place from which to watch your swimmer race.
  3. LEARN how to be a swim judge at a Stroke and Turn Clinic and take the Harassment and Conflict Resolution course offered at some meets; KEEP SHADOWING and you will realize how ready you are to try things out on your own. You are ready to earn you GREEN PIN.

VOLUNTEER JOBS for YOU:  Become a committee member by coordinating Swimathon, Bottle Drive, Movie Night, Photo Day, Chocolate Bar Fundraiser, Sausage Fundraiser, Pub Night Fundraiser OR any other “organize-mostly-at-home” event. Find a partner to work with and ask questions of those who did it in past years. Attend a board meeting or two!

Third year families…

  1. CONTINUE with all of the above, but now that you are getting the hang of the Stingrays, you are ready to take on more responsibility. Every season, we have swimmers graduate along with their parents, so we need the younger families to fill in those roles.
  2. LEARN and PRACTICE OFFICIATING. Stroke and Turn Judging will be a breeze, so sign up for one shift each day you are at a meet. You are ready to earn your RED PIN and even start to learn Starter and Ref by attending a clinic.
  3. Try out other positions around the pool deck; perhaps try/shadow the Starter and Ref, or MARSHALLING and Clerk of the Course, or learn about electronics.
  4. Continue with the task you started last season or perhaps train someone new to do your job, but consider learning how to organize something new.
  5. Become a MEMBER OF THE BOARD is a good idea at this point. Start with Director of Officials, Secretary, and Vice President.

VOLUNTEER JOBS for YOU: Become our Fundraising Tracker or coordinator any of the following: May Days Parade Float, Super 7 deck food, Super 7 Breakfast, Stingback Concession, Super 7 Raffle, Super 7 Used Items Sale. Assemble a team of parents to work together on one or two of these tasks.

Fourth year+ families…

  1. You are “old hat” at swim club now and will have figured out your FAVOURITE ways to contribute.
  2. Other opportunities for ADVANCING your officiating are available and perhaps you are ready for a light blue pin!
  3. You will be able to run any of our events and becoming PRESIDENT could be the next logical step as you have enough knowledge about swim club that you will start to form your own ideas for the direction you would like to see the club go.

VOLUNTEER JOBS for YOU: Super 7 Meet Manager, Stingback Meet Manager, President, Treasurer, Registrar

 Note: this timeline is only a recommendation for how best to feel a part of the Stingray family without feeling overwhelmed and, by no means, should you view this timeline as limiting of your involvement. The more you get involved the more you will feel like you belong.

Vounteer Job Descriptions

  • Director of officials:  Arranges clinics and ensure officials roles are filled at meets. Learn more about Becoming an Official.
  • Fundraising coordinator:  is responsible for tracking funds raised and sends reports to families. The lead for each of the fundraising events held by the club is responsible for reporting the fundraising amounts to the fundraising coordinator.
  • Purdy’s chocolate: Coordinates the chocolate bar fundraiser; submits amounts to fundraising coordinator and funds to treasurer.
  • Swimathon: Coordinates the Swimathon; submits amounts to fundraising coordinator and funds to treasurer.
  • Special events:  Coordinates special team events
  • Super 7 Meet:  Managers for the Super 7 Meet; oversee the delegation and performance of meet jobs/tasks
  • Bottle Drive Coordinator:  Organizes bottle drive routes, books the depot and drop off location; day-of set up; submits amounts to the fundraising coordinator and funds to treasurer
  • Photo Day:  Coordinates team and individual photo day
  • Stingback meet coordinator:  Works with the B4 swim club to organize and coordinate the Stingback Development Meet
  • Social media coordinator:  Reports on newsworthy Stingray success stories and submits articles to the local paper.
  • Club Attire:  Manages the purchasing of club caps, t-shirts, sweatshirts and team swim suits.
  • Awards Coordinator:  organizes and orders awards for the year end Awards BBQ in August.
  • Meat Order Coordinator:  Organizes meat orders, arranges for pick up of orders and submits the amounts to the fundraising coordinator and funds to the treasurer.
  • Pub Night Coordinator:  Organizes the event and submits funds raised to the treasurer.

Executive & Committee Positions

Becoming an Official