Volunteer Drive for Lakes of Fire 2022
LAKES LETTER || Return of the Culture Quiz! | Volunteer Drive for Lakes of Fire 2022
Return of the Culture Quiz!
In years past, some of you may remember Raptor’s Culture Quiz. If you’re new to Lakes of Fire, this quiz is for you!
As a regional Burning Man event, we strive to observe the 10 Principles. And by “We” I mean GLEA’s Board of Directors, your Department leads, and quite a lot of the people you meet around the Lake. Is this “culture” all just woo-woo hippie stuff? Or is it a transformative way to live generously and joyfully, in the moment, with a snarky community who rejects commodification and prizes free expression? It’s definitely woo-woo hippie stuff *and* the other thing. Test your readiness for the Lake and TAKE THE QUIZ today!
Volunteer Drive for Lakes of Fire 2022
To our fellow members of the Lakes of Fire Community:
The folks at Great Lakes Experimental Arts are coming to you once more with a humble request: help us realize the vision of One Burner, One Shift. What is that? Simple – during the Burn, if each participant takes one volunteer shift, we’ll have all the labor and communal effort we need to make the Burn an excellent experience.
Whatever your taste in volunteering, we have a shift for you. Save time during your burn and help out before and after the event – check out the DPW and Effigy build teams! We have roles for burners who love to be social or prefer to be aloof – see Rangers and Perimeter Ninjas. We always want more medical experts in the Emergency Services Department. And if you have low mobility and/or want to help burners with low mobility get around the burn, see the Mobility Initiative and Team Info_Bot, your friendly help desk jockeys at the Nexus.
8 Ways to Get Involved
Click on a department to learn more about volunteering with them in 2022.
Conduct Crew
This year, the Code of Conduct Committee is seeking volunteers to be part of the new Conduct Crew.
What is the Code of Conduct Committee (CoCC)?
The CoCC is a group of year-round volunteers who investigate incidents that happened during the Burn, after the Burn is over. (During the Burn, Rangers are available to help resolve issues as they emerge.) CoCC investigations begin with a report and are carried out in the utmost respect of confidentiality for all parties involved. As part of that respect for confidentiality, CoCC members are anonymous. By following through on investigations, the CoCC’s goal is to help reporters find resolution – and, in some cases, to take disciplinary action against offenders in order to protect the community. In short, the CoCC does difficult, emotional work in the aftermath of an incident at the Burn.
What makes the Conduct Crew different from the Code of Conduct Committee (CoCC)?
The Crew does not handle investigations. These are volunteers whose time will be spent working in advocacy and education regarding safety, consent, and interpretation of our agreed-upon Code of Conduct. They help enrich our culture of consent by being proactive in talking about our CoC and responsive to community questions about it.
Opportunities to advocate, hold space, educate, and even perform skits will be available at Lakes of Fire 2022 and throughout the year. If interested, please write to board@lakesoffire.org with your interest and how you would like to serve. Thank you!
DPW
What the F@*K is DPW?
We are the Department of Public Works.
We are the stewards of the event grounds. We pride ourselves on WORKING HARD, PLAYING HARD, and GETTING THE JOB DONE – no matter what. DPW is responsible for transporting, setting up, and tearing down event infrastructure; managing offsite-storage, potable water, and the portos; building and maintaining all our signage, lighting, and barriers; and boots-on-the-ground support for all the event departments, the effigy crew, theme camps, and individual participants as appropriate. We keep the event running smoothly by keeping an eye on the nuts and bolts.
WE ARE NOW ALLOWING NEW RECRUITS TO SIGN UP FOR PRE/POST EVENT SHIFTS!
Want to get involved? Fill out our Crew RSVP form. That includes completing of all 4 steps as described (ie: signup.com, golf cart and radio waiver forms) in their entirety. If you have not completed all four steps you are not fully signed up to volunteer with us!
Which leads us to the “DPW WORK WEEKEND”. Work weekend will be held at Lucky Lake the weekend of 5/13-15. Our mission is to prep the site where event infrastructure storage containers will be placed.
Your volunteer hours participating in the DPW WORK WEEKEND will be recorded and allocated towards access to a 2023 LOF Volunteer Ticket!
Our DPW Work Weekend will also happen at the same time as the LOF SAFETY RETREAT. If the project goes well, interested soldiers will have the opportunity to join in on the activities!
Do the thing. Get on our roster and we’ll see ya at the lake, Soldier.
FYD! 💛
Dearie
Effigy
Come be a part of the the 2022 Life Star Effigy cycle! From build to burn, we are still in need of volunteers. Off-site build shifts are still open nearly every weekend from now through Memorial Day! And we are still very much in need of some overnight LNT help Saturday evening into Sunday during event.
Build shifts are 10a-6p every Saturday and Sunday in Warren, MI. Can’t make an entire shift? Let us know you want to volunteer for a partial shift by emailing effigyvolunteers@lakesoffire.org and we will absolutely make that happen for you.
To find out more and to get signed up, Pre-Event build shifts and remaining On-Site volunteer shifts can be accessed by filling out the following form below. Thanks!
ESD
Hey my lovely burner beauties! Your ESD Lead here.
