Branch & Grant Resources
INFORMATION & FORMS FOR TOC & BRANCH VOLUNTEERS FOR ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
FORMS FOR ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
Please review the Information for Activities & Events* (see below) and familiarize yourself with the purpose and content of these forms before using these forms for the first time.
Safety Guideline Forms for Volunteers
Volunteer Safety Guidelines: Volunteer Safety Guidelines for Events & Activities [ Updated 9.03.24 ]
Volunteer COVID Safety Guidelines: Volunteer COVID Safety Guidelines for Events & Activities
Participant Waiver of Liability & Permission to Use Images
Events and Activities Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images - PDF Version [ Updated 9.03.24 ]
Events and Activities Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images Customizable - Word Version [ Updated 9.03.24 ]
[NOTE: In Word Version, only changes should be to name and date of event. Please do not make any revisions to the rest of the form. Always print the form on a single page, front and back.]
FORMS FOR ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
Please review the Information for Activities & Events* (see below) and familiarize yourself with the purpose and content of these forms before using these forms for the first time.
Safety Guideline Forms for Volunteers
Volunteer Safety Guidelines: Volunteer Safety Guidelines for Events & Activities [ Updated 9.03.24 ]
Volunteer COVID Safety Guidelines: Volunteer COVID Safety Guidelines for Events & Activities
Participant Waiver of Liability & Permission to Use Images
Events and Activities Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images - PDF Version [ Updated 9.03.24 ]
Events and Activities Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images Customizable - Word Version [ Updated 9.03.24 ]
[NOTE: In Word Version, only changes should be to name and date of event. Please do not make any revisions to the rest of the form. Always print the form on a single page, front and back.]
*INFORMATION FOR ACTIVITIES & EVENTS
TOC developed these forms for use for activities and events, as well as some safety guidelines and special COVID-19 safety guidelines that are to be used at each event or activity by branches. Eventually we will not need the additional COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Please have each person who will be a volunteer participant in the activity or event sign and date the The Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images form and collect it before beginning an event or activity. If participants are under 18, these forms must be signed by a parent or legal guardian. It is recommended that branches send out this information before events to volunteer participants to familiarize them with our waiver and safety policies, and to ensure that they understand that there will be certain requirements for participation to ensure everyone’s safety.
WAIVER OF LIABILITY & PERMISSION TO USE IMAGES
Why do we have this waiver?
Our insurance agent has recommended that we utilize these forms each and every time we hold an event or activity and hold on to copies of these signed forms for a reasonable period of time after each event or activity in case of any issues that may arise.
Who does this waiver apply to?
When does this waiver apply?
Please ensure that each new volunteer participant read and sign the form as well as review the Safety Guidelines (with any additional information you may have for site-specific safety issues) before beginning any work.
When do we collect these forms?
How do I fill out this waiver form?
SAFETY GUIDELINES
Please review the Safety Guidelines, in front of participants before any event or activity begins, by a Safety Coordinator, who should also be in charge of making sure Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images forms have all been signed and collected before any activity begins.
COVID-19 SAFETY GUIDELINES
If your branch holds an activity or event for the foreseeable future, ALL participants must follow all Federal, State and Local laws and/or recommendations regarding COVID-19 guidelines from the CDC and local government.
Considerations:
The County websites are of varying usefulness, but the information offered on the State COVID site is sound, even if it does not have specifics: https://hawaiicovid19.com/safe-gatherings/.
The CDC website is also an excellent resource and should be reviewed by the COVID Safety Coordinator before any event or activity:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/considerations-for-events-gatherings.html.
Thank you for taking the time to read and understand the intent of these forms and their contents. The goal is to help orient people to have a mindset of safety before beginning any activity and help prevent issues from arising, and keeping everyone safe as we begin to restart events and activities.
TOC developed these forms for use for activities and events, as well as some safety guidelines and special COVID-19 safety guidelines that are to be used at each event or activity by branches. Eventually we will not need the additional COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Please have each person who will be a volunteer participant in the activity or event sign and date the The Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images form and collect it before beginning an event or activity. If participants are under 18, these forms must be signed by a parent or legal guardian. It is recommended that branches send out this information before events to volunteer participants to familiarize them with our waiver and safety policies, and to ensure that they understand that there will be certain requirements for participation to ensure everyone’s safety.
WAIVER OF LIABILITY & PERMISSION TO USE IMAGES
Why do we have this waiver?
- We have a Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images form for all volunteer participants at all events and activities of your branches. The purpose of the form is to both protect TOC, its branches, its leaders and its volunteer participants, as well as to heighten safety awareness at events and activities.
- If you are taking video and/or photos of the participants to use on your Facebook page, Branch website, Newsletter, or Instagram page, etc., this form also gives permission to utilize any images taken during the event or activity by volunteer participants.
Our insurance agent has recommended that we utilize these forms each and every time we hold an event or activity and hold on to copies of these signed forms for a reasonable period of time after each event or activity in case of any issues that may arise.
Who does this waiver apply to?
- The Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images is for volunteer participants for ongoing activities or for one-off activities. These forms are not intended for the general public that might come to the event, like a tree giveaway or street fair.
- Please have each person who will be a volunteer participant in the activity or event sign and date the The Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images form and collect before beginning an event or activity. If participants are under 18, these forms must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.
When does this waiver apply?
