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October 2018MIAMI OBEDIENCE CLUB AGILITY TRIALS at Tropical Park's Equestrian Center
October 2018
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October 19, 20 & 21, 2018
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Thanks for being willing to volunteer!
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On-line sign ups are now closed, but the schedule can still be viewed on the following pages.
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You can still volunteer by email (volunteeragility@gmail.com) or sign up at the show.
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Please email volunteeragility@gmail.com if you are a first-timer or if you are having difficulty.
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FYI: If this is your first time volunteering, Runner (leash or scribesheet) is one of the simplest jobs and only requires walking & being on your feet a bit. Jump Steward is the next simplest job. Timer only requires pushing a button and then monitoring the console. We will provide on-the-job training.
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Here are all the jobs in order of difficulty...
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Ring Crew: There are usually 3-4 people on Ring Crew per ring and each cover a designated area. Basically the Ring Crew re-sets any bars that are knocked during a run before the next dog is able to go. Then whenever there is a height change, all ring crew go out and set the bars to the new height and adjust any other equipment affected by the height change. For the most part you will be able to sit and watch the runs, only getting up when something needs to be re-set. You don’t have to wait until the dog is completely done running, but you will want to make sure you are staying out of the dog and handler’s way. So if you aren’t sure, just wait.
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If you like to keep moving, Leash Runner would be a good job for you. Once the dog and handler takes off, you pick up their leash and walk it to the designated spot at the finish line (usually a bucket or chair). So that the handler can quickly get their dog on leash and leave the ring once their run is over. The next dog can’t start until the judge sees that the previous dog is on leash. You usually don’t get much of a chance to sit and it’s a little harder to watch the action since you are walking back and forth but there is no running involved. And you aren’t allowed to carry the leash outside of the ring, but once you’ve delivered the leash you can step out of the ring if needed. However, each run could take as little as 20 seconds, so there’s not a lot of opportunity to do that.
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Scribe runner is a similar job to leash runner, only you are standing outside the ring near the Scribe who will be handing you scribe sheets for each dog as they complete the course.  When you have 3-4 in hand you walk over to the trial secretary's desk and hand him/her the scribe sheets.  Then you return to the ringside to wait for more scribe sheets to be ready for delivery.  Sometimes you may be asked to run scribe sheets for two rings but it's not that much harder.  Just stop at each ring to collect scribe sheets before delivering them to the secretary.  Again there really is no running required. 
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Timer is another job that allows you to sit and watch the action. It might sound intimidating but the timing is electronic. The Timer will push the “go” button when the judge signals with a thumbs up after each dog runs. An electronic voice tells the next handler “ready” or "go" so that they can begin. The timing console will automatically start when the dog goes over the first obstacle and stops the console when they go over the last one. When a dog competes their run, you share the time with the Scribe who is sitting next to you and they write the time on the score sheet. And of course let the judge know immediately after a dog finishes there run if there is an equipment malfunction. It is important to see that the timer has started correctly and is not interrupted during a run.  Before pushing the “Go” button you’ll need to check that both eyes are still registering as active on the timer console. If you are timing for a “FAST” class, you may have to manually push the start button when the dog crosses the start line and you will need to change the pre-programmed maximum time between the jump heights. Often the Scribe or Judge can assist you with that until you are comfortable with the process.
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The Scribe checks the score sheets to make sure they are in the same order as the dogs listed on the board before each class begins. If a handler writes a 'C' by their dog that means they may have a conflict with running in another ring.  Most scribes will turn these sheets sideways in their pile to indicate a possible conflict. The best time to do this is when the handlers are walking the course. Then during each run the scribe watches the Judge as s/he gives hand signals for any faults that occur. Any faults are recorded on the score sheets and then the time is written on the sheet before moving on to the next dog. Physically it's an easy job but mentally you have to be on your toes and you can't really watch the dogs run as your eyes are always on the judge.
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The Gate Steward is the gate keeper.  They make sure that the next 3-4 dogs are nearby and ready to go as it’s important to keep things moving. The Gate Steward communicates to the Scribe anytime there is a change in the running order (such as a dog being absent, or if someone is moved within the order). Each time a dog comes to the start line they announce the dogs name and number so that the scribe can hear them as well as the other handlers waiting nearby.  So it's important for the gate steward to be loud enough to be heard but not so loud to disturb a dog running the course.  Also, the Judge determines when the handlers should go into the ring. For instance, perhaps he wants the handler to set up at the start line when the dog ahead of him takes the A-frame. The Gate Steward will also remind the handler to get to the line at the appropriate time. This is one of the more challenging jobs. 
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Thank you so much for being willing to help!  Remember, we will give you on-the-job training. It’s easy. You will learn a lot, meet new people and have fun watching some great dogs.
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