Chaperone Information

Thank you for volunteering to chaperone an event with the Pioneer Rowing Club. Without your support and help, your rower could not travel to competitions and participate in these more challenging events.
Please complete a background check for the Pioneer Athletic Department if you have not done so this season.

These guidelines represent the actions which chaperones should undertake, nonetheless, PRC is not responsible for monitoring chaperone adherence to such protocol nor for the behavior of the team while at regattas.

Planning Activities Prior to the Event

1. Be sure that the travel coordinator has your cell phone number in case of emergency.
2. The travel coordinator will provide information about travel arrangements, room assignments, and overall schedule of events. Please adhere to this schedule. Verify the time that the team needs to be to the regatta with the coaches prior to the date of departure.
3. The travel coordinator identifies a lead chaperone for each overnight event, ideally a parent who has chaperoned before.
4. The lead chaperone should obtain health forms for all rowers on the bus from the coach. Forms are to be returned to the coach at the end of the trip.
5. The lead chaperone should obtain cash from the treasurer to be used for bus driver tips.

Chaperone Duties

All chaperones are expected to ride the bus with the team to and from the hotel and regatta site. If there are extenuating circumstances which prevent this, the travel coordinator must be notified prior to the departure date.

• Arrive at the departure point at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time.
• Take attendance as the rowers enter the bus.
• Be responsible for your assigned group of students at all times, both on and off of the bus, during rest breaks and stops for meals.
• Every time the bus stops to allow the rowers to get off (i.e. food stops), provide a specific time at which students must return to the bus.
• Rowers are expected to clean up the bus upon arrival at the regatta site and upon returning to Pioneer High School.
• Rowers are requested to respect teammates who may wish to sleep or study. Excessive noise, as determined by the chaperones, will not be tolerated.
• Rowers are expected to comply with chaperones’ requests and instructions. Arguing and/or ignoring a chaperone will not be tolerated.
• Chaperones are asked to obtain the names of non-compliant rowers on the bus and notify the coaches upon arrival. If a rower situation persists on the bus, the chaperone should call the coach on his/her cell phone for further information.
• Report any unsafe bus driver behavior immediately to the Travel coordinator, Board President, or other PRC board member that is present.

Upon arrival at the hotel

• Rowers remain on the bus with a chaperone who informs/reminds them of:
  1. room check and lights out time
  2. rules for behavior
  3. wake up and departure time
  4. where to leave keys upon check-out
• Lead Chaperone obtains the room keys from the hotel management, and returns to the bus where room assignments are called out, keys are distributed, and each rower group proceeds into the hotel in an orderly fashion to avoid a rush, and disruption for the hotel.

During your stay at the hotel

• Chaperones are expected to remain at the team hotel or regatta site, during the periods of time when the rowers are also required to be on site at the team hotel and regatta site, unless they get permission from the Lead Chaperone.
• Chaperones are required to do a “bed check” after the “lights out” time designated by the coaches. Rowers are expected to remain in their rooms after “lights out” time, and will be subject to disciplinary action, including being asked to return home with their parents if they do not. Rowers are expected to be quiet and respectful of their fellow rowers and other patrons at all times.
• Curfew time and “lights out” are determined by the coaches and enforced by parent chaperones.
• Male and female rowers are not permitted to socialize in each other’s rooms at any time.
• Rowers are not permitted to switch rooms once room assignments have been provided to the chaperones.
• No rower is permitted to leave the designated area without prior permission, and only when accompanied by another rower.
• Chaperones are required to participate in morning check out activities.

Specific Lead Chaperone Duties

In addition to the above duties, a Lead Chaperone has responsibility to:

• Check to be sure the bus drivers have directions to the hotel.
• Prepare and hand out to kids while boarding the buses, your cell phone number, the coaches cell phone number, or one of the other chaperones number in case of an emergency. For multiple buses, have the other chaperones assist with distribution.
• Coordinate with the other chaperones to make sure all chaperone duties are covered.
• Upon arrival at the hotel, get the keys from the front desk and return to the buses where room assignments are called out, keys are distributed, and each rower group proceeds into the hotel in an orderly fashion.
• Tip each bus driver upon successful return to Pioneer High School. Tip money is provided by the Treasurer.