VOLUNTEERING AT AURA BASEBALL CLUB

Aura Baseball Club is a community sporting club run with the support of volunteers.

From maintaining our fields and operating the canteen to coaching teams, scoring games and helping with club administration, volunteers play an essential role in keeping our Club operating and providing baseball programs for our members.

To encourage families to contribute to the running of the Club, Aura Baseball Club operates a Volunteer Levy.

VOLUNTEER LEVY

A $50 Volunteer Levy per registered player is charged as part of registration.

Families who complete a minimum of 10 approved volunteer hours during the season will have the Volunteer Levy paid for their registered players credited towards their Aura Baseball Club fees for the following season.

Example:

A family with three registered players pays $150 in Volunteer Levies.

If that family completes at least 10 approved volunteer hours during the season, the family will receive a $150 credit towards the following season's Aura Baseball Club registration fees.

The 10-hour requirement is per family, not per player.

Families are not required to volunteer. If a family does not complete the required 10 approved volunteer hours during the season, the Volunteer Levy remains with the Club and no Volunteer Levy credit is provided for the following season.

WHAT COUNTS AS VOLUNTEERING?

For the purpose of the Volunteer Levy, volunteer hours must be spent performing an official Club duty, role or task that has been authorised or recognised by Aura Baseball Club.

Approved volunteer activities may include:

• Grounds and field maintenance – setting up or packing down fields, installing bases, preparing diamonds, line marking, maintaining playing areas, mowing, weeding, working bees and other approved grounds work.

• Coaching – serving as an approved Aura Baseball Club coach or assistant coach and undertaking recognised coaching duties.

• Team Executive Officer (EO) / Team Manager – performing the official administrative and organisational duties allocated to that position.

• Official scoring – scoring an Aura Baseball Club game when appointed or rostered as the official scorer.

• Official umpiring – umpiring an Aura Baseball Club game when appointed or rostered to undertake that role.

• Canteen duties – working an allocated or approved canteen shift, including preparation, service, cleaning and pack-down.

• Club administration – completing administrative work specifically requested or approved by an authorised Committee Member.

• Fundraising and Club events – assisting with fundraising activities, Come & Try days, sign-on days, Club events and other activities where volunteers have been requested by the Club.

• Equipment and facilities – approved maintenance, organisation, transport, set-up or pack-down of Club equipment and facilities.

• Other duties – other tasks specifically approved by an authorised Aura Baseball Club Committee Member.

This list is not exhaustive. The Club may approve other volunteer activities according to its operational requirements throughout the season.

IMPORTANT – VOLUNTEER HOURS MUST BE APPROVED

Members and families cannot determine for themselves that an activity qualifies as volunteer hours.

For hours to count towards the Volunteer Levy, the activity must be:

an official Club role, rostered duty or task requested or approved by Aura Baseball Club;

performed for the benefit and operation of Aura Baseball Club;

capable of being verified by the Club; and

approved and recorded by an authorised Aura Baseball Club Committee Member.

Simply assisting, participating or being present at a Club activity does not automatically constitute volunteering for the purposes of the Volunteer Levy.

The Club has final responsibility for determining whether an activity qualifies as approved volunteer service and how many volunteer hours are recorded for that activity.

WHAT DOES NOT COUNT?

The following activities do not count as volunteer hours unless the Club has expressly requested and approved the person to perform an official volunteer duty:

• attending your child's training;

• attending or watching your child's games;

• participating in training with your own child;

• helping your own child practise, warm up or complete drills;

• playing catch, batting, fielding or otherwise participating with your own child;

• transporting your own child to or from training or games;

• remaining at the venue while your child participates;

• general parental supervision of your own child;

• providing food, drinks, equipment or other items for your own child or team;

• independently undertaking a task without prior Club approval;

• informal assistance that has not been requested, allocated or recognised by the Club;

• time spent participating as a player;

• social attendance at Club activities or events; or

• any activity for which volunteer hours cannot reasonably be verified.

Being involved with your own child is an important part of junior sport, but normal parental participation and support is not Club volunteering for the purposes of the Volunteer Levy.