- Ongoing Activities: For branches who have people involved in continuing activities that take place over time, like the Learning to Grow program, or keeping a plot in a Branch Community Garden or Branch Park Maintenance on an ongoing basis, if the conditions of the work or hazards do not change, it is sufficient to have participants sign only once and keep the signed forms for as long as the activity continues.
Please ensure that each new volunteer participant read and sign the form as well as review the Safety Guidelines (with any additional information you may have for site-specific safety issues) before beginning any work.
- One-Off Activities: Please use the The Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images for volunteer participants assisting with one-off activities that are not regularly scheduled with the same people at the same location, for example a beach or park clean ups or tree plantings events.
When do we collect these forms?
- Please have each person who will be participating in the project sign and date The Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images form and collected before beginning an event or activity and prior to the Safety Briefing. If participants are under 18, these forms must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.
How do I fill out this waiver form?
- Please write (or type) in the name of the activity on the top line of the form (for example: "Tree planting activity on DNLR land on Feb 27, 2021 at Wailoa State Park”).
- You may use the attached PDF with a blank line for the event if you prefer to hand write in the event or activity (any extra forms can be reused later in this case).
- You may also use the attached WORD doc to change the name of the “Event or Activity” line at the top of the form.
- Please ensure that the The Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images is printed front and back on the same piece of paper so that they do not get separated.
- Please bring plenty of extra copies with blank lines for the event in case unexpected volunteer participants come. Extra copies can be reused at future activities or events.
SAFETY GUIDELINES
Please review the Safety Guidelines, in front of participants before any event or activity begins, by a Safety Coordinator, who should also be in charge of making sure Waiver of Liability and Permission to Use Images forms have all been signed and collected before any activity begins.
- The Safety Coordinator should stress that these Safety Guidelines are not meant to be comprehensively exhaustive, but rather a general guideline to put safety first. Please gather volunteer participants together for a couple minutes for an orientation to group leaders, the event or activity, locations, resources, and a reminder to keep everyone safe by going over Safety Guidelines and asking for any questions and checking for understanding.
- Please review and read these each time you have unique activities or events with volunteer participants.
COVID-19 SAFETY GUIDELINES
If your branch holds an activity or event for the foreseeable future, ALL participants must follow all Federal, State and Local laws and/or recommendations regarding COVID-19 guidelines from the CDC and local government.
Considerations:
- Laws and guidelines change by the week and sometimes by the day and by island.
- Please ensure that the number of people permitted to gather is permissible by law before your event and know that the situation may change rapidly.
- Please designate a “COVID Safety Coordinator” for each event who ensures compliance with the policies. She or he can also be the regular Safety Coordinator of the group if the group is appropriately small in the number of participants.
- It is recommended to distribute these guidelines in advance of an activity or event so that participants and attendees know what to expect. The Safety Guidelines and Covid Safety Guidelines are available combined as a PDF below, and can be printed double-sided on one piece of paper.
- The COVID Safety Coordinator should remind people during the Safety Guidelines briefing review that in addition to our regular Safety Guidelines, special COVID Safety Measures are in effect. This means that at ALL times before and during the event or activity, proper masks MUST be worn completely over the nose and mouth by ALL people at the event or activity.
- Please note, if you are holding a street fair or tree giveaway, this requirement includes the General Public who may attend the event, so please have signs posted and extra masks available as needed. If someone becomes irate or belligerent because of our Safety Policies regarding COVID-19, please do not get into a confrontation with them. Remain calm and if you feel at all threatened or in danger, please call 911.
- Until advised otherwise, ALL people associated with The Outdoor Circle or branch activities and events MUST wear a mask which completely covers the nose and mouth at all times during an activity or event. If you have volunteer participants who will not comply with this rule, please let them know that our policies do not allow them to participate in the event or activity unless they are willing to follow CDC, State and County designated guidelines and that they will be asked to leave if they will not comply.
- Please advise volunteer participants that very simple face coverings like a bandana or “neck gaiters” are not considered sufficient for protection of others and we will ask that they wear surgical masks (and have extra surgical masks available, as needed) if they do not have one.
- While not currently required, the CDC now recommends that under that cloth mask, a surgical mask be worn (again, have extra surgical masks available, as needed). If people do not want to wear two masks, let them know that it is recommended that the safest masks be worn in a public setting, which would be N-95 or surgical masks or similar, and that your branch will provide those masks (and have extra masks on hand for that purpose).
- At this point, while everyone knows the drill, please remind volunteer participants to refrain from physical contact, including hugging, kissing, hand-shaking, fist-bumping, etc., and staying at least 6 feet apart from others whenever possible (even outside). If people feel ill, they should not come to the event or activity, and they should return home immediately if they become ill during an event or activity.
- Please ensure plenty of hand sanitizer at all stations, have one-use pens for people to sign forms and then either let them keep the pen or put in a “to be sterilized bin.”
The County websites are of varying usefulness, but the information offered on the State COVID site is sound, even if it does not have specifics: https://hawaiicovid19.com/safe-gatherings/.
The CDC website is also an excellent resource and should be reviewed by the COVID Safety Coordinator before any event or activity:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/considerations-for-events-gatherings.html.
Thank you for taking the time to read and understand the intent of these forms and their contents. The goal is to help orient people to have a mindset of safety before beginning any activity and help prevent issues from arising, and keeping everyone safe as we begin to restart events and activities.