Volunteer Power

Volunteers keep WERU on the air and powered with enthusiasm, knowledge, and fun!  Click the following text boxes or scroll down to find out more...

(Volunteers shown working away on the June 2009 Thank You mailing to WERU members.)

Current Volunteer Opportunities:

WERU COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

from our friendly WERU Volunteer Cordinator Chris Stark ...

Tabling

Tablers can be found at fairs, music events, non-profit gatherings giving out information about WERU and selling WERU merchandise. -An especially fun activity in the summer months.

We need people to work at WERU booths at the following early summer events:

• Single Payer Health Care Forum: Fact vs. Fiction, Tuesday, June 23rd, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Alamo in Bucksport
• Blues Festival, Rockland – Only 2 shifts on Sunday, July 12th left!
• Maine Celtic Celebration, Belfast, Friday to Sunday, July 17th to the 19th
• Deer Isle Jazz Festival, Friday and Saturday, July 24th and 25th.
• The Farmers Market Music Tour – times/places forthcoming
• The Winterport Music Festival, Saturday, August 1st
• For more information, call  Chris (207) 469-6600 or info@weru.org

A Board Operator at WERU will be needed for the live broadcast of the Single Payer Health Care Forum from the Alamo in Bucksport on Tuesday, June 23rd from 6 to 8 p.m. Call Joel at 469-6600 for more information.

Capitol Campaign Events Sub-committee

Volunteers are needed to work with staff and other campaign committee members to plan and run a number of small to medium-sized social gatherings designed to educate and entice major donors to give to the Capital Campaign (for the transmitter, building and endowment).  If you can help or would like more information about getting involved with the campaign, contact co-chairs – Kathleen Rybarz or Chuck Markowitz by calling the station or sending an e-mail to info@weru.org

WERU 20th Anniversary History Project

Volunteers are needed to do any of the following tasks: identify and obtain contact information for past WERU volunteers; do short audio and/or video interviews; help collect listener comments on their relationships with WERU over the years; assemble a WERU timeline using past program guides and station files; write or edit narrative sections of the station’s history; find, sort and assemble photos; audio and or video editing. Contact: Jim Campbell, project coordinator at anniversary@weru.org or Chris.

WERU Archives Project

Volunteers are needed to help preserve thousands of programs in the WERU archives recorded over the past 20 years. Volunteers are needed to burn old programs on CD or DVD, listen to programs to identify the topics, hosts, guests, etc and enter the information into a web form. Most of this work is done at the station, however listening to programs can be done anywhere. Training is available. If you are someone that pays attention to details and is interested in volunteering on this special project, please contact Jim Campbell at anniversary@weru.org, or leave a message with Chris.

Sistering Committee

Part of WERU’s mission is to serve our diverse community with a wide variety of programs. WERU has a “sister” relationship with Radio Sumpul, a radio station in the province of Chalatenango in El Salvador that was started after a 12 year civil war that ended in 1992. Some of you may have heard reports from El Salvador over the last few years with WERU volunteer reporter Meredith DeFrancesco. WERU collaborates with Radio Sumpul to cover important issues, promote cultural awareness and support delegations of people from Maine and Chalatenango to strengthen sistering relationships.

The Sistering Committee wants to build community – to be a voice for Latinos living in Maine and to reach out to the listener areas to better inform and foster an interest in the diverse Latino cultures and issues throughout the Americas. The Sistering Committee is looking for more committee members.

Chris Stark
Office Manager/Vounteer Coordinator
WERU Community Radio 89.9 FM
(207) 469-6600
info@weru.org

IF YOU'RE STILL LOOKING FOR MORE

VOLUNTEER WORK THEN CHECK OUT

WERU's ONGOING DEVELOPMENT TASKS FOR VOLUNTEERS

Volunteer at WERU

As a grassroots community radio station, WERU invites and depends on people from the communities served by our broadcast signal to get involved as volunteers with virtually all aspects of station operations.

Over sixty volunteers serve as WERU’s on-air programmers, bringing the listeners music programs, commentary, information and public affairs programs.

Behind the scenes volunteers are also active at WERU, providing everything from office help to facilities maintenance. Volunteers are also an important part of the decision-making process at WERU, and many serve on a variety of working committees (covering the areas fundraising and development,      programming, special events, personnel, volunteer issues, finances and strategic planning).

Volunteer Orientation & Training

New Volunteer Orientation Classes & Training at WERU

A grassroots organization relies on enthusiastic people doing worthwhile work. That’s why WERU Community Radio offers free training for radio station volunteers. Without our skilled and dedicated volunteers, WERU would not even exist!

New Volunteer Orientation is the starting point for becoming a WERU DJ, news reporter, talk show host, committee member or behind-the-scenes volunteer. For new volunteers who hope to be on-the-air doing music, public affairs or other spoken-word programming, radio programming and production classes will take place on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings later in the fall. In fact, New Volunteer Orientation is the prerequisite for all the valuable hands-on radio training we provide at WERU.

If you’d like to learn about volunteer opportunities at WERU we invite you to attend the two upcoming New Volunteer Orientation & Training Classes.

