Volunteer Policy

Required hours: All Nova families with swimmers in the competitive program have a minimum volunteer hour requirement of 48 hours per year with 12 hours to be completed during the team's hosting on Senior Nationals, Junior Nationals and the Pan Pacific Championship meets in August 2010. Families joining the team during the year, will have their hours prorated at 4 hours per month for each month your swimmers participate. Groups in the competitive program are as follows:

Participating in any Nova hosted event, either on deck or off or fulfilling the Timing Coordinator position at an Away Meet will be applied toward your required 48 hours. 

On deck hours:

Timing Coordinator: A timing coordinator will be responsible for coordinating all timing chairs at an Away Meet (or NOVA hosted meet), ensuring that timer information is correct (i.e., timer name, swimmer and/or number of volunteer hours), and transmitting this information to the volunteer hours coordinator. The timing coordinator will earn approximately 1.5 to 2 hours per volunteer position. This position will be posted on the Nova web site prior to the meet.

Nova Hosted Meets: Nova will host at least 5 Intrasquad meets this year. Nova will also be hosting in January, the Orange Committee RW Age Group Meet, in April the Speedo Grand Challenge, in May Nova families will be assisting the Trojan Swim Club’s hosting of the Janet Evans Invitational, in June the Southern California Age Group Invitational, and in September the "Back to School" meet. Nova posts these events and positions on the Nova web site approximately 1 week prior to the meet. It is your responsibility to check the web site and sign up for positions.

Off-deck hours:

Volunteer hours can be earned by supporting Nova social events and fundraisers. Current events include the Awards Banquet (Oct/Nov), Holiday Parties (Dec/Jan), and the pre-championship meet gatherings for swimmers. Because these events require advance planning, it is important to sign up with the event coordinator well in advance of the actual event.

Non-compliance: Nova families with swimmers in the competitive program will be subject to a Non Compliance Fee (NCF) of $1200.00 per family if the 48 volunteer hour requirement is not met. For each hour worked, the NCF will be reduced by $25. Families who volunteer at least 48 hours will not be assessed the NCF. Families who have volunteered for less than 48 hours will be billed $25 for each hour less than 48. Late fees will be assessed on any unpaid balance due.

Half the minimum hour amount your family is responsible for must be satisfied by August 31st.  Hours not worked will be billed to the families after the September Meet and will begin to accrue late fees. If all volunteer hours are completed by December 31, 2010 the fees will be removed.

Since volunteering is a condition of Nova membership, families who show a pattern of not volunteering, or who fail to pay the NCF, may have their membership application refused at renewal.

AWAY MEET TIMING REQUIREMENTS: 

All families who have swimmers participating in an away meet (any meet not hosted by the NOVAS) are responsible for timing at those meets without exception.  Each family is required to time at least 1 session per swim meet.  Exceptions to this rule may occur at Senior meets or Championship meets where a limited number of swimmers are in attendance and additional timing sessions may be required.  A session length will be defined by the length of the meet and predicated on the number of chairs the NOVA team is assigned.  In general, a session will last between 1.5 and 2 hours. 

• If you sign up for or are assigned to an away meet timing assignment and do not show up for your shift or have not made arrangements for a replacement to fulfill your shift, you will be assessed a penalty fee of $25.00 for each shift missed. 

• These timing assignments will still be assigned by the Timing Coordinator based on the names of the swimmers entered in the meet.  All families assigned timing will be posted on the website under Meet Schedule, Tuesday or Wednesday prior to the meet.  If you are unable to time at the meet, you must let the Timing Coordinator know at the time the meet entry is due and make arrangements for a replacement.
• For those families who have older swimmers that drive themselves to meets, you are still responsible for away meet timing.  It is your responsibility of fulfilling your timing obligation either by your swimmer or another family member.
• Parents of swimmers in the long distance events (400 IM, 400/500 Freestyle, 800/1000 Freestyle or 1500/1650 Freestyle are responsible for timing 3 heats of those events in addition to your regular away meet timing obligation. 
• If your swimmer makes it back for a finals session, you are responsible for timing at least 3 heats during the Finals session.
• All families must check-in with the Timing Coordinator before the start of the meet.  At the beginning of your timing shift, initial next to your name on the Timing Coordinators timing list in order to ensure proper credit for your participation.
• If you do not check-in, you will be charged $25.00 for your shift.  If you check-in and do not time for two consecutive meets, you will be charged $25.00.

An ADULT other than a parent may satisfy your volunteer obligation, as long as the substitute can competently perform the volunteer task.

All families are responsible for the job shifts they sign up to work.  If a family is signed up to work a shift and has not removed their name from the list prior to the event closing, they are still responsible for working that shift or providing a substitute.  If a family does not show up for a shift or does not find a suitable substitute for that shift, the number of hours you signed up to work will be added to your family commitment hours.

Families who host visiting swimmers from teams sponsored by Nova will be credited 2 hours per night per swimmer housed.

Swimmers in their last semester of high school, in, or graduated from college have a commitment of 8 hours of team service at the discretion of their coach, in lieu of the NCF. Families of these swimmers are encouraged to continue to volunteer at meets.

Swimmers who are inactive for more than 90 consecutive days during the summer will be credited 4 hours per month. A letter or email must be sent to the Nova Billing Officer, giving notification of intent to be inactive for 90 days or more, stating beginning and ending dates.

New members who join Nova will have their volunteer hours pro-rated at 4 hours per remaining months in 2010 Families joining in Late November or December will not be responsible for volunteer hours.

Community Service certificates are available for anyone who volunteers and needs to earn community service hours.  The intent of this policy is not to raise money, but to emphasize how very important it is that we all work together to maintain the high standards Nova exemplifies and to help more evenly share the volunteer effort required to provide well run meets & activities for our children. Nova cannot run a meet without adequate parental support. This policy is intended to provide flexibility for families throughout the year to fulfill the minimum 30 hour obligation. Many of our families volunteer in excess of 100 hours to Nova during the year. Those families not doing their fair share during events, critically jeopardized the smooth management and operation of these events and also subject the club to increased membership fees. Please do your fair share. It’s easy to volunteer:  just visit the Nova Volunteer Website about a month prior to a home meet, and sign up on line!

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2009 NOVA Hosted Meets