Set up and shut down

In the same club I that had the cleanup deposit, unclaimed items were emailed to the list and people were given the chance to claim them. If the items were not claimed, they are auctioned off with the proceeds given to the club's general fund.

It seems like every organization I have been a part of suffers from this issue. 90% of the work is done by 10% of the members. It is what it is, and I dont think there is a solution, especially when a group is run by volunteers. Some people want more out of their hobby and go all-in, others want to show up, be entertained, and go home.

Just make sure your volunteer's efforts are appreciated, and don't abuse them. Each of us have different skills and many skillsets are necessary to pull off large events. When I was a PGI member, I spent much of my time volunteering as a medic in their first aid trailer as that is where my skills are best put to use. Unfortunately with that organization, I felt like there were tiers of membership and any issues were responded with "how many hours did you volunteer..." If you weren't in a highly visible position volunteering, you were treated like a lesser. Don't treat your members like that when they give their time.

shonc182 said:

...
Then I watched the core group divy up some pretty neat stuff. I assume that I could have spent less than an hour of the day that I spent cleaning up their equipment, sifting through launch cards to match these goodies up their owners...

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Wow! One Saturday I lost a rocket at our big field. So did our club vice president, Jay, as well as a father and son team going for a junior L1. It was middle of winter and got dark early and we all had to give up for the day. Jay and I came back the next day and Jay quickly found his rocket. We found mine after a little search.

We remembered the launch of the other rocket so we went back to the launch location and picked out a landmark. We crossed the corn field, the highway, past a farm house, another corn field and came to a stream. I spotted a deer stand up in a tree and Jay climbed it. He spotted the chute which I could not see from the ground. I jumped the stream (barely) and started walking in the direction Jay told me. This corn field was not level and I was headed up a slight incline. When I reached the top I spotted the chute. The rocket was over halfway across this cornfield too. It probably took us an hour to recover that rocket.

The rocket was recovered with its chute release. We handed it over to Randy at eRockets at the next club meeting. The father and son team rarely attended our meetings as they lived a considerable distance from eRockets, but Randy had their contact info and called them. They eventually picked up their stuff.

Jay and I joked about telling everyone that we found the rocket, but the chute release "must have fallen off". But it was just a joke, we never would have kept any of the stuff if we had any way of returning it. I can't believe most rocketeers would ever consider keeping stuff that they could return to the rightful owner.

I think it's just human nature. some will, some wont. Some expect it. Some believe fairies & elves do it..

We always make a plea to be at the field for 9:00am to set up for the 10:00 am start time. A few of us cross the US/CAD border, so the ETA can vary by a half hour. But a few of us do arrive within 15 or 20 minutes of 9:00am to set up. Others then start to trickle in & do what they can (what's left)

Usually the same ones are the ones who clean up. We then go to the local BBQ / Brew house for a well deserved beer & ribs (or brisket or pulled pork or.. )

We know we do the extra bit. We know some wont. When we get larger, we may start instilling a 'set & strike crew' who get a particular perk..

(Ever notice the ones who help set up & strike are usually the die-hards, the LCO & RSO & club execs, the ones who help with cert fights, the ones who take the pictures & do the write-ups / launch reports? just saying..)

A non-rocket club I belong to has a policy I like. Membership dues are $120 and six hours per year. There are many ways you can do your six hours, and most of the stuff that needs to be done has plenty of volunteers wanting their hours signed off.

It is fairly common in other hobby clubs that have common equipment to require members to help with maintenance and clean up.

Charge a $5 launch fee and give them a numbered ticket. At the end of teardown they get can get it back... or it will end up as a donation.

We’re a small enough group that anybody standing around not helping is pretty conspicuous. Nearly everyone always offers to help. Kids who are too young to carry pads rake loose vegetation.
The few that get there late and leave early this weekend are usually from far away or dealing with other issues. We’re just happy to have people attend. But if we had a huge amount of equipment it might be different.

$1 launch fee which also enters one into a raffle for rocketry related items awarded after the tear-down.

Double ticket rolls, might be even cheaper at Sams Club:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=double+ticket+rolls

Winston said:

$1 or $2 launch fee (ticket rolls need to be paid for) which also enters one into a raffle for rocketry related items awarded after the tear-down.

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Just cause someone wins the raffle doesn't guarantee he stays to collect. I have been to launches where people left early & either gave their tickets away or just thought the money to the club was a nice donation.

timbucktoo said:

Just cause someone wins the raffle doesn't guarantee he stays to collect. I have been to launches where people left early & either gave their tickets away or just thought the money to the club was a nice donation.

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That's fine. It becomes a donation. However, more people just might hang around. BTW, I edited my post to $1 because I found the ticket rolls to be so cheap even via Amazon.

Chuck, unfortunately this is very common. I admit that I am guilty. I offer no excuse other than the heat kicked my ass and I wasn't there Monday. I will make it a point to help in the future with set up. Unfortunately participation has declined so drastically the last few years that offering front of line incentives is useless. I haven't had to wait in line in SC in over 5 years. I endorse the splitting of launch fees. You get 1 place for set up or teardown only and 2 for both. Divide total chances by total amount and that's what one gets. Dayam it was hot last weekend!

