Parents Typical parent volunteer requirement?

[sulii]

Hi, my 7yo DD has just been invited to join the team, and we were informed that membership in the booster club is required with a minimum 30 hr volunteer requirement. Is this the average? Just want to know what we are getting into and if I can make it work with all our other obligations. Thanks!

 

[HoldThePhone]

We have the option of participating in the "requirements" or buying out instead. We have to work a shift at each meet we host, which depending on what shift you choose could be anything from just a donation of food, or 2-6 hours of time. We host several meets so our booster fees are kept lower than a lot of gyms, I don't mind "volunteering" if it saves me money. My husband can do some, I can do some, or we can pay someone else to fulfill those duties for a lot cheaper than buying out as well.

 

[armbmom]

I would say that 30 hours is pretty typical. Our gym has shift requirements as well and a fireworks booth that we all have to work at.

 

[Gymmommy71]

If it's required, then it's really not "volunteering" by definition, is it... That sounds very high to me. DDs gym does not require anything like that.

 

[bogwoppit]

We had no obligations of time, we just paid the bills when they came. As gymmommy71 says you cannot be volunteering if the hours are not optional.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

Call it a "required donation of time" because that's what it amounts to. We have several fundraisers throughout the year to offset fees. Usually it's an hour here or there, except for meets. Those require more time- approx 5 hours per session and we determine # of sessions that we need to work based on size of meet.

 

[IreneKa]

We don't have anything like that in our gym.
My older DD is in charter school, where we do have a 20-hour/year "volunteering" requirement. So this "obligatory volunteering" is not a surprise to me. Just didn't know they do this in gyms too.

 

[gasrgoose]

I would say that 30 hours is pretty typical. Our gym has shift requirements as well and a fireworks booth that we all have to work at.

Wow a gymnastics fireworks booth. Does it make a decent profit? Pretty cool.

 

[cbifoja]

And if your booster is a non profit, they cannot force you to volunteer (at least by my understanding). It's a violation of the "pay to play" idea.

 

[wallflower]

We are just required to work the meets they host. This year they hosted 3 meets. I had to work 1 session per meet and so did my gymnast so I would say that was about 30 hours total. It wasn't so bad and I don't doing it. Sometimes it is even fun.

 

[GymMom67]

We don't have a booster club, but we do host a meet each year. Volunteering at it is entirely.....voluntary. LOL But I love working at the meet. I always sign up to be a tabulator, so I get to sit at the judges table and get a more up close and personal view of that event. I really enjoy it.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

At our old gym it was 25 or 50 hours, which got you a "reduced" (haha) monthly tuition, plus two $75 minimum fundraisers.

Our current gym has nothing but voluntary fundraising.

 

[kayjaybe]

We are required to work a certain number of sessions at any meet we host, plus setup and or break-down for the meet. In addition, once you are on our senior team (L7-10), you have to host/chair a fundraiser.

Meet weekends are busy, but we only host 2-3/year. I figure it really isn't that much to dedicate a few weekends/year to supporting my daughter's passion.

 

[UnoMas]

We are not required to do anything but pay annual membership fees to the booster club, and those fees are low. Working at meets is voluntary and we are "paid" by the booster club for the hours we work. The more hours we work, the more money to go towards meet fees, etc.

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

Wow. Our higher level provincials and national parents do upwards of 70/80 hrs of volunteering a year, half of which is in two meets we hold. But it keeps our fees lower as we make a lot of $$$$ from the meets.

 

[sulii]

Thanks for the replies. DD is nervous and excited, so we want to make it work for her. Just a little worried about how the commitment will impact the family, especially with other little ones at home. I must say there is something a bit cult-like about the whole team enterprise...albeit a fairly friendly, high-achieving cult with great ab definition

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

Thanks for the replies. DD is nervous and excited, so we want to make it work for her. Just a little worried about how the commitment will impact the family, especially with other little ones at home. I must say there is something a bit cult-like about the whole team enterprise...albeit a fairly friendly, high-achieving cult with great ab definition

It will totally affect your family life... but yes, abs and amazing experiences, and wonderful friendships will also be a side effect!

 

[gymmomtoo]

Work a day at a meet we host--we typically say all meets, but this year we just required one. Many put in far more hours than we asked for to cover the few that didn't. 30 hrs seems high though.

 

[JBS]

30 hours is high...but not unheard of...just depends on how everything is setup. Is there some sort of "buy out"?

 

[sulii]

I don't know all the details yet, but there is a booster membership fee of a few hundred dollars that one can offset by participating in fundraisers. That is separate from the volunteer time. They didn't offer a buyout option for volunteering...I might ask but I was worried it might seem anti-social as the newest members.