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Volunteer Bond & Service Commitment Policy

Board Approved: 14 April, 2026

1. Program Overview & Philosophy The Crusaders Rugby Club is a grassroots organization run entirely by volunteers. To ensure the long-term sustainability of the club, share the operational workload, and prevent volunteer burnout, we have implemented a Volunteer Bond program. Volunteering side-by-side breaks down silos between teams, builds a shared sense of pride, and fosters ownership in our clubhouse and grounds.

2. Bond Payment and Values

  • Standard Fee: A refundable volunteer bond of $100 per player is added to the registration fee via the PlayHQ platform.
  • Net Capacity: Refunds are strictly driven by cash received. The refundable amount is the net paid amount, meaning the total amount paid minus any vouchers, sponsorships, or discounts.
  • Unfulfilled Bonds: If the volunteer hours are not completed by the end of October, the bond will be retained by the club to cover the operational costs of paying outside vendors to complete these tasks.

3. Required Service Hours The base commitment is scaled based on the number of registered players in a family:

  • 1 Player: 8 hours
  • 2 Players: 12 hours
  • 3 Players: 16 hours
  • 4 Players: 20 hours
  • 5+ Players: 24 hours.

Note: Members registered in specific operational roles (such as volunteer, medical, manager, or coach) are not counted as bond-paying players, reducing the effective family size. High school community service hours earned by a club member or player do not count toward the family’s volunteer bond hours,.

4. Tracking and Earning Hours

  • Vome Platform: All volunteer hours must be tracked using the Vome Volunteer platform. Families must set up their Vome account using the exact same email address they used to register on PlayHQ,.
  • Opportunities: Members can earn hours through a wide variety of activities, including field and clubhouse maintenance, event setup/teardown, match photography, video livestreaming, and assistant coaching.
  • No Show Policy: If a volunteer fails to show up for a shift they have booked, an extra 1-hour penalty will be added to their required volunteer hours,.

5. Accommodations, Exemptions, and Alternatives The Crusaders Rugby Club recognizes that members have varying capacities and life situations. Any member seeking an exemption, alternative arrangement, or legal accommodation must contact the Club President directly at president@crusadersrugby.ca.

  • Human Rights Accommodations:
    • Reasoning: Organizations have a legal duty to protect individuals from discrimination based on protected grounds such as physical or mental disability, family status, race, or religion, and must make reasonable attempts to accommodate these individuals.
    • Policy: If a member’s inability to volunteer is tied to a protected ground, please contact the Club President to ensure adjustments are made to fulfill obligations without facing discrimination.
  • Extenuating Circumstances:
    • Reasoning: The club understands that unexpected debilitating illnesses, split-family logistical challenges, or other severe extenuating circumstances can occur.
    • Policy: Families facing unexpected hardship should bring a special request to the Club President for a case-by-case review.
  • Opt-Out / Pay in Lieu:
    • Reasoning: Offering an opt-out alternative allows members who cannot or do not want to contribute time to support the club financially instead.
    • Policy: Families may choose a manual opt-out option. The family is not required to complete any hours, but their bond payment remains non-refundable.
  • Role-Based Exemptions: Families of active Board Members are exempt and have a 0-hour requirement. Head Coaches and nominated Assistant Coaches also receive a full 100% bond waiver and 0-hour requirement. The respective Director of Rugby are responsible for nominating both Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches before the season begins.

6. Health, Safety, and Insurance Coverage The Crusaders Rugby Club owes a legal duty to protect its volunteers from unnecessary risks by acting reasonably to prevent foreseeable harm. Volunteers share a legal duty to take reasonable care when carrying out their tasks.

  • Age Restrictions: In accordance with Ontario regulations, volunteers must be at least 15 years old to volunteer in any kitchen or food preparation capacity, and at least 14 years old to volunteer in the clubhouse office or indoor facilities.
  • Training & Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Volunteers must not perform tasks they are unsure how to do. The club will provide training and appropriate PPE for specific roles. Volunteers must explicitly ask for a demonstration if they have not performed a task before.
  • Machinery & Chemicals: Volunteers must not operate industrial machinery (including lawnmowers and trimmers) or handle hazardous chemicals without explicit training and adherence to Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) standards.
  • Slips, Falls, and Proper Equipment: Volunteers must use proper ladders for reaching heights and are strictly prohibited from standing on stools, rolling carts, or boxes. Volunteers should be mindful of uneven or wet ground on the pitches and in the clubhouse.
  • Task Suitability: Volunteers are encouraged to only sign up for shifts they are physically capable of handling (e.g., heavy lifting during event setup).
  • Injury Reporting: Volunteers must report all injuries, no matter how minor, to the Club President or their shift supervisor immediately. In the event of an emergency, volunteers should call 911.
  • Liability & Medical Insurance: Under the club’s Commercial General Liability policy, registered volunteer workers are classified as “Insureds” for third-party liability while performing duties related to the club’s business. However, bodily injury to any volunteer worker is explicitly excluded from Medical Payments coverage, underscoring the importance of adhering to all safety guidelines.

7. Refund Processing Once a family completes, tracks, and has their required hours approved in Vome, they become eligible for a refund. Refunds are issued via RBC Interac e-Transfer by the club’s Treasurer. These refunds are processed no later than at the end of the club’s financial year. In the case of those exempted (board, nominated head coaches, nominated assistant coaches), a refund will be issued without the need to complete any hours, upon the next refund processing.

8. Data Privacy Public-facing club dashboards and web pages will never display dollar amounts. For public shift rosters and status pages, volunteer identities are protected by only displaying the last name and first initial, and all email addresses are masked. BigQuery tables containing sensitive refund data are strictly access-controlled.

Any questions, comments or concerns regarding this policy should be addressed to the President (president@crusadersrugby.ca) or Secretary (secretary@crusadersrugby.ca).