Do you realize how lucky you are to be able to do that? DD swam for 11 years.... 10 years on one team, last year on another. For the first 10 years there was nothing done/said to be sure that ALL parents volunteered (other than emails reminding everyone that we needed "all hands on deck" of course). As usual, some parents volunteered all the time and other snuck out of it and used every excuse in the book to avoid it. And we were a hosting team and hosted a LOT of big meets, including the YMCA state meet every year. It was really annoying! Over the years I was "team Mom", I did ribbons and awards, concessions, and for the last several years I ran Meet Manager.
Our last year she was on a team that required a $100 deposit from each family at the start of the season. If you volunteered for at least three events (this team wasn't a hosting team) during the season and recorded it, you got your $100 back at the end of the season. Volunteering included timing at meets (of course), serving food at some of the team get-togethers, stuff like that. Super easy... and STILL we had folks who found excuses!
So anyhow.... over the course of 11 years of swimming the only thing that I got from my HOURS and HOURS of volunteering was some GREAT friendships and my $100 back! So consider yourself LUCKY to have an opportunity to get reimbursed some of the fees!
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Saving money this afternoon consisted of procrastinating! I needed to make a bank deposit but didn't really want to go out. I waited until DH was heading out and asked him to stop by the bank!
Saved gas (since he was going right by the bank) and my time! ...................P
