ABOUT S.P.O.T.
The Small Paws Over Texas agility club promotes Teacup Dogs Agility Association events in Texas for dogs 17" and under. S.P.O.T., founded in 2008, is a non-profit organization with a pending IRS designation as such.
HOW CAN I HELP S.P.O.T. AGILITY BE A TOP-NOTCH TDAA AGILITY CLUB?
By Cindy Dunn, S.P.O.T. board member, Houston
Before the trial:
- Recruit other people to membership that you think would be good candidates
- Hand out brochures, premiums at other trials you attend
- Volunteer to be on the event committee
- Serve on other club committees; arrange for volunteer worker schedules
- Attend and help with any planned club activities, such as fun matches
- Attend any training offered by the club to learn how to do jobs at the trial
that you haven't had experience with (timer, scribe, gate steward, etc)
- For raffles – donate items, watch for sales on dog related items, save unused
dog related items, hand-craft items, save baskets to package items in, offer
to help package raffle baskets (raffles are an important source of funds to help
make sure small clubs break even on expenses)
- Makes signs for the trial
- Save a few plastic grocery bags so the club can provide poop bags at the trial.
Better yet, provide a poop bag holder and fill it full of grocery bags so the club
can have one at every exit
- Obtain a list of supplies that will be needed at the trial and make sure all the
supplies will be on hand
- Offer to bring / transport items to the trial in your car since the club won't have a
trailer
- Offer to store things for the club before trials or between trials if you have extra
room and you live close to the trial site
- Coordinate the judges' hospitality (transportation, hotel, gifts, etc.)
- Make club handout with contact info and driving directions to nearest emergency
vet clinic and put them out at the trial; make another for nearest human hospital
emergency room. If no food vendor is expected at the trial, make a list of
restaurants near the trial site.
During the trial:
- Greet people
- Sell raffle tickets
- Arrange for workers hospitality, water and snacks
- Make sure worker schedules and course maps are available
- Make sure workers obtain worker raffle tickets (if applicable) – find the workers,
don't make them look for you.
- Get lunches for judges
- Help with check-in and measuring
- Help with moving equipment – loading, unloading – if physically able
- Help with running the ring: ring manager, gate steward, scribe, timer, scribe
runner, leash runner, chute straightener, bar setter
- Volunteer to help the trial secretary post results and gate check-in sheets, offer to
put stickers on ribbons
- Monitor entry and exit gates to make sure area is easily accessible and does not
become clogged
- Monitor people at warm up areas
- Monitor bathrooms for hand soap, toilet paper, paper towels
- Monitor traffic, guests and alert trial committee to problems such as flash
photography or people standing too close to the ring
- Report lost and found items to trial secretary
- Help transport judges to and from trial site
- Help host dinner for judges and out of town entrants
-
Be a good sport, follow the rules, enjoy the time with your dogs and agility friends
After the trial:
- Stay to the end and help load equipment, leftover ribbons, other club items
- Offer to transport items
- Pick up club's trash around site
- Help plan next event
- Offer ideas about what went well, what could be changed for future trials
(constructive feedback)