Jump to content

Volunteering...


Recommended Posts

19 minutes ago, PopcornEater1963 said:

Thanks to all for your replies. We're looking now to modify our plan to a one-week stint between the July 12th show in Atlanta and the July 20th show in Dallas ( North Denton). And then fly home from Dallas after serving for a week. That would take us to Illinois, to Broken Arrow,Ok, and then to Dallas, Then maybe rejoining the Corps for the last week of the season for our second week of service rolling into Indy. 

I don't know how it works with the corps you are involved with, but I know with many corps the last week of tour is a popular one. The volunteer spots usually fill up pretty quick. So my unsolicited advice to you is to firm up your plans as soon as you can, and make your availability known to your corps.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Barneveld said:

I don't know how it works with the corps you are involved with, but I know with many corps the last week of tour is a popular one. .

It's really nice to spend most of that last week in one location and all the excitement of hopefully three more shows.  My only last week as a volunteer was in 2015 with Boston as the chase driver.  Sometime on Wednesday it was decided that another head mic was needed for the guard singer.  I left Carmel, IN, at 9AM to drive up to the Fort Wayne area, locate the manufacturer, pick up the gear that had been ordered, and oh yeah, get back by 3PM when we leave for the Oil Can.  I told the on field "adult" in charge of working the mic and other electronic equipment during the show to get out of the SUV.  There was no guarantee that we would be back in time and if "Murphy" rears his ugly head, who's going to work his board?  Seven P's people.  Arrived back at 3:10PM with no speeding tickets.  (Then us in the chase vehicle had to take the wrath of the parking lot supervisor since the corps showed up around an hour early.)

Edited by Ghost
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may find that different volunteer jobs will provide very different experiences. Working a food truck is the hardest job, in my opinon, but it is where most corps need the most help. If you help with selling coprs merchandise, you will spend less time with the corps, and more time at the show venues. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The food truck people sleep the least.  Travel varies by corps from having your own bunk in an entertainer and never having to sleep in the housing site to traveling on a staff bus and hopefully getting a couple of hours of vertical a night.  I have toured for up to 35 days and for much of the time it was just two of us.  It is the hardest work I have ever done but also the most fun and rewarding.  The corps I am familiar with you can see them perform every night.  We got the meal pretty much ready, went to the stadium and caught a corps or two before our corps, and saw our corps.  Then it was hightailing it back to the food truck to get the meal out.  After buttoning up the food truck it really depended on how long the show was or if we were staying how many other corps we saw.  The years I toured our corps placed between 20-22.  Any questions feel free to pm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congratulations!  You are going on an amazing adventure; lots of work, lots of satisfaction.  Afterward, you'll find yourself talking to others so enthusiastically and frequently about the experience that they may start backpedaling when they see you.  Enjoy.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/21/2017 at 7:33 PM, PopcornEater1963 said:

 

We're total rookies...and would welcome any guidance. We're willing to take a a week or so of vacation this summer to travel with the corps and volunteer however physically possible. Would love insight from this crew that I know will have plenty to say. 

The last couple of times that I went out on the road with Spirit of Atlanta (2012 and 2013 for about 15 days each summer), I drove one of the smaller support vehicles each night. I don't know if Cavies have all of their driver slots sewn up for the summer, but if they don't, driving is a pretty sweet gig. If you're worried about being sleep-deprived, the drivers' schedule is set up to make sure you DO get ample sleep to safely drive the following night. And on those tour days when we had multiple days in one place, I would just see what else I could help with on the food truck or elsewhere since I didn't have to drive that night.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...