Sign Up to Volunteer with the Blue Stars!

Volunteers help our members fulfill their dreams

To put it simply, the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps would not exist without the dedication of volunteers. Since our founding in 1964, thousands of individuals have donated countless hours in a tireless effort to provide a unique and unforgettable experience for our marching members. As we continue the legacy they fostered, we seek to build and refine the volunteer experience, providing a positive and devoted team to support the Blue Stars performers both on and off the field.

2024 VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP

How Do I Sign Up?

We utilize an online service called Sign Up Genius to coordinate our volunteer schedule. Please check for open volunteer positions, compare it with your availability, and check the Blue Stars Performance Schedule for tour dates & locations. 

Visit https://bluestars.org/volunteer to find more information and links for Sign Up Genius!

Reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator by emailing volunteer@bluestars.org if you have any questions or concerns!

The Volunteer Experience 

As a Blue Stars’ volunteer, you can expect to have fun, enjoy the drum corps activity, and to work hard… very hard. There can be no misunderstanding, drum corps volunteering is demanding. Much like the members rehearsing and performing on the field every day, volunteers work long hours behind the scenes to ensure our members have a smooth, safe, and worry-free summer. 

In between your volunteering duties, you will have opportunities to watch rehearsals, attend drum corps shows, and to share in the ups and downs of the season. While in the bubble of tour, it can be very easy to lose perspective and forget that our job is to make sure the needs of the members and the organization are met. Tour can be a very stressful place. Lack of sleep, extreme temperatures, vehicle breakdowns, unexpected scores, and other challenges can make it easy for negativity to creep in and to poison the atmosphere. It’s imperative that all volunteers work diligently to maintain a positive environment – even in the face of adversity. Enjoy the experience!

Moreover, we live in very close proximity while on tour. We ask that you please use your very best judgement when making comments regarding the members, staff, other volunteers, the scores, or corps in general (ours or other teams). Also, we ask that you respect the design team’s creative decisions and recognize that they are working to produce an entertaining and competitively successful show and to create an enjoyable experience for the members as well. Genuine concerns about issues on the road should be brought to the attention of the corps’ leadership and administration.

We respect other drum corps as well and recognize that our goals are one in the same - providing a life changing experience for the performers - even if we are at times in competition.

Above all, we ask that you have fun, enjoy the volunteering experience, and remember that the Blue Stars strive to provide a positive and enriching experience for everyone involved. We serve to make the members have an amazing experience!

What do I need to bring?

Sleeping Gear

• pillow, bedding, sheets, sleeping bag (your choice)

• If you are driving, you may need an air mattress/cot.

• some volunteers will sleep on bunk houses, others 

• will have designated rooms at housing sites.

Toiletries & Showering Gear:

• soap, shampoo, shower gel

• fast drying towels 

• shower shoes or sandals

Health & Medicine:

• sunscreen is essential

• please fill prescriptions prior to your arrival on the road if possible.

• we keep a supply of over the counter medications

Sleeping Accommodations

We do our best to provide adequate sleeping arrangements for our volunteers during most overnight events - including Camps, Spring Training, and while on Tour.  Depending on the event, volunteers should plan to bring sleeping gear (bedding, blanket, pillow, etc.). Depending on the camp location sleeping accommodations may include a bed, but for some camps we may only be able to provide a room to set up your gear (cot, inflatable mattress, etc.).

If volunteering during the DCI Tour, volunteers may be able to secure a bunk on the volunteer entertainer coach, depending on availability. Or, there is generally always a volunteer room for sleeping at corps housing sites.

We will be do our very best to communicate your sleeping accommodations prior to your arrival as a volunteer. Please email volunteer@bluestars.org to confirm your sleeping arrangements. On rare occasions sleeping accommodations may change unexpectedly, so your preparedness and flexibility is much appreciated.

Joining the corps on the road

As you determine your volunteer availability, please plan ahead and communicate your travel arrangements to the corps administration listed below. If you need a shuttle from an airport, bus station, etc., we will try our best to pick you up at your location. Please coordinate your transportation plans with the Director of Operations or Tour Director so you arrive and depart at a mutually convenient time and location.

