There are lots of benefits gained from helping at a rogaine:

• It is great way to meet new rogainers, who are overall lots of fun, as they have a common interest. People come from different walks of life and from a wide range of ages. At the Hash House people get up to all sorts of silliness and you will never know till you join in. You don't work the whole time. Usually you get some time off to go and explore the course for at least a few hours.
• Course work setting / vetting / collecting is a great way to get out into the bush and visit new areas without the pressure of actually being in a competition. You do the event at your own pace (from the car in some instances, if you choose) and also it really improves your navigation skills.
• With admin you can learn new skills, improve your computer literacy and organisational skills.
• Being a manager gives you an opportunity to lead a team of willing helpers.
• Bring the family! You can rotate the helping throughout the family.
• Go out and collect some checkpoints after the event on event day or the next weekend.
• Feel the joy of seeing the rogainers appreciate your efforts, whether it is a chat about that challenging checkpoint you set or just a smile when they finish the event.

Cost of helping?

• It will cost you nothing!!
• You can claim travel and other related expenses (maps, etc). Travel is reimbursed at 30c per kilometre. 
• You get all your meals while at the event and a free event map.

• Course-setting can be a large time commitment depending on the event duration (e.g. 6 or 24hr) and location but a very rewarding experience. A number of weekends may be required to locate a suitable area, set and vet the course. Forward planning is required so that permission for land use is gained in good time prior to the event. The longer you have to plan an event before it takes place, the easier the task.
• Admin helpers, general helpers and first aid are on the day only jobs, which require very little forward planning.
• Admin Manager requires an ongoing time commitment prior to the event to monitor entries as well on the day. ACTRA's online entry system is highly automated, so it's mainly team changes and answering queries that takes time.
• Setting and vetting can take from a couple of days to several full days depending on the complexity of the course, your navigation ability and fitness levels and distance you need to travel to the course.
• If you are interested in setting and coordinating an event this is a considerable time commitment.

• ACTRA has comprehensive manuals and checklists available for co-ordinating, course-setting and admin. If you are a course-setter, there is information that you will be given with all the low down on setting.
• The co-ordinator can answer most of your questions or put you in touch with people who can provide assistance where required, and will assist in finding other volunteers.
• There is a network of other people who have input into an event like the person who looks after Navlight, gear store coordinator, etc.
• The committee will ususally have lined up a location, but are happy to hear your suggestions.
• You will be trained in admin skills as required.

Each event has ten roles to ensure all parts of the event are organised. See read more for each of the roles.

• Join the Committee: A bunch of people who meet to set the direction for rogaining and manage the overall operation of the organisation. New faces with new ideas are always welcome and needed to give ACTRA life!! You don't have to be a long time member to contribute to the committee.
• Be an instructor at an ACTRA Navigation workshop or novice event: a reasonable level of navigation skills would be needed.
• Perhaps you have skills in publicity, website design and editing, event management, first aid, electronic map preparation, equipment maintenance. All of these tasks assist the development of the sport and successful events.

If there is a specific event you would like to volunteer for, please contact the Event Coordinator listed on the event calendar.  Otherwise contact the President (see Contacts page).

The ACT Rogaining Association (ACTRA) runs on a purely voluntary basis and volunteers who make a major contribution to an ACTRA event will receive a reward for their effort. 

Volunteer rewards are valid for 12 months (approximately - basically to the same event the following year, if it is held at a similar time). Vouchers should be provided at or around the time of the event. Contact the event organiser if you have not received yours. Click on read more to see the table listing who has earned a reward.