This agreement is intended to indicate the importance of your service & safety at the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest. The intent of the agreement is to assure you of our deep appreciation for your service, to indicate our commitment to do the very best we can to make your volunteer experience here a productive and rewarding one, and provide a safe, positive environment for Club members and staff.
1. In order to protect Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest, volunteers and program participants, at no time during a Boys & Girls Club program may a volunteer be alone with a single child where he or she cannot be observed by others. As volunteers supervise children, they should space themselves in a way that other staff members and volunteers can see them. If a member is found being unsupervised, the member should be escorted to a supervised area.
2. We have a no tolerance policy against the abuse children. This includes: physical abuse (strike, spank, shake, slap); verbal abuse (humiliate, degrade, threaten); sexual abuse (inappropriate touch or verbal exchange); mental abuse (shaming, withholding kindness, cruelty); neglect (withholding food, water, basic care, etc.). Any type of abuse will not be tolerated and will be cause for immediate dismissal. Volunteers shall do their part to protect members by reporting any suspicious talk or mention of abuse to Boys & Girls Clubs Staff.
3. For safety reasons, members are not allowed to be carried or swung around by volunteers. Please do not let members sit on you laps or hold hands.
4. Volunteers must use techniques of guidance, including redirection, positive reinforcement and encouragement rather than competition, comparison and criticism. Volunteers will have age-appropriate expectations and will create guidelines and an environment that minimize the need for discipline.
5. Volunteers will respond to children with respect and consideration and will treat all children equally regardless of gender, race, religion, culture, ability, etc.
6. Volunteers will respect children’s right not to be touched in ways that make them feel uncomfortable and their right to say no. Volunteers should never carry members or allow members to sit on their laps. The best practice is no physical affection and/or contact. Short side hugs may be acceptable.
7. In the performance of their service, volunteers abide by the standards of conduct set forth by Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest.
8. Volunteers must appear clean, neat and appropriately attired. Out of respect for the Club head attire is not allowed unless it is a planned day for all involved. For safety reasons, wearing open-toed shoes should be avoided. A volunteer may be denied for inappropriate dress.
9. Using, possessing, or being under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs is prohibited.
10. Smoking or use of tobacco in the presence of children or parents in or around Club premises is prohibited.
11. Profanity, inappropriate jokes, sharing intimate details of one’s personal life and any kind of harassment in the presence of children or parents are prohibited. Use of cellular devices, and/or Laptops in the presence of children is also prohibited unless approved by a Club Director.
12. Volunteers must be free of physical and psychological conditions that might adversely affect children’s physical or mental health.
13. Volunteers will portray positive role models for youth by maintaining an attitude of respect, loyalty, patience, courtesy, tact and maturity.
14. Volunteers are not to transport children in Club vehicles or their own vehicles.
15. Volunteers may not date program participants and are strictly prohibited from telephoning, texting, and social media contact with Club members, or meeting them away from the Club.
16. Under no circumstances should volunteers release children to anyone. Only trained staff are allowed to release children to authorized parents, guardians, or other adults authorized by the parent or guardian of the child(ren). (We have written parent authorization on file with Boys & Girls Clubs of Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest for release of children).
17. Volunteers are required to read and sign all policies related to identifying, documenting and reporting child abuse and to attend training sessions on the subject, if required by Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest.
18. Volunteers will act at all times as a member of the team responsible for accomplishing the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest.
19. Volunteers are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all propriety privileged information to which they are exposed while serving as a volunteer, whether this information involves a single member of the staff, another volunteer, Club member or other person, or involves the business of the organization.
20. I give my consent to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest to use photographs, films and sound recordings and/or images of myself for an unlimited period of time as determined by the Club.
21. I agree to release the Boys & Girls Clubs, its Officers, directors, agents, managers, employees and their successors of all liability, including liability caused by the negligence of the Club, on account of injury to the person or property which I, my heirs, executors, or administrators have or at any time hereafter may have due to my participation or involvement in any events or activities with the Club.
22.The undersigned further states that he/she has carefully read the Code of Conduct, understands the contents, has received a volunteer orientation from a Club approved staff, has received a Club tour inside and out if volunteering at the Club and/or with kids, and has signed by his/her own free act.
I certify that (1) I promise to fulfill the commitments made to the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest. (2) I will abide by all Club policies, rules, regulations, and standards of conduct; (3) I release the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest, its employees, leaders, instructors, clients, and volunteers from any liability for loss or injury to the members of our group or property which may occur do to our negligence or other acts of omissions; (4) I authorize the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest without limitation, to copy, publish, exhibit or distribute photographs, video tapes, &/or written testimonies of our volunteers for the purpose of reporting or promoting volunteerism and/or the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest programs. Your signature below verifies that you have read and understand all of the information contained in the Volunteer Code of Conduct. You understand that any violation of this code of conduct may result in termination to be a volunteer.