SMART: Salinas-Monterey Agility Racing Team

SMART
Salinas-Monterey Agility Racing Team

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Want to Help?

SMART is run by people like you. Many people lending a hand is what makes our agility events fun and possible. We have jobs available for experienced people and people who are new to working at a trial. Helping out is a great way to learn more and to make the events run more quickly and smoother.

Helpful Forms and Worksheets
2016 Worker Appreciation Compensation Schedule
Our members and volunteers at trials receive compensation in the form of entries at our trials. You can view our Compensation Schedule for Trials to find out what the different volunteer positions receive.

Reimbursement Form
Download and print the Reimbursement Form to be reimbursed for any expenses you have incurred. Remember to save your receipts and turn them in to the treasurer with your reimbursement form!

Trial Chairs-
Trial volunteer worksheet to fill in your key workers for trials.

2016 Worker Appreciation Compensation Scheduleto has the costs of worker appreciation compensations.

New to Trialing?
If you're not sure what helping at a trial entails, here are some job descriptions:

Show Chairperson
Show Secretary
Equipment Chiefs
Hospitality
Judges Hospitality
Ring Chief
Course Builder
Gate Steward
Scribe
Assistant Scribe
Timekeeper
Score Table
Registration
Runner
Leash Runner

Show Chairperson

The Show Chairman heads the Show Committee and is responsible for anything and everything that goes on in a trial. The Show Chairman needs to recruit the follow committee members plus any additional help that might be necessary. Also, needs to be available during the trial for questions, suggestions, resolving conflicts and problems. Arranges to give the judge's gifts during the trial.

Show Secretary

Accept entries, produce catalogs, send confirmations
• Prepare Premium List
• Mail Premium List
• Send Copies to Sponsoring Organization(s)
• Accept Entries
•Post Entries to Computer
•Reconcile Entry totals with Checks
•Give Treasurer Checks at close of entries (with report of income)
•Give totals to show chairman (including entry breakdown)
•Give list of exhibitors, classes entered to chief ring steward's to prepare workers schedule.
•Paid Lunch Lists - give numbers to hospitality for ordering info.
•Send out Confirmations (start times, check-in, map, classes entered, other catalog info, schedule of classes, any notices or reminders)
•Prepare Catalogs/Running Order list
•Prepare Scribe Sheets (make sure they are ordered/printed, print labels)
•Prepare Armband numbers (if used)
•Prepare Check-in/measuring Lists
•Prepare USDAA Scoring Books
•Calculate judges fees, see that they are paid.
•Paperwork at close of show (marked catalogs-judges copy, club's copy, sponsoring organization's copy, marked scribe sheets, show reports, send check & paperwork to sponsoring organization

Equipment Chiefs

Arranges to get equipment from storage to show site. Rents truck or trailer and arranges for someone to drive the vehicle as necessary.

Hospitality

Provides breakfast for exhibitors, drinks for workers, arranges lunches.

3 months before show:
•Meet with several caterers/restaurants & choose which lunches you want to offer.
•Estimate number of lunches based on other shows
•Let Show Secretary know choices so they can be printed in the premium.
1 month before show:
•Ensure there's electricity available a show site for coffee pot & hot water.
•Check if you need to bring extension cords & how long they should be.
•Go over inventory & decide what supplies need to be purchased or borrowed: coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, coffee pots, ice chests, etc.
•Decide what to have for continental breakfastÖ1-day show or 2-day show (might like something different on second day).
•Price food selections - donut shops, bagel places, Costco, etc.
•Get number of workers from Chief Ring Steward and figure out how many drinks/snacks needed for workers.
•Find out what each judge prefers for drinks, snacks, and lunch.
•Someone is assigned to take care of the judges, pick up at airport & hotel & they will be in contact with each judge.
•Get number of handlers from Show Secretary to determine how many breakfast items to have and get number of exhibitors that prepaid lunch.
•Bring. ice chests with wheels that are used ringside for judges and scorekeepers drinks. It's good to have one ice chest for diet drinks, one for regular drink, and one for water. Allow 2-4 bottles of water and 2 sodas/ice teas per worker (more cold drinks in hot weather and more coffee in cold weather). On hot days, it helps to have an extra ice chest for ice, so you don't have to run out and buy more during the show. Each exhibitor gets 1 drink with lunch.
1-2 weeks before show
•Give caterer final order
•Purchase non-perishable supplies and food.
•Order bagels or donuts if you're not getting prepackaged items.
•Arrange to get hospitality supplies from storage unit.
•Talk to the equipment person to see if they will load it in the equipment trailer or someone else will pick it up.
•Night before show: Make sure you can fit all your supplies, food, ice chests, AND your dog and dog equipment in your vehicle.
During the show
•Make coffee - 1st thing!
•Set out breakfast items and supplies.
•Arrange ice chests and drinks.
•Fill smaller ice chests with each judges selections and water and take to ringside.
•Check coffee and teas supplies throughout morning.
•Refill ice chests with drinks and ice as needed throughout the day.
•Have snacks for workers in the afternoon.