If you are traveling to meet the corps on tour, you may have to wait for the corps to arrive at your location. We will provide shuttle transportation within a reasonable distance from the corps’ location. We ask that you please be patient as unexpected delays can occur while the corps is traveling down the road.

When you arrive to volunteer while on the road, please go first to the food truck. The food truck is usually where most volunteers are located and is always bustling with activity. Once there, other volunteers or staff can direct you to corps administration who can help facilitate finding your sleeping amenities, confirm job responsibilities, etc.

Communication

Open, friendly, and honest communication is essential to have a positive volunteer experience and to provide the members with an enriching season. From communicating travel plans to asking any questions about volunteering for the corps, we strive to create an open and friendly environment.

It is important to inform the right leadership personnel - in a timely manner - if you observe a questionable situation. We want to minimize gossip and to maintain individual privacy and the overall morale of the organization. Also, we want to prevent a situation from being blown out of proportion. 

Volunteer Expectations

• Age Requirements: 18 years and older. Minors must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

• The corps will provide food, lodging, and travel accommodations while volunteers travel with the corps. 

• The Blue Stars are not responsible for other personal expenses 

(i.e. food on free days, travel, medical, traffic fines, etc.)

• Driving Corps Vehicles: 

• Anyone driving a corps vehicles must be at least 25 years old.

• Prior approval by our insurance provider is required.

• We require a photocopy of driver’s license.

• Inappropriate relationships or contact with members, staff, or other volunteers is prohibited.

• Inappropriate actions and behavior will be dealt with immediately at volunteer’s own expense.

• All volunteers spending more than 24 consecutive hours with the corps must complete a background check.

• It is strongly advised for volunteers to complete a medical form and keep it on file with the corps.

Where can I learn more?

Email volunteer@bluestars.org with any questions you have and also visit www.BLUESTARS.org to learn how you can help support the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps.

For information about volunteer needs and important dates, please visit: www.bluestars.org/volunteer

For more information or to help answer any questions about volunteering, please contact us:

Additional details about volunteering for the Blue Stars:

Online Medical Records

We utilize online Medical Records for members, volunteers, and staff. The company we use is fully HIPAA compliant. The service is used and recommended by other World Class drum corps. For volunteers, you can choose how much information you want to disclose about your health, but there are a few sections that are mandatory:

Emergency Contacts

We strongly encourage you to fill out the form as completely as possible, including your insurance information. Additionally, there is temporary insurance available for purchase if you are interested. The link to the medical form will be sent to you after you sign up for slots.

Criminal Background Checks

All adult staff and volunteers must go through a criminal background check and be cleared for before working with the members. The Blue Stars background check policy is attached, but in general, you need a background check if:

• You are staying overnight with the corps in a facility we are staying or traveling overnight on our vehicles

• You are volunteering for more than 2 consecutive days with the corps, even if you're not sleeping or traveling with the group

• It has been 2 years since your last background check with the Blue Stars

To complete a general volunteer criminal background check, please choose either a standard or driver application depending on your volunteer role. Send Brad Furlano an email if you have any questions about which background check to submit OR you don't know how long it's been since you last completed the check.

The Season

When you visit the sign up sheet on Sign Up Genius, you will see the dates and locations as they stand today. There are many days still listed as TBD. We are still finalizing some housing sites. Locations listed as TBD will generally be somewhere between the cities that are listed.

Transportation

Transportation to and from the corps is at your own expense. If you fly we will provide transportation from/to the airport to the corps, but please communicate with Lizzie Miller beforehand to confirm airport and pick up/drop off times.

Lodging

We are happy to provide lodging while you are volunteering with the corps. At Waldorf, that will be dorm rooms. On tour, depending on availability, it could either mean a bunk on one of our tour buses, or standard drum corps housing in a school or other facility. You are also welcome to get a hotel room at your own expense if that better suits your needs.

Questions?

Any additional questions about volunteering? Email volunteer@bluestars.org.