Working bee and committee roster
Working bees with enough hands, and a committee that shares the load
The gutters need clearing, the clubhouse needs opening on game day, and the AGM needs a cuppa. FairTurns puts members on each job, counts the turns, and shows everyone on one link.
Free, with no limit on people or dates. No card.
Eight people turned up to the working bee. Five brought a leaf blower
The committee sets a working bee for the first Sunday of the month and posts “all welcome, bring gloves”. Eight people come. Five bring leaf blowers, nobody brings a ladder, and the gutters on the clubhouse go another month. Next time only four come, and they’re the same four as last time.
The committee itself has the same problem. Somebody has to be duty officer on Saturday: open the gates at 7:30, put the court sweepers out, answer the visitors and lock up. It falls to the president most weeks, because asking feels like nagging.
Naming the jobs and putting a person on each changes the feel of it. Members know what they’re there to do, the committee can see who has done a turn, and the asking is done once, by the roster.
How FairTurns runs committee duties and working bees
Jobs, not just a date
Add positions such as Gutters (2), Gardens (3), Court sweeping (2) and Morning tea (1). A working bee date then shows every job and how many hands it needs.
A working bee each month
Click the first Sunday and choose “Every first Sunday of the month”. The next twelve working bees are set in one go.
Duty officer on game day
A Duty officer team holds only the committee members. Fill gives each Saturday to whoever has had the fewest turns.
Ladders for the ladder jobs
Set up only the members who are happy on a ladder for Gutters. Everyone else can be put on gardens or morning tea.
Members with no email
Long-standing members who don’t use email are added by name and printed on the noticeboard roster like anyone else.
Away for a stretch
A member off on a caravan trip marks Away for a stretch, up to 92 days, and Fill leaves them off while they’re gone.
Set it up
- 01
Create the club
Create your organisation, with teams for Working bee and Duty officer.
- 02
Name the jobs
Add a position for each job with how many people it needs.
- 03
Add the members
Paste the member list, add older members by name, or share the join link.
- 04
Set the dates
Click the first working bee and choose “Every first Sunday of the month”, then add game-day duty.
- 05
Fill and share
Press Fill for the year and share the link or print it for the noticeboard.
When you want it to run itself
Pro sends members who have accepted an invitation the coming jobs on the day you choose and a reminder the day before. If the person on gutters can’t make it, the next member set up for gutters is put on and asked, and the Working bee team’s moderator gets an email.
A$1 a month per organisation, paid 1 to 5 years at a time. See Pro and pricing
Good to know
- Three hours is plenty for a working bee. Start at 8:00, finish with a barbecue at 11:00, and people come back next month.
- Put the job in the position name, such as “Gutters, bring a ladder”. A date holds a name and times, not a checklist.
- Members don’t pick their own jobs: Fill puts them on and they see it on the link. Anyone keen on a particular job can tell the organiser, who can put them there by hand.
- Marking away keeps a member off future fills; it doesn’t take them off a date they’re already on, so ask them to tell you too.
Questions
How do I organise a working bee roster?
List the jobs as positions with how many people each needs, add the working bee as a repeating date such as “Every first Sunday of the month”, add your members and press Fill. Everyone sees their job on the link before the day.
Can the committee have its own private roster?
Yes. Make a Committee team with just the committee on it. Members only see the teams they belong to, and administrators see them all.
What if a member is happy to help but only with certain jobs?
Set them up for the jobs they’re happy to do. Fill only puts them on those, and members with no limits set can be put on any job.
Can I print a roster for the clubhouse noticeboard?
Yes. Open the list view and print it from your browser. Members added by name only appear on it like everyone else.
How much does it cost for a club?
The roster is free for every member, job and date. Pro, with the emailed jobs and automatic cover, is A$1 a month for the whole club, paid 1 to 5 years at a time.
Free templates and guides
Volunteer roster template
A volunteer schedule with shifts, roles, a contact column and a spot to tick in on the day.
How to make a volunteer roster
Roles, headcounts, away days and a roster people can check: a volunteer roster that lasts the season.
Monthly roster template
A whole month on one sheet: every date, the job and who’s on, for groups that meet weekly or less.
Similar rosters
Club bar and BBQ
Bar shifts for RSA holders and BBQ turns for everyone else, on Friday nights and game days.
Men’s shed roster
Workshop supervisors, urn and lock-up for a men’s shed, with only inducted members on the machines.
Community garden roster
Summer watering, compost turning and working bees for a community garden, shared between members.