SPRING 2009 TRAINING SCHEDULE: 

CLASS I "NEW VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION": April 25th from 10AM-12PM or April 29th from 6-8PM To register, call the station at 469-6600 or e-mail: info@weru.org.  
(MUST attend one of these sessions as prerequisite for further hands-on training).

CLASS II "BROADCAST & PRODUCTION TRAINING": May 4th from 6-8PM, or May 9th from 10AM-12PM, or May 12th from 6-8PM To register, either sign up at one of the CLASS I Orientations or call the station at 469-6600 or leave a message at info@weru.org.
(Must attend one of these sessions in order to do any on-air hosting/production).

A. CLASS I - New Volunteer Orientation Summary :

1. Context: History of Radio, Public Broadcasting, Community Radio & WERU
2. Philosophy: WERU Mission & Operating Principles
3. Governance: Organizational/Operational Structure & Decision-making Process
4. Development: WERU Budget, Fundraising & Outreach Overview
5. Programming: Schedule Overview, Programming Decision-making
    Process & WERU Broadcaster/Duty Operator Responsibilities
6. Volunteer Training: Programming/Production Classes (sign-up) &
    Steps to “Getting On-the-Air” for New Volunteers
7. Volunteer Opportunities Summary (On-air & Behind-the-Scenes)

B. CLASS II- Broadcast & Production Training Summary:

1. Audio Equipment Overview & Hands-on Practice (Production Studio &
    Field/Home Equipment/Software)
2. Policies & Procedures (Music & Public Affairs/Spoken-word)
3. Sound & Performance Guidelines (Music & Public Affairs/Spoken-word)
4. Summary of Training “Next Steps”

C. Individualized Hands-on Practice & Instruction

D. Program Demo & Written Proposal

E. Individualized “Ready for Broadcast” Preparation

F. “First Broadcast” for the New Volunteer (Solo or w/ Mentor)

Remember, this all takes place here at WERU Community Radio on Route 1 in East Orland.

WERU Committee Calendar

WERU Committees help plan and carry out WERU policies and activities.  To find out how you can get involved, contact the station during business hours at 207-469-6600 or email info@weru.org.

Board of Directors: 3rd Monday each month, 6PM - 7:30PM Click here for more info.

Community Advisory Board: Varies, call 469-6600 for day and time

Program Advisory Committee: 2nd Monday each month, 6:00PM - 7:30PM

Development & PR Committee: 2nd Wednesday each month, 6:00PM - 7:30PM

Fair Steering Committee: 2nd Tuesday of the month 5:30PM - 6:30PM.

Fair Planning Committee: 2nd Tuesday of the month 6:30PM - 8PM

Finance Committee: 2nd Monday each month, 7:00PM - 8:30PM

Sister Station Committee: 3rd Wednesday of the month, 6:00PM - 7:30PM

Technology Committee: 4th Wednesday, at 6:00PM - 7:30PM

New Volunteer Orientation & Basic Training: Spring & Fall, call 469-6600 for details. (Click here for info about the next session.)

WERU Board Committees' Missions:

Development Committee: Creates and implements strategies to meet fundraising goals for the station’s general operating budget. Also designs and implements fundraising campaigns for special projects as assigned by the Board of Directors. Subcommittees: Grants (evaluates grant funding proposals) and Events (plans and implements station concerts and other special community events). Creates and implements the annual public relations and marketing plan for the station, with special emphasis on promoting station events and general awareness of the station through broadcast,Internet, print and community outreach activities. Primary staff collaboration: Development Director, Underwriting & Publications Manager, and General Manager.

Fair Steering Committee: Manages the planning and operation of the Full Circle Fair, our largest annual fundraising event outside of membership pledge drives. Primary staff collaboration: Fair

Coordinator.

Finance Committee: Monitors station finances and business practices to insure the best use of membership support and other revenue for the fiscal health of WERU. The committee works with key staff to develop the annual operating budget, subject to Board approval. Primary staff collaboration: Finance Manager.

Nominating Committee: Recruits and nominates prospective Board Members, welcomes and orients new Board Members and tracks member term lengths and special expertise. Also recruits for other Board Committees and Community Advisory Board. Primary staff collaboration: General Manager.

Personnel Committee: Provides positive reinforcement and retention support for paid staff and volunteers. The committee monitors staff job descriptions and performance, salary levels, training and development, internal communications and relations, grievances and reprimands, personnel policy and affirmative action/equal opportunity guidelines. Primary staff collaboration: General Manager.

Program Advisory Committee: Advises the Program Director and other staff on programming matters, including but not limited to scheduling, programming and proposal evaluation. The PAC is a forum for volunteers and listeners with concerns about programming and programming decisions. Committee members are WERU volunteers elected by other WERU volunteers.

Sister Station Committee: Maintains WERU's relationship with our sister station in El Slavador, Radio Sumpul. Primary staff collaborations: Just about everybody!

Technology Committee: Advises station staff and Board of Directors on how best use of new and existing technologies with regards to station operations, broadcast and administrative. Primary staff collaborations: General Manager and Program & Operations Manager.

Ad Hoc Committees: Formed by the Board to address specific shortterm needs and projects.

Volunteer News

The WERU Staff/Volunteer Adventures

If you are, or know an adventurous WERU staff/volunteer, please send us some pictures for WERU today!

e-mail: adam@weru.org