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Afterburn 2018 Leadership Roles & Responsibilities

These are basic descriptions for each of our volunteer teams. When applicable, we’ve modeled our teams based on existing standards provided by Burning Man, and have provided links to their descriptions as well as our pages for each team. If you’ve read through everything here and linked to from here, but still have questions, we’ve provided contact information so that you may reach out to an Area Facilitator directly.

Volunteer Coordinators

Our vision is to move away from recruiting volunteers via Facebook posts and we hope to open the gates knowing that all key volunteer roles are filled. By defining our teams and giving co-leads the support and autonomy to create their own teams based, teams should be filled with people who either know each other already or are passionate about helping in a specific capacity. As we move towards this vision, the Volunteer Coordinator roles take a different form.

You know a ton of people – or are good at meeting people – and are good at identifying their interests, strengths, and weaknesses. You’re an excellent communicator as you’ll be helping route volunteer submissions to the appropriate team leads and making sure those leads follow through to activate volunteers. You’ll help team leads with scheduling and recruiting if they need it. During the event, you will communicate constantly with team leads to learn about additional volunteer needs and help get walk-up volunteers to the appropriate location. You will stay on top of team leads post-event to organize, compile, and record volunteer hours.

Volunteer Coordinators

We envision a team of three people:

  1. You know everyone, or seriously subscribe to the “I’ve never met a stranger” mentality. But not just a lot of people, the right people. We’d like to avoid the shotgun approach of volunteer recruiting by finding the right people for each position.
  2. You’re amazing with data entry. Every shift might look perfectly filled before we head out to the property, but those volunteer sheets will be a mess by the end of the weekend. You’ll decipher the mess and enter the data so we can keep track of volunteer hours.
  3. You will primarily liaise between your co-coordinators and the various department leads who need your volunteers. Especially in the days and weeks leading up to the event, you’ll need to be readily available as requests from departments come in and volunteers have scheduling issues.

Infrastructure Area Operations

Area Facilitator: Jennifer Boyer

Gate/Parking/Greeters

You are the official welcoming party! Collectively, you will keep traffic flowing from the road until parking, check tickets and waivers, provide orientation to new burners to our event, and make everyone feel welcome. You remain calm and friendly easily because you’re the first people participants interact with. As much as applicable, this is based on Burning Man’s Gate, Perimeter and Exodus and Greeters teams combined. See our Welcome Home Crew page.

DPW

You’re the first to arrive and last to leave because you’re in charge of infrastructure. You’ll be asked to help with all nature of projects, being handy and a problem solver is beneficial. Standard issue all-black uniforms are not provided. Take a look at Burning Man’s DPW page as well as ours. Please contact current department lead EZ with any questions or to get acclimated.

LNT / Earth Guardians

Litter seriously pisses you off, but you’re able to educate instead of lecture. Your shifts will include MOOP sweeps and helping to educate participants who may be experiencing issues with being their own Earth Guardians. Gloves and bags are provided. Here’s Burning Man’s Earth Guardians page as well as ours.

Safety Area Operations

Area Facilitator: Morgan Patten

Sanctuary

If you already know what a “Green Dot” is, this might be the place for you! Our Sanctuary is a place where people can feel comfortable despite a possible overindulgence. Your time will be spent maintaining and participating in what we hope to be the ultimate “chill zone”. People will come to you exhibiting an extreme range of mental and emotional conditions (medics take care of the physical conditions) and you’ll need the patience and people skills to comfort them until they are feeling Radically Self-reliant again. Learn more from Burning Man’s ART of Green Dot.

Rangers

Rangers are our first response members of the community. You and a partner will monitor a section of the event to be as helpful as possible. This may be as simple as helping someone with a tarp that keeps catching the wind or as intense as being the first on the scene to a medical emergency. You’re the first to respond to incidents, and may coordinate with a variety of other departments in certain situations. This is a very important team within our community – Rangers are not law enforcement, but some of the first trained people to respond to situations that call for assistance. For more information, see Burning Man’s Ranger information and our page.

Fire & Perimeter Safety

You are our on-site fire department! We’re looking for at least 60 individuals to learn what it takes to burn safely, split up into teams of 20 for burns on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. You work to ensure fire art is safe, fires are contained, and burnable art is safely separated from participants via a human perimeter. Please read through Burning Man’s Fire Art Guidelines (yes, and all of those sub-pages) and Perimeter Support Group pages along with our Fire Team (CATS) page.

