Volunteer Master Agreement
In exchange for the opportunity volunteer for Winter Guard International, aka WGI Sport of the Arts, an Ohio based nonprofit corporation, and receive all of the benefits and rewards available to volunteers, the undersigned (the “Volunteer”) executes this Agreement (the “Release”) this day in favor of WGI, its directors, officers, employees and agents, sponsors, co-sponsors, donors, volunteers, and partners, (collectively, “WGI”).
The Volunteer desires to volunteer for WGI and engage in the activities related to being a volunteer. The Volunteer understands that the activities may include physical labor. The Volunteer understands that these activities may include the use of equipment and place the Volunteer in situations that may pose risk of harm to the Volunteer.
The Volunteer does hereby freely, voluntarily and without duress execute this Agreement under the following terms:
1. Waiver and Release.
The Volunteer does hereby release and forever discharge and hold harmless WGI and its successors and assigns from any and all liability, claims and demands of whatever kind or nature, either in law or in equity, which have arisen or may hereafter arise from Volunteer’s activities on behalf of WGI. The Volunteer further waives any such claims, and covenants not to sue WGI or its related entities for any incidents or injuries which have arisen or may hereafter arise from volunteer’s activities on behalf of WGI.
The Volunteer understands and acknowledges that this Release discharges WGI from any liability or claim that the Volunteer may have against WGI with respect to any bodily injury, personal injury, illness, death or property damage that may result from or be related to Volunteer’s activities on behalf of WGI, whether caused by the negligence of WGI or its officers, directors, employees, agents, other volunteers or otherwise including third-parties. The Volunteer also understands that WGI does not assume any responsibility for or obligation to provide financial assistance or other assistance, including but not limited to medical, health or disability insurance, in the event of injury or illness.
3. Assumption of the Risk.
The Volunteer understands that the activities on behalf of WGI may include activities that may be hazardous to the Volunteer, including, but not limited to, loading and unloading of supplies and transportation to and from the event sites. In connection thereto, Volunteer recognizes and understands that activities at or performed for WGI may, in some situations, involve inherently dangerous activities.
The Volunteer hereby expressly and specifically assumes the risk of injury or harm in these activities and releases WGI from all liability for injury, illness, death or property damage resulting from the activities associated with or resulting from the Volunteer’s activities on behalf of WGI or the work of others for or on behalf of WGI.
6. Participant Protection.
The Volunteer shall follow all applicable laws and all actions taken by Volunteer must be consistent with federal, state and local laws. In particular, all laws concerning the protection and safety of participants in youth-serving organizations must be adhered to strictly.
By signing, the Volunteer agrees that they have a personal and communal responsibility to help WGI keep participants safe and protect them from sexual, physical, and emotional harm. Each signatory agrees to avoid any perception of wrongdoing in their interactions with participants and to report any such actual or perceived wrongdoing by others to WGI.
The following representations and reporting requirements are an integral part of this Agreement. The Volunteer represents that they have disclosed to WGI any Inappropriate Conduct as defined by this Agreement and which involved an event described in Paragraphs A-D below in the past. Going forward, if any Inappropriate Conduct as defined in this Agreement occurs after this Agreement is executed by the parties, or if any of the events described in Paragraphs A-D occur, then the Volunteer must notify WGI immediately in writing.
For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Inappropriate Conduct” includes but is not limited to: (a) direct or electronic communications of a sexual nature or harassing nature with any student or participant in an youth group of any kind with which you were involved; (b) unwanted direct or electronic communications of a sexual nature or any direct or electronic communications of a harassing nature with any coworker or co-volunteer at any prior organization or job; (c) any non-consensual physical touching with any student, participant in any youth group, coworker or co-volunteer; or, (d) any other behavior which would violate any state or federal law related to sexual harassment or hazing. Inappropriate conduct is NOT limited to the adult-to-youth relationships. Inappropriate Conduct in any work or volunteer environment with a coworker/peer/co-volunteer is subject to the representations in this Agreement.
The Volunteer must fully disclose the facts and circumstances of any report or allegation involving Inappropriate Contact with a student, participant, contractor, or volunteer in any youth group or organization for which contractor was an employee or contractor in a teaching, administrative, leadership, or volunteer position to WGI’s Chief Executive Officer if:
A. The Volunteer was subject to an investigation in any report or allegation of misconduct.
B. The Volunteer was terminated from a position, contract not renewed, or volunteer position revoked.
C. The Volunteer received reprimand, suspension, teaching privilege or license revoked.
D. The Volunteer has any record of any allegation of inappropriate conduct. The term “record” includes investigative reports, police reports that do not lead to arrest, public minutes from an administrative hearing; public minutes from a government meeting (such as school committee, school board, town council, or any public hearing).
