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The conference is over for 2011. If you would like to be a volunteer for 2012- click here to sign up.

Linda Lee, Jane Glendinning

I will be making regular updates to this page as I need to.

Schedule for the SFWC 2012 Volunteers

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

Linda Lee
Jane Glendinning

FAQ for Volunteers

WE ARE SOLD OUT AND WILL BE CROWDED.

Room Duties:
It is very important that you follow these directions.

You must be checked into the Volunteer Lounge 30 minutes before your first session.

You MUST BE AT THE ASSIGNED ROOM 15 MIN before the session begins.

If you are there and your assigned partner is late, YOU MUST CALL Linda or Jane so we CAN SEND SOMEONE TO THE ROOM. No one should be working a session alone.

If you are the person who is getting there late, you are causing a major problem for us while we scramble to replace you. Don't be late.

Every room will have a printed program so if you have to introduce the speaker you can use the program for the intro.
Speak clearly and do not interject yourself into the introduction.
We sell these sessions online.

You must seat people starting at the front, walk them to the front if you need to.

Volunteers not working the session cannot sit down until we are sure there is enough room for
the attendees.

If attendees come late, a volunteer will need to give up their seat.

ALSO VOLUNTEERS DO NOT TAKE A HANDOUT UNTIL THE SESSION IS OVER.

PAID ATTENDEES DID NOT GET HANDOUTS LAST YEAR BECAUSE VOLUNTEERS TOOK THEM FIRST.

Q- How do know what my job is when I am working a session?
Each room has a timekeeper and a volunteer who introduces the speaker/s
Be generous and rotate this job.

1. Be in your room 15 min before the session.

2. Check for the timekeeping cards, (they are left in the room during the day)
but you need to make sure they are there, they do get lost and moved for some reason.

3. Decide who will be the timekeeper.

4. Check if the speaker has their own introduction written, if not read yours off of the program.

or they may want to introduce themselves.

That is ok but you will still do the following.

When it is time to start, you will go up to the mike and say,

"Welcome to "name of session" with "name of speaker", this is for the taping.

Remember each session is taped.

Then do the introduction or let them do their own.

5. Pass out handouts.

6. All people need to be seated in the front first.

7. Very IMPORTANT, during the Q and A session, make sure attendees use the stand up mic that is set up.

8. Designated timekeeper will keep track of time and holding up the 10, 5 and 2 minute and STOP signs.

9. When the session is over, please after a few minutes, ask people to please leave the room

and continue visiting outside the room, so we can prepare for the next session.
You must clear the room.

10. Pick up all the leftover cups, paper and other items and leave the room clean for the next session.

One of you must stay until the next team of volunteers shows up.

11. You must keep your session on track and on schedule. Everyone needs to be out of the room as soon as the session ends. The speakers depend on you to keep it on track. Be assertive but polite and stay on schedule! You cannot be timid with this responsibility.

Cafe:

Those who are working cafe shifts, Your job is making sure the coffee

and hot water have enough, the hotel provides those.

It is 2.00 a cup for a small cup and a cookie, there are no refills.

We pay 5.00 a cup for this coffee, so we are losing money, so you need to be firm.

The presenters can go into the volunteer lounge for a cup of coffee or hot tea. (no charge)

otherwise we need to collect $

In the cafe, your job is to be helpful, chat with people and hang out in the middle where the coffee service is set up and take the money and help clear dirty table , (this is not a big deal, just coffee cups sometimes).

This is the place people gather and meet and talk, also the bookstore is in this room.
It is a fun place to be.

We love new ideas, but during the conference is not the time to tell us.

We keep a notebook on the check in desk in the Volunteer Lounge and we encourage you to make suggestions, write down your ideas and tell us what you think we could do to make the conference even better. (and this does include the negative comments, so feel free)

I have 5 years worth of these and I would like to say that many great ideas and changes have come out of this. We review it each year before the next conference and it has been a very helpful tool.

Those who did not attend meeting:

If you are one of the people who did not attend the meeting, we have a phone conference call meeting that you must be on. I have a quiz for everyone to refresh what we discussed. It is a lot of information and I am always surprized but what people tell me they did not know.

Schedule Changes:

Email me if you see any errors on the schedule or you need to change anything.

I made the schedule off of what you all filled out, so I hope not to see much change there.

Please try to just live with the classes you are working in.
Hardly anyone was assigned more then 2 sessions a day, so that leaves you a whole lot of time for other sessions. This schedule is very time consuming and difficult to set up, so I really appreciate that.

Also if for any reason, any of you think you will not make it-TELL ME NOW.
I do not care why, so you don't have to make up a story, just tell me and that will be fine.

Every year at least 2-4 people just don't show up or do not bother to tell us they can't come, this is a real headache and I want to avoid it.
I had 3 no shows for my first sessions in 2011, and that was not cool at all.

ONCE THE CONFERENCE HAS STARTED-DO NOT EMAIL ME-CALL ME!