Years ago when my wife was working and I was younger, I would help. Now that my wife attends I do not mark it early enough (2.5 hour drive one-way) and I don't stay for clean-up. Yes, I feel guilty, too. I still help with the annual Hellfire clean-up on Sunday. There is usually a lot of people for this clean-up, so like the saying goes, " many hands make light work". After the Hellfire clean-up there is a lottery for rocket stuff prizes for everyone that helped. There are always enough prizes that all helpers get at least one prize. This is really a nice end event for a fun-packed 4-day rocket meet.

jimzcatz said:

Chuck, unfortunately this is very common. I admit that I am guilty. I offer no excuse other than the heat kicked my ass and I wasn't there Monday. I will make it a point to help in the future with set up. Unfortunately participation has declined so drastically the last few years that offering front of line incentives is useless. I haven't had to wait in line in SC in over 5 years. I endorse the splitting of launch fees. You get 1 place for set up or teardown only and 2 for both. Divide total chances by total amount and that's what one gets. Dayam it was hot last weekend!

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This was not mean to blame or complain. I am just looking for options to solve the problem. What is done is done!

One club I visited held back a few of the raffle prizes as 'clean up prizes' - and they were awarded after every thing was cleaned up .

Kenny

We were tearing down the BALLS launch in a dust storm a couple years ago.
I noticed 9 out of the 12 people were TRA life members.


M

I've (for a long time) liked the idea of making anyone certifying at a small local launch obliged to either help with set up or pack up. These flyers get priority (at our launches) during the day and normally get assistance from other club members with their attempt, not to mention the admin assistance processing their paperwork.
It does irk me a bit when some of them arrive, do their cert attempt and leave as soon as it's done for all 3 of their cert attempts.

Anyone else think the title of this thread at first glance was "Shut Up and Sit Down"?

CW offer a discount on range / flight fees in return for set up and break down assistance ?

Thanks for all the advice - keep it coming. I am going to pitch this to our leadership.

CW,

I think you could solve the problem just by having them all here in South Dakota.
I will help you with set up and cleanup !!

Glasspack said:

CW,

I think you could solve the problem just by having them all here in South Dakota.
I will help you with set up and cleanup !!

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Thanks. Maybe when I retire. The southern heat might be getting to this old West Virginia boy.

At the next launch, the range is open to everyone at 10:30 (or pick another appropriate time). Those who stayed to clean up after the last launch get to fly from waiver-open til 10:30. (Exception: kids under 12 fly from waiver-open)

Best -- Terry

cwbullet said:

I am looking for ideas on how to encourage participation in the set up and the teardown of a rocket launch. Our local club has a lack of participation and a mass exodus at shut down time. How does your club encourage participation?

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One member of my rocket club gives away free rockets to every kid who helps with the cleanup after the launch. Some of those are his old rockets, some are donations, some are unclaimed rockets from the lost&found pile.

If all else fails simply ask people to help individually and personally. Generally people do not like to say no. Usually works everytime.

jderimig said:

If all else fails simply ask people to help individually and personally. Generally people do not like to say no. Usually works everytime.

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Working with church volunteers has proven this to be true many times. Most people will ignore general public pleas for help and volunteers, but are FAR more likely to agree when asked in person, face-to-face.

Peartree said:

Working with church volunteers has proven this to be true many times. Most people will ignore general public pleas for help and volunteers, but are FAR more likely to agree when asked in person, face-to-face.

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Good point.

cwbullet said:

I am looking for ideas on how to encourage participation in the set up and the teardown of a rocket launch. Our local club has a lack of participation and a mass exodus at shut down time. How does your club encourage participation?

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If you're going to do this hobby on your own, you need to:
1) Buy/build some launch infrastructure
2) Transport it to/from launch site
3) Set it up/Tear it down
4) Run it
5) Maintain it

Not sure why attending a club launch is so different. Sure, the scale is larger, but isn't that why people go to a club launch?

So, tell people the club launch isn't any different. Don't shoot yourself in the foot by using words like "volunteer", "help", or "work", or make pleas for people to "pitch in". Be straightforward in a personable manner.

Tell the usual people that do most of the work to step back and be a last resort rather than a first responder. Better yet, tell the usual people to teach others to fish, rather than just giving out fish because it takes less effort to give than to teach.

Mike

Perhaps a small break on the club membership dues? Only after they have proven themselves.

Of course then there is the trick my old church did... Free pizza for the volunteers.

rokit said:

If you're going to do this hobby on your own, you need to:
1) Buy/build some launch infrastructure
2) Transport it to/from launch site
3) Set it up/Tear it down
4) Run it
5) Maintain it

Not sure why attending a club launch is so different. Sure, the scale is larger, but isn't that why people go to a club launch?

So, tell people the club launch isn't any different. Don't shoot yourself in the foot by using words like "volunteer", "help", or "work", or make pleas for people to "pitch in". Be straightforward in a personable manner.

Tell the usual people that do most of the work to step back and be a last resort rather than a first responder. Better yet, tell the usual people to teach others to fish, rather than just giving out fish because it takes less effort to give than to teach.

Mike

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That reminds me of another old tool: Be willing to occasionally start late because you're waiting for "enough help" to arrive. People often won't volunteer as long as they know that everything will get done without them. But they'll pitch in if they realize that no one else is going to do it for them.

Peartree said:

That reminds me of another old tool: Be willing to occasionally start late because you're waiting for "enough help" to arrive. People often won't volunteer as long as they know that everything will get done without them. But they'll pitch in if they realize that no one else is going to do it for them.

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Something to consider with this strategy is that your NOTAM (and in our case TFR) start according to what you’ve told FAA.

At RIMRA we have to walk a ways through a field to the launch site. The land owner lets us take a car or two out to the site for setup and tear down, but there’s no parking in the field. So the rule is...help with set up or tear down and we will ferry your stuff to the site with the launch equipment. It works really well.