Elderflower Womenspirit

August 7-11 2024

2024 Registration is CLOSED
2024 Registration is CLOSED
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Volunteer Staff 2024

Elderflower Womenspirit Festival has always been possible only by hours of work by our dedicated volunteers. Please consider donating your time and effort. Many talented women working together to create a magical and fulfilling event. 

If you are interested in becoming more involved at the festival, please check the list of council and coordinator positions and descriptions on this page. There are usually experienced volunteers who can mentor you in your chosen position. For more details, please use the contact form to reach us.

2024 Elderflower Volunteers in a circle of rainbow hands

Core Council and Staff Positions 2024

Updates are frequent so check back soon!

Core Organizing Council Positions

Ideally, each member of the council oversees the activities and goals of a group of volunteers working together to accomplish the tasks needed to produce the festival.

Council members who volunteer are generally expected to hold the position for a minimum of three years. Of course we understand that life can intervene. The goal of the Core Council is to ensure the smooth production of the annual festival and assist in encouraging the growth of the community of festival attendees. Most meetings are held on Zoom, and occasionally in-person.  Council members work many hours during the year and are exempted from the Community Service requirement at the festival.  The main duties  of these positions take place throughout the year.

Acts as Program and Ritual Coordinator. Oversees and assists all Elderflower sponsored rituals Opening, Closing and Main Ritual, etc.  Oversees Workshop Coordination; Printed Program creation.

Coordinates the following volunteers:

  • Workshop Coordinator
  • Program Publisher
  • Ritual Coordinator
  • Main Ritual Priestess
  • Opening/Closing Rituals Priestess
  • Amazon Priestess
  • Girls/Maidens Coordinator
  • Mother Coordinator
  • Crone Coordinator
  • Ancestor Altar
  • MC for Performing Arts Show
  • Merchant & Bodyworker Coordinator

Maintains bank accounts, completes reimbursements and sends contract payments. (Mendocino Woodlands contract, Insurance, Caterer). Coordinates the adoption of the annual budget. Files taxes with IRS. Fields email registration and workshop forms and distributes as needed. Maintains a running record of checks received and makes deposits. Does not currently coordinate any volunteers.

Maintain database, collect registration forms, document and forward money to Bookkeeper; make the cabin assignments; compile registration cards; provides information for the pre-festival  packets and printed programs; and collects workshop registration forms (online in through email and postal mail) and forwards them to the Program Manager or Workshop Coordinator in a timely manner.

Currently coordinates the following Volunteers:

  • Registration and Membership Coordinator
  • On Site Registration Coordinator
  • Newcomer Contact and Coordinator

Coordinates with Treasurer/Bookkeeper. Makes contacts with catering, Mendocino Woodlands, cleaning service. Liaison between the Council and the Webmistress. Coordinates with Publicity to ensure events and ads are completed as necessary and in a timely matter. Manages and sends regular informational community emails.

Currently coordinates the following volunteers:

  • Set up and Shut down Coordinator
  • Catering/Kitchen Coordinator
  • Silent Auctioneer
  • Merchant/Bodywork Coordinator
  • Treasure Table coordinator
  • Parking and Security
  • Community Volunteer Service Coordinator
  • Medical Services Coordinator & volunteers
  • Covid testing site coordinator

Creates publicity on a budget: Oversees social media presence;  coordinates ad  content; ad exchanges, submits ads with artwork to local Pagan organizations, publications and websites. Oversees volunteer flyer and card distribution. Oversees Festival presence at local  festivals and provides informational outreach.  Works with Registration and Program to create the pre-registration packet, publishes information to share with attendees, including coordination of  newsletter and website volunteers

  • Registration and Membership Coordinator
  • On Site Registration Coordinator

Currently we are looking for someone to coordinate/attend like-minded single-day events. Set up an Elderflower table with flyers and cards and coordinate helpers who who would provide information about Elderflower to attendees of other events.  If a woman is interested in filling this position, but does not want a seat on the Council, then the position would be overseen by the Publicity and Communications Council member.

In the past this position also included responsibility for producing small to medium one-day events for the Elderflower community in a local area. Ideally she could produce events on a budget that would attract new Festival attendees. For example: seasonal Spring or Fall events; Elderflower-sponsored seasonal Rituals. This volunteer would work with the Publicity Coordinator to build her job description. Currently not filled.

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Note for volunteers whose duties are On site.

All onsite coordinators receive a waiver for the Community Service (CSV) requirement at the festival. They perform their service to the community during the course of their fulfillment of the coordinator position.

If you are interested in filling one of these coordinator positions please inform any of the Council Members listed above. You may email us using our Contact Us page for more information.

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2024 Womenspirit Volunteers - Full list

If a position is not filled, a Council member will have to fill that job.

