Parent Volunteer Obligation

Our Chess Club is completely parent run.  On average we have over 100 students participating each week, one third of whom are in grades K-2.   To effectively manage this size group, we need at least 2 parent volunteers in the room each week, whether you know how to play chess or not. 

Therefore, each family who has a child in the chess program is required to provide 3 hours of  volunteer service to the club per semester.  Most families fulfill this by signing up for one Tuesday afternoon slot.  The Tuesday afternoon volunteers are required to be there by 2:30 pm and stay until we have completely cleaned up the cafeteria, which is usually done by 5 pm.  This means most families actually work only 2.5 hours, but that is ok.  As long as you got there by 2:30 pm,  whenever the cafeteria is clean and you are released, you have fulfilled your obligation.    If you are not there by 2:30 or you leave before everything is put away and the floors and tables are cleaned up, you will not have fulfilled your obligation.

There are also plenty of non-Tuesday afternoon opportunities for parents to volunteer.  These are additional ways you can discharge your obligation.  Therefore, it is possible for everyone to help.  “I work” is not an acceptable excuse.  Some of the other jobs include, but are not limited to: 

• Volunteer Coordinator - ensures that everyone who signs up actually remembers and shows up.

• Shopper - goes by Sam's every Tuesday, buys the perishables, ice, and other snacks, and has the coolers set up each Tuesday at their convenience as long as it is done by 2 pm.

• Team Manager - coordinates logistics for away meets.  A different individual could be team manager for each one of these.

• Writer - writes and submits articles for the RAM News and local papers regarding the students’ accomplishments.

• Photography coordinator - takes digital pictures, ensures we have media release forms for those individuals in the pictures, formats and sends pictures ready for uploading to the web.

• Web site assistance.

• Tournament Assistance - we run one to two tournaments per year and will need many people assisting with set-up Friday night and working shifts all day on Saturday.

• Director of Fundraising

• Clock repair-person

• Refurbisher - for the human chess board and costumes (could include sewing, painting, buying more balloon swords….).

Of course, the club would rejoice if any of the parents actually admitted to knowing how to move the chess pieces and were willing to work as part of our educational team with our beginners.

So, please consider the ways you might be of assistance to the club.  Come to a parent orientation meeting ready to sign up for the activity you would enjoy helping with most.