One of the cornerstones of OYS is that we are a self-help club. By definition that means the members volunteer their time and energy to complete many of the maintenance, administration and operations tasks required to keep the club operating in an effective manner. These include assisting during launch and haul-out, the general maintenance of the clubhouse, grounds and docks, organizing and supporting the various social functions and assisting in the operations of the club including the sailing school, the regatta, the Executive Committee and various administrative tasks. Many of the volunteer opportunities do not require physical labour and can be completed from home so, hopefully, every member will have the opportunity to complete their volunteer hours annually.

Volunteer opportunities are available in Harborhood

Rules

1. All Full, Full Outer Harbour, Associate Borrow-A-Boat, Full Borrow-A-Boat, and Intermediate memberships are required to contribute twenty volunteer hours per year. The twenty hours per year requirement can be shared by both parties in a Full, Full Outer Harbour, Associate Borrow-A-Boat, Full Borrow-A-Boat or Intermediate Membership.
2. If a Full, Full Outer Harbour, Associate Borrow-A-Boat, Full Borrow-A-Boat or Intermediate Membership is one person, that person has an twenty hour per year requirement.
3. All members can apply any Launch/Haulout hours worked to their twenty hour volunteer requirement.
4. All Officer of the Day shifts count towards required volunteer hours.
5. All other types of Memberships including Associate, Life, Honourary, Crew, Absent, Junior, Racing and Dinghy are not required to do volunteer work but are encouraged to join in and assist where possible.
6. Unworked volunteer hours, i.e. any shortfall below the twenty hour minimum, will be billed at $35 per hour at the end of the year.

How to sign up for a volunteer opportunity in Harborhood

1. Click ‘Signup Sheet’ from the dashboard panel.
2. You’ll see a list of volunteer tasks. Click on one that interests you. You can also sort by category using the dropdown menu.
3. You’ll see a calendar pop up of the available dates to perform the specific volunteer task.
4. Click the date you want to sign up for.
5. Your name and contact information are automatically recorded
6. Now, beneath the calendar you will see your name with the date of the task you’ve signed up for.
7. You can also clear your name if you can no longer perform the task by clicking the ‘x’ next to your name.
8. These hours are added to your ‘work hours’ total – but they need to be confirmed by you and the OYS admin team after the date of completion.

How to confirm volunteer work hours in Harborhood

1. After your completed volunteer task, Click ‘Signup Sheets’ from the dashboard panel.
2. Click on the volunteer categories that you want to confirm
3. Underneath the calendar view, you’ll need to check it off by selecting the open circle next to your name.
4. This will then automatically be submitted to the ‘Work Hours’ feature for Director/Admin approval.

How to submit volunteer hours that weren’t listed in the Signup Sheets.

1. Click ‘Work Hours’ from the dashboard panel.
2. Fill out the 3-field form, including the date, project and total hours.
3. Click ‘send for approval’
4. A pop up window will ask if you’d like to upload an image, or add any additional comments about the task completed. Neither of these are required.
5. Click ‘Submit Work Hours’ to complete.

How to Check Completed Volunteer Hours

1. From the dashboard, click ‘Work Hours’.
2. Scroll beneath the entry form to see how many hours you have submitted.
3. Please note that Harborhood reports volunteer hours by individual rather than by membership. This does not
4. change the volunteer hour requirement. Full, Intermediate, Borrow-A-Boat Members and Full Other Harbour
5. memberships (not individuals) are still required to complete 20 hours of volunteering at the club.

More information about the volunteeting program

• Each Executive Committee member and Committee Chair (e.g. Regatta Chair) will identify and make available appropriate volunteer opportunities to the membership.
• The volunteer opportunities will be posted at the club on Harborhood.  Since volunteer opportunities will become available continuously throughout the year, members are encouraged to check the Volunteer postings on a regular basis.
• Each Executive Committee member will post a Volunteer Job listing the opportunity, the hours assigned to it and any skills/tools required for the assignment. Members with the appropriate skills and experience for the various opportunities are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible to allow the Executive in charge of the area the chance to plan the required work.
• Each member who completes volunteer hours must make sure that their hours are corectly recorded to get credit for their hardwork (see above for submitting volunteers hours and confirming volunteer hours instructions).
• An OYS job list will be provided in the Volunteer Program area of this website and a regular ‘From the Docks’ will be sent out to act as a guide to members seeking volunteer OYS work. There are certain volunteer opportunities which come up with little or no advance warning. In those situations, the Directors will use e-mail messages, web postings or ‘From the Docks’ postings to make members aware of these urgent volunteer opportunities.
• All members are encouraged to check the available opportunities on a regular basis and to check that their volunteer hours have been properly assigned and accounted for.