[MR] More cleanup help at events

[Sharon Gordon]

It sounds as though a large majority of event attendees help with events in some way, but that more help is needed with many aspects of cleanup.

One thing to consider is that there are four main types of cleanup:
1) Cleanup needed to get a site ready for use.
2) Ongoing cleanup for areas in continuous use such as bathrooms or showers
3) Cleanup that can be done in stages such as cleaning the fighting/viewing area once the fighting is finished, or washing a set of pots once certain food preparations are finished.
4) Cleanup that gets done when the event is over.

Some ways to keep cleanup running smoothly.
1) Consider for each hour of the event, what needs to be cleaned up and what could be cleaned up to minimize post event needs.  For example check bathrooms near activities every hour or so.  Clean up each area once it won't be used any more for the event.

2) Try to spread the cleanup out in small amounts over 50-100 people.

3) Ask 1-3 people to be responsible for a specific amount of cleanup.  Schedule it so it doesn't conflict with other things the people need to do.  For example
~Bathrooms 9am Saturday Cindy
~Wash pots in Feast kitchen from 1-2 pm: Mary, John, Jane
~Clean fighting/viewing area after fighting: First 8 people to lose crown tourney (this gives them time to change, get some water, watch the rest of the fighting while they recover)
~Dismantle court set up: James, Ian, Steve, Rob, Kathy, Barbara
~Take accumulated feast prep trash to Dumpster 5pm Saturday: Bob
~Sweep/vacuum feast hall after feast: Sally, Tom, Harry
~Sweep/vacuum feast hall after dancing: Ann, Marti, Beth
~Set tables up in feast hall for breakfast after dance clean up:  Joy, Carol, Chris, Charles (can be done in sections as sweepers finish section)
~Take Dancing lost and found to Troll: Mark
~Clean cabin #38 Sunday 10:00 am: Janie, David

4) Make cleanup fun.  Pair people that you think would have fun meeting each other.

5) Make cleanup competitive: Every team who has their cabin(s) clean by 11 am Sunday gets a bag of home made chocolate chip cookies or other suitable indulgence. (Though it's not period, I know a lot of SCAdians who joke that they have an invisible sign that reads "Will work for chocolate.")

6) Give tangible rewards as well as verbal thanks to people who help in any way.  For every project donated to the event or every hour spent working at the event, worker gets a lottery ticket for drawing at end of the event.  Consider having six significant thank you gifts.  Gifts 1-3 drawn for at end of event (for example end of Sunday breakfast).  Gifts 4-6 drawn at end of cleanup and only go to people still present.  Gifts could go to six different people to spread the appreciation.

Sharon
gordonse at one.net