Alphabetical

Develops a training and ritual for the Amazons at the festival.  This usually centers on women’s empowerment and the support of women and girls in the world. Volunteers should have attended EWF at least twice. Programs Committee – Onsite position with planning before festival required.

Provides an outdoor space for attendees to honor all our beloved ancestors. Brings some Ancestor Altar objects to the festival. Sets up and consecrates the Ancestor Altar along the path between the dining hall and the bridge. Hangs a gong or places a bell in an easily accessible location on or near the altar. Looks after the altar to keep it neat during the festival. Dismantles the altar and takes the items home for storage during the year. Programs Committee Onsite position.

Recruits new and acts as a main contact for  bodyworkers who plan to attend the festival. Coordinates the setup of space for Bodyworker Sees that body worker needs are met and coordinates with Logistics Director as needed. In 2024 this is a Programs Committee Position – Duties are both before and during the festival.

Responsible for scheduling and conducting the 12-step meetings. Sets up and monitors the Clean and Sober cabin area. Responsible for reporting to Council if alcohol or drugs are observed in unauthorized areas, providing or arranging individual support to Festival attendees, as needed. Programs Committee – Most duties are on site.

Make sure that all the volunteer positions have been filled and that all attendees have  Community Service Volunteer (CSV) jobs. Monitors volunteers through-out the festival to be sure that people are doing their jobs. Logistics Committee – All tasks are on site during the festival.

Arrives at the Festival site early to set up the testing site. Reviews the protocols and sure that everything is ready to run the tests and keep everyone safe before testing. Ensures that only negative testing women are allowed to attend the festival. Logistics Committee – Primary duty is during the festival.

This position is defined by the Crones and chosen by the Crones during the previous year’s festival, If you are a crone and you want to volunteer, or help, contact the currently chosen coordinator. Programs Committee – Onsite position.

Logs into the webmail regularly to check for messages. Monitors the info@, and possibly other email addresses throughout the year.  In the Fall and Winter, email should be checked weekly. During the Spring and Summer until September, it needs to be checked daily. Responses need to be timely. Some messages may need to be forwarded to the appropriate Core Council member.

Publicity Committee: Primary duty is year round for less than an hour each week in Fall and Winter and about one hour per week in late Spring and Summer.

Monitors the Public Facebook Page and the Private Facebook Group. Posts content and keeps the sites active and interesting. Publicity Committee – Primary duty is year round for about an hour each week.

Develops a program for the Girls and Maidens who attend the festival. Depending on the attendance this may focus on either young girls or teenagers. There can be a ritual, but there should also be fun activities. Follows EWF ritual protocols. Volunteers should have attended EWF at least twice. This is best performed by a ‘youngish’ woman. Programs Committee – Onsite with planning before festival usually required.

Responsible for assisting in the setup, maintenance and the dismantling and packing up of the Isis Pavilion.

The Isis Pavilion remains up for the duration of the festival. Duties include helping to set up the pavilion-style tent and laying down ground cloths & pillows, as well as hanging up scarves to decorate the walls. Periodically check the tent to make sure all is in still in order and assist in the packing up to the tent either on Saturday evening or Sunday morning after the closing ritual. Logistics Committee – Primary duties are during the festival.

Assists Registration and Membership with technical support for the maintenance of the Membership and Registration database. Develops the website as needed to make fundamental modernizations and improvements. Teach, oversee and respond to the questions and needs of the WebMistress, Social Media Coordinator and Newsletter publisher as needed. Maintains the shared Google Drive. Membership and Registration Committee – Primary duty is before and after the festival.

Works with the Council to develop a theme for the ritual. Is mentored by the Program Director. Follows the EWF ritual protocols to develop the central ritual of the festival that will be held Friday night. This person should have attended the festival at least twice and be familiar with managing a large public ritual and all that entails. The job is best done along with other women to take on supporting roles and assist the main priestess. Programs Committee – Onsite with much planning before festival required.

Puts out the sign up sheet for the Talent Show. Coordinates the order of the ‘acts’. Determines how long each performance can be.  Provides entertainment between acts, and keeps things moving along so the show doesn’t last too long. Recruits helpers to set up seating, curtain and banner in the Dining Hall for the performance. The Talent show is held on Saturday night. Primary duty is at the festival. Programs Committee – Onsite position.

— and Medical Service Volunteers. Should be some kind of medical professional such as doctor, nurse, EMT, etc. Coordinator is responsible for stocking the first aid kit. Helps women as needed during the festival. Logistics Committee – Primary duty is during the festival.

Creates a ritual for Crowning women who identify as Mother – women during their creative life phase. There is wide leeway in what and how this is performed and what is done for the ritual. Follows the EWF ritual protocol and should have attended EWF at least twice. Programs Committee –  Onsite with planning before festival required.

