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Getting Involved
HATDS is an all-volunteer organization; there simply would be no dances of any kind without several people volunteering a little bit of their time. If you think that the dances "just happen", please take a moment to read Anatomy of a Dance.
No committment
If you'd like to help but can't make a committment, you can make a difference by helping before a dance. No sign-up is needed; simply be at the dance hall a few minutes before 7:00 and help put away the tables and chairs, set out the signs, fill the coolers, and so forth. It's all easy but so very important.
You can also bring a snack to share. HATDS provides water, lemonade, and ice; dancers provide the snacks. If you have eaten a snack at a dance but haven't brought one yourself, why not? No need to make anything fancy; just stop at your local store and pick up a package of cookies or a bunch of grapes. It's easy and greatly appreciated by everyone in attendance!
Some committment
There are other jobs that require more of a committment.
Each dance has a dance manager. This person is responsible for opening the hall and being sure that the lemonade is made, the tables and chairs moved, etc. A little bit of training and a committment to manage on a specific date is required. The dance manager gets in free and gets to dance most of the evening.
Each dance has a sound tech who is responsible for setting up, running, and putting away the sound equipment. As with the dance manager, a bit of training and a committment to a specific dance night are required. The sound tech also gets in free and gets to dance most of the evening.
Musicians can join Contra Dan's Band. Contra Dan's is the HATDS band that is open to all musicians. When you play a dance as part of Contra Dan's you might make a few dollars, but so few that it's practically considered volunteer work. You'll be playing primarily for the joy of playing for dancers. See the Contra Dan's page for a lot more information.
To get a little more involved, you can help on the Bayou Bedlam Committee. Open to all, the BB Committee plans our annual dance weekend event. The committee meets only about four times a year with occasional email discussions in between.
Help is also needed during the Bayou Bedlam event itself. You can sign up for a specific Bayou Bedlam job starting in January.
The Board of Directors consists of five people who commit to a year of overseeing the affairs of HATDS. Although being on the board is a serious committment, most of our boards take care of business in a relaxed, social atmosphere that makes the work enjoyable.
The jobs of newsletter editor, web site administrator, and booking agent are done by different people for a period of a year or more.
If you're willing to commit a bit more time to the prosperity of HATDS, contact the board of directors for details.
Many hands make light work!