Judges Hospitality

Takes care of transporting judges from airport, hotel, show site. Also finds out lunch, drink, and snack preferences.

Ring Chief

Responsible for finding and supervising:
Assistant to Ring Chief (1 per ring)
Gate Steward (1 per ring)
Jump Setter/Tunnel Straightener (3-4 per ring)
Course Builders (4-6 per ring)
Score Runner/Leash Runner (1 each per ring)
Timer (1 per ring + back-up timer)
Scribe (1 per ring)
Scorekeepers (2-3 per ring)
Announcer (1)
The Chief Ring Steward should always recruit extra people for 'back up' in case workers don't show up.

Prior to show:
•Work with trial secretary to find workers that have volunteered on the trial forms.
•Coordinate workers according to abilities and time slots available.
•Make sure that people know the job descriptions.
•Work with novice volunteers to make sure they have a mentor (so they will volunteer again!)
•Prepare worker assignment sheet Assignment sheets should have details about who will be doing what at what time.
•Make an enlarged copy of assignment sheets for ring.
•Make copies of assignement sheets for trial packets
•Send out assignment sheets by email prior to the trial.
•Let workers know that they will need to be on time and ready to work.

At show:
Post an enlarged worker assignment sheet at ringside
Supervise volunteers to make sure all jobs are covered.

Course Builder

Move obstacles between rounds as directed by the Chief Course Builder.

Help move equipment between classes to set the course for the next class. Requires more brawn than brains. You must be aware of when each class ends so the new course can be set quickly. Efficiency in course building can significantly affect how late a show goes. Generally, the Chief Course Builder (and then the Judge during final "tweaking") provides instruction about what pieces of equipment are needed and where to place them.

Gate Steward

The gate steward is tasked with maintaining a constant and orderly flow of exhibitors into and out of the ring.

Before going to ring:
Pick up running order list and pen from Score Table. (Or they might already be posted at ringside.)

At the Ring:
Keeping three exhibitors ready to go at all times By keeping at three exhibitors ready, the gate steward can keep a steady flow of exhibitors into and out of the ring. If an exhibitor cannot be located, there is sufficient time to communicate this to the scribe without holding up ring operations.

Verifying running order between classes or when the jump height is being changed, verify the running order with the scribe. This means checking the order of the scribe sheets with the running order in the gate steward's catalog.
Sending exhibitors to the start line The judge advises the gate steward at what point during a dog's round the next dog and handler should be sent to the start line. By properly coordinating this, the amount of idle time between dogs is kept to a minimum.

Direct the exhibitor where to leave leashes and collars prior to starting their performance. The leash and collar should be positioned at the exit gate or other area designated by the judge.

Between classes or when the jump height is being changed, verify the running order with the gate steward. This means checking the order of the scribe sheets with the running order in the gate steward's catalog.

Scribe

The scribe is the "right hand" of the judge. The scribe's responsibility is to record on the scribe sheet all penalties signaled by the judge and to record the time measured by the timekeeper.

Restrictions: The scribe cannot be entered in the class being judged and, because he or she must watch the judge's every call, cannot be burdened with any other task while the class is being conducted.

Before the first dog: Get pen and clipboard with first dog's scribe sheet from the Assistant Scribe.

It is critical that a scribe watch the judge and not the dog. While a scribe may see a majority of the faults that are incurred, a fault is not a fault unless the judge calls it.
Example: What appears from a distance to be a missed contact may in fact be a claw of one paw on a contact zone, which is all it takes to avoid penalty.

Recording the judge's signals
Judges are instructed to use a standard set of signals. The signals and the scribe sheet entry are show below:

raised open hand Standard fault S
raised closed fist Refusal R
raised two hand Failure F
whistle or hand signal designated by Judge Elimination E

The time is obtained from the timekeeper at the end of each round. The time is recorded on the scribe sheet exactly as it appears on the clock (the digital time).