Responsible for conducting (one or two) newcomer workshops at the festival. Receives the name and emails of the new attendees and may provide some information in advance to help new attendees prepare for the festival. Provides new festival attendees basic Camp Two information and Elderflower Womenspirit Festival community information. Also is available to new festival attendees to answer questions as needed. This position should be filled by someone who has attended Elderflower at least twice. Registration and Membership Committee – On site position.

Maintains the Mailchimp audience list, adds and removes members as requested. Formats the mass emails from the Shared Newsletter Draft as given by the Publicity and other Core council members. Sends regular messages about once per month after the festival and no more than twice a month from January to August.  Publicity Committee – Primary duty is a year round commitment of a few hours per month (more time in the later part of spring and early summer).

Works closely with the Registration director. Comes to the festival early on opening day to help set up the onsite Registration Check-in tent and get all the paperwork together. Supports the Community Service Volunteer Coordinator and helps to ensure that everyone shows up for their Community Service shift. Registration and Membership Committee – Primary duties are on site at the festival.

Works with the Program Director as a guide to develop and ‘perform’ both the Opening and Closing Ritual of the festival. Follows the EWF ritual protocols. Opening ritual creates sacred space that is maintained throughout the festival. Closing Ritual returns the circle to ground and brings all attendees back into the mundane world with some grounding work. Volunteers should have attended EWF at least twice. Programs Committee – Onsite with planning before festival required.

Depending on the size of the festival, this is one or two people. Help women park correctly when they arrive at the festival. Monitor temporary parking during registration and unloading. Make sure everyone has a parking tag in their car with their cabin number and license. Security – Talk to community service volunteers about their nighttime responsibilities. Each night make sure that volunteers are showing up for their shifts. Volunteers should come to the dining hall twice an hour to escort women back to their cabins, make announcements so that women know that service is available. Logistics Committee –  All tasks are completed on site during the festival.

Coordinates with workshop coordinator and all the priestesses and the council to create the printed program (there is a template with lots of information already filled in. Then prints enough programs for all attendees and delivers to Registration coordinator before the festival. Programs Committee – Pre-festival (in late June and July). Work is completed before the festival.

(currently handled by a Core Council member) – Manages Website Membership and Festival Registration. Fields email questions from the Contact Us form and direct emails. Coordinates with Web Mistress to establish and maintain the website as needed. Coordinates with IT.  Manages Festival Membership database and current year registration database. Coordinates the creation of needed forms for the festival. Registration and Membership Committee – Duties are performed throughout the year with most work in the months prior to the festival.

Reaches out to the community to recruit priestesses to perform EWF sponsored rituals. Works with Program Coordinator to mentor priestesses and share EWF protocol. Programs committee – Most work completed before the festival.

Duties are numerous and these jobs usually fall to the Core Council position. Please contact us directly if you think you’d like to learn what tasks are involved.  Logistics committee – All work is on site at the festival. Some planning work prior to the festival.

Sets up and runs the silent auction Freya has developed very specific list of things to do and how she has been running the auction for the past few years. Most of this work is done at the festival and you will have a crew of community volunteers to help at critical times. Logistics committee – Primary duties are on site at the festival.

Coordinates with Social Media Volunteers to be sure posts and newsletters are seen by more women and girls. Works with Facebook Community Group Managers and Facebook Page Managers to maintain an active presence. Works with Instagram to develop and maintain an active following. More ideas? Publicity Committee – Primary duty is year round not at the festival.

Cultivates, monitors and maintains a presence on various Social Media platforms. With assistance and direction from the Social Media Coordinator, collaborates with Facebook Community Group Admin and Facebook Page Admin to ensure that Elderflower news announcement are seen on various platforms.

Responsible for organizing and maintaining the Name Tag and Treasure Tables throughout the festival. This includes set up and cleanup of both. The Name Tag table needs to be set up no later than Thursday morning and can be cleaned up on Friday. Monitors the Treasure Table and keep things neat and organized. Collects money daily (leaving some for change) and gives it to the Treasurer. Leftover items at the end of the Festival, ensures they are packed up and picked up by the original owner. (If not, these items can be taken to Goodwill in Fort Bragg.) Turn in the cash box to the Treasurer when the Treasure Table is dismantled. Logistics Committee – Primary duties are during and after the festival.

Gathers all workshop submissions, creates the schedule for the festival and communicates to all workshop leaders what their time slot is. Programs committee – Majority of work is before the festival. Some work at the festival.

Recruits new and acts as a main contact for merchants who plan to attend the festival. Coordinates the setup of space for each vendor. Sees that merchant are met and coordinates with Logistics Director as needed. Programs Committee – Duties are both before and during the festival.

Maintains the website. Work with Registration and Program Directors to keep information on site up to date and update the volunteer, program and workshop listings on the website as the festival approaches. Membership and Registration Committee – Primary duty is a small monthly commitment year round.
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