Do you have Medical or Fire training? Mental Health or Crisis Intervention experience? Do you have hands and ears and know how to use a pencil? Because ESD needs YOU to volunteer! Get your hours in helping wayward hippies apply bandaids, being a listening ear for those not having their best burn, or taking notes for the medical volunteers while working with an amazing team of intelligent, wildly attractive, and incredibly fun-loving kats.
Perks include: Daily meals, a very clean porto, and DCBBQ bringing you meats.
Email ESD@lakesoffire.org and tell me about yourself.
Can’t wait to see all your smiling faces in a few SHORT weeks!
Info_Bot
At Team Info_Bot, you’re in the communications biz, baby. Your job is mostly to be helpful, friendly, and in the same place for a few hours. You will be responsible for helping other volunteers find their shift lead (when such groups are meeting around the Nexus), as well as helping volunteers when they need to drop or change their shift. It helps to be detail-oriented, working with information on paper. ‘Bots also help run the Lost and Found, such as it is at Lakes of Fire. (I hear there are special stickers for the Lost and Found volunteers this year, but THAT is a secret.)
This is a great volunteer role for someone who enjoys being conversational, who may need to be seated for long stretches of time, can track down open and filled shift information in our binders, and who does not mind seeing a lot of strangers on the other side of the desk. Training is available and we’re real easy to get in touch with! Contact us at info@lakesoffire.org if you’re interested, and also, please fill in the SignUp.com link below to guarantee your shift.
Mobility
This year, Lakes of Fire is pushing for greater access to Lucky Lake for burners with physical limitations and low mobility. In addition to supporting these burners with our shuttle program, we are seeking them out to help us operate the program. We have shuttle driver and shift leader hours available for anyone with physical limitations.
Shuttle drivers must be sober for their shift and will be doing check ins on burners who have requested it along with regular shuttle rounds.
Shift leaders will be checking drivers in and out and dispatching Hand Jobs to help where needed. We look forward to hearing from you!
Sign Up with the Mobility Initiative
Perimeter Ninjas
We are looking for a few good Ninjas!
As Lakes of Fire grows more, we get more fire, more sound, and more participants. Unfortunately, this also means that we have an increase in folks that want to crash the party. We have to make a concerted effort to keep out anyone that might sneak in and become injured (or injure others.) To that effect, we have a number of roles available that might suit your unique Burner style:
ROVING NINJAS walk around the event and are REQUIRED to visit Theme Camps, parties, and bars. They are encouraged to “patrol” the dance floors and keep their eyes open for wrist bands. If you would like to volunteer, make a difference, and still experience your Burn, this may be the job for you!
(Partial sobriety required, but Ninjas should mingle with the bartenders, as they are often our first line of defense!)
Is the burn a bit too much for you sometimes?
STATIONARY NINJAS take a peaceful break from the noise and the lights. Stationary Ninjas are limited-mobility friendly, and you are welcome to bring your Little Ones. Star gazing, a quiet break, and even bird spotting are all bonuses for Stationary Ninjas. You are provided a shelter and chairs. We even have a couple of tall towers set up, for those who want to patrol from on high.
Are you good at keeping your cool and managing other people?
SHIFT LEADS are the communication brains of the operation, Shift Leads run our spy operation by radio. They coordinate movement and pass information between our roving and stationary Ninjas, Co-Leads, and Rangers. Moving resources where they are needed, they keep the whole operation running smoothly. Shift Leads with previous experience as Ninjas or in Logistics are preferred. Snacking is highly encouraged. (Snacks provided.)
Volunteers on Burn Night receive bonus hours!
Rangers
Rangers are the stewards of an event. They are intended to be a helping hand, a voice of reason and a source of information. They are the go-to resource for everyone from the participants to the Board of Directors. “I need a Ranger to …” is often heard.
Rangers are called on for conflict resolution, safety perimeters, and emergencies. Most often they are burners with radios, present all around the event building a sense of community, and helping burners to help themselves and each other.
A Ranger is not a security or police force for the event. Rangers “surf the edge of chaos,” appearing when needed and disappearing when all is well. Their art and gift to the event is providing appropriate, creative help – with style.
Why Ranger?
- You aid participants at the event anything from helping to problem solve to mediating disputes
- It is a great opportunity to also engage with people you might not normally get to talk to at an event
- You act as an ambassador for burner culture and the event
- You get a cool hat
- Rangers are not the police but we do help in emergencies
- Rangers do not ranger alone. You always have a partner to work with and a khaki shift lead
Ranger volunteer minimum requirements
- Must be at least 18
- Must attended training. See dates below for in-person and virtual training dates
- Rangers need to be well rested and clear headed for doing their shift
- You will need appropriate clothing for shift. Details in the ranger manual and you can always ask if you have questions
The following dates are planned for trainings:
- Detroit: (EST): May 7 12p-3p; June 4 12p-3p
- Chicago (CST): May 11th 7-10PM; June 2nd 7-10 PM
- Virtual: May 18th time 7PM CST
We will be scheduling additional virtual sessions and if we get enough demand for in person training we will setup additional dates.
If interested in attending or if you have questions, please contact Rangers@lakesoffire.org.
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