This October marks the end of another term for the Board of the SJFAC, but we are already starting to plan events for next year. We have one part-time staff person and a small, but dedicated, group of volunteer Board members. We’re busy all year round helping to build a community that celebrates and fosters the folk life and traditions of Newfoundland and Labrador, and it’s a big job. We need volunteers to help with the many tasks that make our work possible. This is not the regular call for Festival volunteers; there’s a separate form on the website for that. We are looking for people to help keep the organization running: to serve on committees, help out with administrative tasks, work the door or host at Folk Nite. Listed below are some of the positions we need to fill.

Volunteering on a Committee: Our committees address Promotion & Publicity, Membership, Special Events Planning and Fundraising. Committee members are responsible to the Board; one Board member serves on each committee. Committees meet once a month; approximately 6 – 8 hours a month may be needed for committee duties, in addition to time spent at the monthly meeting. These committees are very important to the successful running of the SJFAC, so volunteers should be prepared to attend meetings regularly. Expertise in the areas of specific committees would be an asset, but isn’t essential.

Volunteering on The Broadside: The Broadside, our newsletter, is published three times each year; it is sent to members and used as a promotional tool. We are always looking for editors and writers, and could also use someone to do graphic design. Volunteers meet once a month.

* The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for calling meetings, organizing the information for the newsletter, helping develop story ideas and editing contributions. S/he works closely with Erin in the office, and shepherds the other writers and editors. S/he works with the graphic designer on the look of the whole thing, gets final copy to the printer and coordinates the mail-out and delivery of the finished newsletter. Many of duties can be delegated to, or shared with, others, but the editor-in-chief is responsible for seeing that things get done in a timely fashion. This is the most time-consuming job associated with The Broadside, and can take up to 25 hours per issue, in addition to meetings.
* The graphics for The Broadside are currently done in Publisher, and take the person responsible for graphic design about 10-15 hours per issue, in addition to meetings.
* Writers and editors are always welcome, as are fresh ideas. The time commitment for these volunteers will vary, but regular attendance at meetings and attention to deadlines is important! These volunteers will work closely with the Editor-in-Chief.

Volunteering for Folk Nite: Folk Nite is our continuing Wednesday night event at the Ship, and the most regular face the SJFAC presents to the local community. We need people who are friendly, engaging and reliable to help take tickets at the door or to host evenings.

*Hosts introduce the acts, get the line-up for open mic arranged and thank our sponsors profusely. This job is best suited to an extravert with a sense of humour. We would like to establish a regular line-up of hosts, so people volunteering would be committing to host an entire Folk Nite every 6 or 8 weeks, and making a time commitment of approximately 3-4 hours per hosting gig.
* Ticket takers handle tickets on the door. It’s an easy and a fun job, and gives you the opportunity to meet lots of people and hear some great music. We have a regular schedule of ticket takers set up—currently volunteers take one night every 5-6 weeks, but we can always use more people. The time commitment involved is about 3 hours per gig.

Volunteering in the Office: We keep Erin, our Festival Coordinator and Office Manager, VERY, VERY busy. Occasionally she could use an extra hand. This volunteer position would amount to 4 hours a week during the weekday. If the office is your expertise, this is the job for you. However, because Erin is very busy, so she needs someone who can offer help consistently; she can’t keep training new people for short stints in the office.

Volunteering for Special Events: We are always putting off special concerts and workshops, and need people who would be willing to be called as these events come up. We would like to make a list of people who would be expecting a call sooner or later, up to a maximum of 6 times a year. Duties might include ticket handling, setting up chairs, setting out food, or cleaning up after the event. We understand that people won’t always be available to help, but would like a list of those who wouldn’t mind the phone call asking if they were.

So, that’s it Folks. You can see there’s always a lot of work to do, but MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK. Here’s hoping there’s something on this list that grabs your imagination!

If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer in any of the ways described above,
please contact Caroline Clarke at sadie@nf.sympatico.ca or phone her at 579-2385.

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