For example, participating in, assisting with or supporting a family member during their normal training, games or Club activities does not constitute volunteer service simply because assistance has been provided.

However, where a person has been formally allocated or approved by the Club to undertake an official role or specific volunteer duty, such as coaching, team support, scoring, umpiring, grounds, canteen or another approved Club activity, the time spent performing that approved role may count towards their volunteer hours.

YOU CANNOT SELF-ALLOCATE VOLUNTEER HOURS

Volunteer hours cannot be self-appointed, self-declared or retrospectively claimed simply because a member considers that they assisted the Club.

Where the Club requires volunteers, opportunities will be communicated or allocated by the Club, Team EO/Manager, Coach or an authorised Committee Member.

If you see something that needs doing and would like to help, we absolutely encourage you to do so — please speak to a Committee Member first if you want the activity to count towards your Volunteer Levy hours.

This ensures the Club can:

• allocate volunteers where they are most needed;

• ensure tasks are performed safely and appropriately;

• avoid duplication of work;

• verify volunteer participation; and

• maintain a fair and consistent system for all families.

HOW VOLUNTEER HOURS ARE RECORDED

Volunteer hours are not automatically credited.

Volunteer participation will be recorded and/or reviewed by authorised Aura Baseball Club Committee Members.

Volunteer records may include:

• volunteer rosters;

• canteen rosters;

• coaching and team official records;

• scoring and umpiring appointments;

• working bee attendance;

• event volunteer registers;

• Club administration records; and

• other records approved by the Committee.

Volunteer hours will be reviewed throughout the season.

Only hours verified and approved by an authorised Committee Member will count towards the 10-hour requirement.

Members should not assume that an activity has been recorded. Where required, members should ensure their attendance or completed duty has been recorded through the process advised by the Club.

COACHES, TEAM OFFICIALS, SCORERS AND UMPIRES

Being appointed to an official Club role does not mean that every hour spent at the Club automatically becomes a volunteer hour.

Only time reasonably connected with performing the duties of the approved role will be recognised.

For example, a parent who is an approved coach may receive volunteer hours for coaching duties but does not separately receive additional volunteer hours simply for watching their child's game or remaining at the venue after their coaching duties have finished.

This keeps the system fair and consistent across all families.

WHO CAN COMPLETE THE FAMILY'S HOURS?

Approved volunteer hours may be completed by an adult parent, guardian or other adult family member on behalf of the registered player's family, subject to any age, qualification, child-safety, insurance, licensing or other requirements applicable to the particular role.

Some roles, including coaching, umpiring and other official positions, may require appropriate accreditation, registration or Club approval before the person can undertake the role.

VOLUNTEER CREDIT

Completion of 10 approved volunteer hours does not result in a cash refund of the Volunteer Levy.

Once the Club has verified that the family has completed the required volunteer hours, the applicable Volunteer Levy will be recorded as a credit towards the family's Aura Baseball Club fees for the following season.

The credit applies only in accordance with the Club's Volunteer Levy arrangements for the relevant season.

Unless otherwise approved by the Committee, Volunteer Levy credits:

• are not redeemable for cash;

• cannot be transferred to another unrelated family;

• cannot be claimed on the basis of unverified or unapproved activities; and

• are subject to verification of the family's volunteer record.

IF YOU ARE UNSURE – ASK FIRST

We genuinely appreciate every person who gives their time to Aura Baseball Club.

At the same time, the Volunteer Levy system needs to be fair and consistent for every family.

If you would like to help but are unsure whether a particular activity will count towards your volunteer hours, please ask an Aura Baseball Club Committee Member before undertaking the activity.

If a volunteer activity has not been allocated, requested or approved by the Club, members should not assume that the time will count towards their Volunteer Levy.

THE SIMPLE RULE

Official Club duty + Club approval + verified hours = Volunteer Levy hours.

Supporting your own child, attending their activities or independently choosing to help with something does not, by itself, constitute approved volunteering.

Thank you for supporting Aura Baseball Club and helping us provide a great baseball program for our entire community.