The job of ordinary member is one of the most wide ranging on committee. They may be asked to help with anything that another member is doing from photocopying to postering. Many of these jobs are absolutely essential to the smooth running of the society and the productions. However there are some major jobs that fall within the role, it may be the case that individual ordinary members take the responsibility of one of these aspects throughout the whole year.
Room Booking
Rooms can be booked in 2 ways. An e-mail to ku.ca.kroy|822nmda#ku.ca.kroy|822nmda is best for complicated room bookings or those bookings which are of a general nature such as Thursday rehearsals (i.e., booking out the same venue on the same day and time for every week of the term). The second is on the planon system accessed by the main York site-A to Z-roombookings. The society user name and password will be required. This method is best for the short term and checking if rooms are free. The requiremtns will also include a number of people. 40 is standard for chorus rehearsals. The number doesn’t have to be precise, a large number may encourage room bookings services to not throw the society out of larger rooms (essential for blocking and run through rehearsals) in favour of other societies.
The events requiring rooms are Tuesday (often varied depending on the principals and directors variablity) principal rehearsals, Thursday (tradional day for the society's "main" meeting) chorus rehearsals, Saturday set building and Sunday rehearsals. Shows are usually booked using the social events forms, however room bookings will need to be contacted to confirm.
As a rule of thumb the order of preference for chorus rehearsals is L/N/028, G/HALL, L/N/002, L/036, L/047, L/037, V/123. Many of the rooms will need chairs to be cleared out of the way first, these can be stacked by the whole society. L/N/028 will need the seats retracted, this can be done by specifying on the room booking or contacting the Porters prior to the rehearsal.
Principal rehearsals generally take place in a Langwith practice room which can’t be booked in advance or in L/037.
Set building should take place in G/HALL due to it's close proximity to the container and easy access. Although L/N/028 is an acceptable alternative if there is no choice in the matter, it is not preferred because of the distance required and the fact that it is all "shiny and new" (sort of).
The week 10 video night in term 2 and 3 are best in L/N/028 or V/045 for the tiered seating.
The central hall booking for the show is generally made as soon after the last as possible. The Summer Show in L/N/028 also requires 3 additional rooms for dressing rooms and a first aid room. Any of the Langwith rooms listed above, except L/N/002, are fine for this purpose.
All rooms should be booked as far in advance as possible. This means up to the end of the academic year with the exception of L/N/028 and G/HALL which can only be booked for the current term. It is best however to ask for these in future terms in an e-mail so that the society is considered at the initial allocation.
For any miscellaneous requests or days for which no booking has been accepted, planon is a quick way of filling the gap.
Just when you think you've got it all sorted, the conference park may decide that, despite whatever room bookings have done, they are going to book conferences of freemasons into the rooms you've got booked. This has happened twice (week 4 of the summer term/ mid May 2007 and 08) with G/hall. They don't bother to tell you in advance, so perhaps for this week next year we should check with the conference park! It's nobody's fault, just a communications breakdown somewhere in the dark depths of admin.
Photocopying
Photocopying is lots of fun. Which is good, because there's lots of it. Whether it's letters for P&P, the Treasurer's budget or numerous sheets of music, it's got to be done and generally it's an ordinary member who does it!
Photocopying is best done at the library (6p a copy) at short notice, but if you have time then a trip into town or anywhere else with slightly cheaper copies is preferable from the Treasurer's point of view! If there's a lot, as there often is for the concerts/summer show, then obviously whatever is more convenient is fine. With big photocopy jobs it's best if more than one ordinary member does it - get a production line going! One request for copying from scores is that two page spreads be reduced to 1 sheet of A4 (landscape) - halving the cost.
Whatever is spent on copying is reimbursed by the society - get a receipt where possible then talk to the Treasurer.
Socials
Socials, like photocopying, are FUN. This time, with a capital F-U-N. This is when everybody can get together after a rehearsal and just chill out, have a laugh and something to eat and drink.
Dates for socials will be proposed in committee meetings, and once dates are settled you will need themes and somewhere to hold said social. In the past we used Langwith Upper JCR, but due to recent changes to the JCR we have relocated to Derwent JCR.
Booking said JCR is a bit of a faff, whichever ordinary member gets to book it should be prepared to spend a while doing so. You need to go upstairs in Derwent to see the College Administrator (Chris Unwin) and make sure it isn't already booked. If not - great. She'll give you a booking form, and then the fun begins. You now need a grand total of 4 signatures to book the JCR - the college administrator's (she may sign it first, else she'll be last!), the JCR chair or vice chair, the head porter at Langwith and the Facilities Manager. And you need them in roughly that order - just make sure you get the Facilities Manager last or he'll moan. The JCR chair or vice chair can be tracked down by asking a porter (or by Facebook stalking them!). If you can't find a time to meet them, then leave the form at the porter's lodge and email the person in question requesting 5 minutes of their time to pop down and sign it for us. The Facilities Manager lives through a door on the other side of the bushes by Derwent Bar (Langwith side). Just ask a porter!
After all the signatures are done, take it back to Chris and she will copy it for you, and that's it! Keep the copy in case there's people to throw out on the night, and that's job done….
….Almost! Socials often need themes. In the past we've had things like a Pudding Social (bring cake and drink and have fun! .. maybe even a game or two, or even a quiz), a Games Social (Port and Starboard, LaurenW's favourite game! Also the Chocolate Game goes down well) and some trips into town in costume - dressed as Superheroes and Sex, Drugs & Rock n Roll! Themes are discussed and decided in committee meetings.