There are designated areas on the scribe sheet for each item to be recorded.
Note: Snooker and Gamblers have specially designed scribe sheets.

Several things are considered when deciding on the position of the scribe. The scribe should be in position to see the judge at all times since the judge will be mobile during the course round Note: In some cases, the scribe may need to be mobile. Also, be in position to hear the judge in the nonstandard classes where the judge calls points, be in close proximity to the timekeeper for recording of the time.
not interfere with the running of exhibitor or dog

As each dog enters the ring, the scribe verifies with the handler that the correct entry number is logged on the scribe sheet.

Scorekeeper completes scribe sheet The scribe's function is to record the judge's signals and the performance time only. The scorekeeper completes the scribe sheet by converting the digital time to seconds, and totaling the faults.

Give the Scribe the correct scribe sheet for the next dog and write down the previous dog's stopwatch time.

Before going to ring Pick up two small clipboards, scribe sheets, and two pens from Score Table.

As the first dog starts, place the first dog's scribe sheet onto a clipboard and give it to the Scribe. As each dog finishes, take the clipboard with scribe sheet from the Scribe and hand over the next scribe sheet on the second clipboard.

With a two-stopwatch system, also take the stopwatch from the Timer at the end of the run, return a second zeroed stopwatch to the Timer to start the next dog, record the time on the scribe sheet, and reset the watch. This job is critical for ensuring that the Scribe writes scores on the correct scribe sheet, as there are often changes in the running order at the last minute or even during the class.

Marking Sheets for Scratched Runners-When a dog has scratched a run, mark the scribe sheet "Scratched" and give it to the Runner immediately so that the Score Table knows the dog is not there.

he Timekeeper accurately records the time for each dog's performance and controls the start of each performance.
Recommendation: The timekeeper should be proficient in the use of a stop watch. The timekeeper should not be changed during the course of a class.

Before going to ring:
Pick up two stop watches and a whistle from Score Table.

Make sure that the whistle works.

Understand what defines the start and finish lines. Typically two traffic-style cones or stakes are used to define the start and finish lines. The line is continuous and runs beyond the markers; thus, the dog need not pass between the markets for the time to stop.

Start and stop the clock. The clock is started when the dog's chest crosses the start line. The clock is stopped when any part of the dog crosses the finish line.

Read the stopwatch in minutes and seconds, digit by digit. Read the time to the scribe digit by digit. Example: 1:14:30 is "one minute, fourteen and thirty one-hundredths"

Check the watch immediately after each dog starts. After the dog's round has begun, check the watch to be sure it is operating properly. If the clock did not begin, blow a whistle immediately to declare a false start.

Advise the handler when to begin The judge indicates to the timekeeper when everything is ready for the run to begin. At that time, the timekeeper instructs the exhibitor "You may begin when ready."

Rules
Do not stop the clock for any reason during the round other than under the direction of the judge. Example: If the dog creeps forward across the line before the handler is ready, the timekeeper starts the clock and lets it continue to run unless otherwise directed by the judge. If the handler returns to the start line to restart and the judge has not directed a restart, the timekeeper advises the handler that "Time is running."

Do not advise a handler who is walking away that the dog has crept forward, or otherwise draw the handler's attention to the dog's movement.

Do not convert the time into total seconds. This is the function of the scorekeeper.

Score Table

Adds up marks made by Scribe and write them on the master score sheet.

Take the scribe sheet from the Runner, compute how much (if at all) the dog exceeded course time using a calculator, add up the faults (they are all multiples of 5), and determine whether the run qualifies (for example, has five or fewer faults). At the end of each jump height, determine first, second, third, and fourth places.

There are always at least two people at the score table to double-check each other (three for jumpers classes), and there is always at least one experienced score table person to give instructions and answer questions.

Sometimes a third person can copy scores from the master score sheets to the posted score sheets to make results available more quickly for competitors.

Registration

Check names off a list or hand out catalogs. If you can help first thing in the morning, you can offer your services at the Registration Table. You can check people off on the check-in lists, hand out catalogs or goodies, or help with measure-in (handle paperwork for the measuring judge).

Runner

Takes scribe sheet from Assistant Scribe to Score Table. Runners usually take sheets from the Assistant Scribe to the Score Table one at a time. Might require a bit of walking (probably not running)

Leash Runner

Takes leashes from start line to finish line. This is a very easy job often filled by children. However, you should be as invisible as possible to the handler at the start; don't demand the leash or crowd the dog in anticipation of the removal of the leash.

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