Information for Volunteering

The Latrobe Valley Eisteddfod is run by the wonderful support of volunteers who assist the organising committee.

In order to volunteer, you are required to obtain a Working With Children Check card from the victorian Department of Justice. The check is free for volunteers. Part of the application process involves having your photo taken at a post office which is free for volunteers.

If you already have a card, you will need to update your details by logging in to the Working With Children Check website, and specifically tell them that you are going to work with us, by providing them with following details of our organisation:

Name of organisation: Latrobe Valley Eisteddfod Traralgon Inc.
Address:11-13 Breed St, Traralgon, Vic, 3844
Phone Number:(03) 5174 2335

Once you have updated your details, please advise us via e-mail at eist@lve.org.au and include your Working with Children Check card number.

There are a few exemptions for needing to obtain a WWCC card, which you can read about on the WWCC website, however you will still be required to tell us the basis on which you are claiming an exemption, and we need to record it on our files. For example, if you are a registered teacher or registered early childhood teacher, you are exempt, but we will require a copy of your teacher registration/card for our records.

All people who work for or volunteer with Latrobe Valley Eisteddfod are required to adhere to our Code of Conduct and any applicable policies and procedures. Click the following link to go to the page which provides our full Child Safety policy documents.

Roles

Further details will be added here shortly to describe the ways in which you can help out.

You may volunteer to help in the following roles, but note that not all roles are available in all disciplines/days:

Announcer - This role is for announcing what each performer will present, and at the end of each section you restate the placings after the adjudicator has announced them. This person has a lead role in running proceedings for a given 3 hour session.

Scribe/Assistant for Adjudicator - This person sits with the adjudicator as an assistant, sometime taking on the role of assisting to write comments about each performer (although many adjudicators are happy to write the comments themselves). If the performers are presenting musical or drama items, the Scribe will be responsible to hand the adjudicator each performer's music/script just before the performer goes onto the stage.

Backstage Usher and Stage assistant - This person is responsible for locating/collecting the performers from the waiting area when it is their turn to be going on the stage. If the performer needs some assistance such as adding a chair or music stand or prop onto the stage, you will assist in doing this for them. For larger groups like orchestras/bands, you may have additional helpers.

Check-in desk - this role involves sitting at a table near the entrance of the venue, in order to greet the performers as they arrive, and collect from them any music/script that needs to be given to the adjudicator when they perform. You generally stay sitting in the foyer, until all performers have checked-in.

Backstage Access Monitor - this role is responsible for ensuring that nobody goes backstage who is not a performer or someone who has a valid reason to go there. All teachers and adults going backstage (e.g. to help with costume changing) must first have shown that they have a Working With Children Check card, and this must be sighted by the Backstage Access Monitor before being allowed backstage.

Convenor's Assistant - The Convenor is the person overseeing the running of the Eisteddfod session, someone from the Committee. The Convenor's Helper would sit with the Convenor at their desk (inside the auditorium) to assist with such things as filling in certificates, getting medals/ribbons ready, placing the feedback critiques onto the collection table in the foyer.

Runner - The runner is someone who is able to communicate messages between the people backstage such as the announcer, and the convenor or the people in roles that are front of house. You may need to find performers that are not in the waiting area.