[Deptheads] We need more volunteers

[Victor B]

Years ago we had staff shirts. All staff wore the maroon strategicon shirts. We were unified and you could easily spot staff. 
A few years ago we had too many volunteers. SInce then every area and dept. but registration, rpga, collectables and larps has had major staff changes. We just had 3 more major changes in past week and more to come.
One of the keys to a sense of community and getting people to volunteer is stability from staff...and that starts from the dept. heads and team leaders. 
We have had a sense of community and still do sorta but like I said earlier we are 3 times a year and burned out over 90% of our staff within the past 6 years and burned out many volunteers.
We double and triple our staff to stave off burnout but we add more and more stuff to do so it balances back out. Plus some of our best volunteers are now staff. If we are short 2 volunteers remember we added ken and mik to staff.
Three times a year doing a convention as staff and volunteers is alot. As I said before only a handful us remain as staff that were staff 6 years ago and fewers of those will be around to start 2013.
Other gaming cvonventions plan all year and after a show take a break then jump back in...once a year gives plenty of mental breaks and times to attend other cons....for us it is finish orccon and our next show is now 11 weeks away..yes...11 weeks away. 
Hopping from orccon to gamex to gateway with no break bewtween them. And this is not a company and the show is not a business. We are all volunteers. No one from top to bottom get a salary for this. The people paying the bills volunteer like everyone else for the same zero paycheck. All of us are volunteeers..we just have more responsibility than the other volunteers.
 
Most game-running departments provide snacks and things for volunteers. I do and I know others do like video games, wargames bootcamp, and boardgames.
Let's cut to the chase. We have a broken finger not the entire body. It isn't getting volunteers that is the issue...it is getting volunteers for boardgames HQ and running popular boardgames. Other dept/teams are fine. Sure getting a volunteer thru the website or asking can be used but most all other areas are not stressing lack of volunteers. Larps are fine, RPG was packed with more gms than he could handle and vols, RPGA has their way of doing things and are golden, Video games has a crack crew, miniatures is set, rock band and movie crew is set, marketing is awesome, Special events guys are solid, Auction crew monday is set, Library has their librarians set and the runs like clockwork, Wargames bootcamp runs with military efficiency and is full of dedicated volunteers, registration is rockin, dealer's room had 3 volunteers of which at least 2 of them were in there at any given time and they live in kansas, collectables is set and I send my extra
 vols to boardgames. When I go in video game room there is community and the vols there are helpful and take pride in running that room. They are the video game room. Same with paiva's group, registration, rpga gms, etc. Boardgames has went thru many many changes in the past few years, has many sub. depts. now ,and poor neil and others stepped up to try to reign in the chaos because no one else wanted to. It is a sucky job. They lost all previous HQ staff to other depts. and are still rebuilding from scratch while trying to teach people on the spot about the flag system, games and where they were and table numbers, keeping music down and gaming & horseplay at HQ to a minimum, etc....it is tough when a big chunk of your vols are off the street and new. 
Most people do not want to do HQ. Period. Getting someone to gm 4 simultaneous games of nuclear war for a few hours is not the same as working HQ for a few hours. That is why thos epeople left boardgames for other dept. ..they still volunteer but in other departments.
 
Several things suggested we used to do or still do.... which is hard for new people to know so keep making suggestions!!
We need stability with team leaders (dept. heads) if we expect it from volunteers....and realize that we are unique in that kublacon, gencon, origins, dragoncon and others are only
once a year and we are 3 times a year and reach burnout faster. Team leaders will stabalize eventually and each leader/dept. head needs to gather their crew, take care of their crew, motivate their crew, and juggle requests and needs and schedule their events.....Every team used to have this so it can be done again. Team leaders tricking out badges with extra titles, awarding pins, awarding badge ribbons and parking, and alternate design t-shirts for volunteers who do more is great (along with 1/4 room we already give).  Each team leader knows their volunteers and knows what motivates and rewards them. It is not the same for every department. Historical miniature guys may not want the same reward as the kid's game or video game volunteer or rpga person or wargames bootcamp guy. I would like a strategicon mug for staff and top volunteers. Mugs are cool. Plus we should still have a volunteer thank you page in each following conbook thanking the
 previous volunteers and staff.
 
 
Off to staff another con starting tonight.....talk to everyone monday..may the dice roll in your favor
 
 
V
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