Conclave

You will provide safety services to our pre-effigy burn conclave fire performers. Learn more from Burning Man’s Fire Conclave page as well as our Conclave information.

Medical

Based on liability concerns, both for the event/BOI and our medical volunteers, our volunteer crew of medics are available for only the most basic of first aid needs. Anything more serious will be handed off to our highly qualified team of paid outside medical support staff. See our page for more information.

Art & Community Operations

Area Facilitator: Sara LaRoux

Art Department

You work with our community of artists before, during, and after the event. You may be helping to come up with solutions to logistical problems in transporting art, holding a board while the artists hammers a nail, or helping to MOOP sweep after an installation has been removed. We are planning to model this on Burning Man’s ARTery (Artist Services). Also see our Art page. You can reach department co-leads Buttercup and Kevin at artcomms@burntoranges.org with questions; please fill out the leadership survey to participate.

Large Scale Art & Effigy Department

This team will be lead by our veterans to help us determine some “best practices” for burnable art including getting volunteers to assist with builds, giving an overview of fundraising efforts we’d like to incorporate this year, and discuss logistics of build week, event operations, and cleanup. This department operates within the Art Department listed above.

Indaba

You may be asked to help with decor, work the info booth, help musicians carry their gear, refill community coffee/tea/water, and anything else related to our version of Burning Man’s Center Camp. Leading up to the event, you may help with signage, scheduling, and recruiting of artists/performers/speakers. See our Indaba page.

Theme Camp Liaison

Our theme camp team will review all theme camp registrations and work with camps to make sure their vision is well-defined and they have the resources they need. We’re looking to increase the quantity and interactivity of our theme camps, if you have ideas that can help us reach this goal, this might be a great opportunity for you! For questions please reach out to Sean (AKA Kurt D) or fill out the leadership survey.

Placement

As the event gets closer, we’re going to need to figure out where to put all of the theme camps, art, tents, cars, and RVs. This team will design the map as well as working with our Welcome Home Crew to help people find their designated areas upon arrival to the event. If you’d like to help with this effort, please email current department lead Tommy for more info or fill out the leadership survey.

Now that you know what each volunteer team does, let us know how you’d like to help on the Leadership Intake Form!
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Afterburn 2018 Announcement

AfterBurn 2018 – What’s Your Vision?

[counter date=2018/11/10-21:00:00]In [remaining-dtimer] the original “Shelter from the Tempest” will be set ablaze in front of the community[after]If things went according to plan, the event described below happened [elapsed-dtimer] ago. The original “Shelter from the Tempest” will be set ablaze in front of our community November 2018[/counter].

The burning of this stylized temple offers a moment of reflection on the happenings of the previous year as we collectively let go those things which no longer suit us.

The night before, we hope that the community will gather for a shared meal before embarking on a night of radical self-expression including large-scale effigies, incredible amounts of participatory art, and an expression of gifting that brings newcomers into this event and shares what makes it important to us.

In the months and days prior, the event’s leaders will have already co-created a canvas for the participants, and join them as the gates open.

But in order for this to happen, the event needs leaders. AfterBurn 2018, with a tentative date of November 8-11, 2018 (entry Thursday, event ends Sunday, everyone leaves Monday AM), will only happen if the following roles are filled from within the community. This is your opportunity to step forward, begin planning, building, and creating.

As the organization is moving forward with seeking sanctioning for our event this year, with the hopes of receiving it by 2019, the main focus is on the event’s safety. While liability for these types of events is always a concern, we’d like to reach out to as many people as possible to help form a Fire Safety Team. If you have professional fire certifications, please contact us at board@burntoranges.org for information on how to get involved.

If available, direct contacts are listed if you have specific questions before submitting an application. There will be further opportunities for general volunteers in the months prior to the event. Leaders are expected to commit to at least five hours a month, and three onsite meetups in Bartow.

Specifically, AfterBurn leadership is needed in the following areas:

If you’d like to be considered for multiple opportunities and want to discuss what might best suit your interests, feel free to reach out to board@burntoranges.org. We’ll be scheduling “office hours” in July and August if you’d like to meetup in Orlando, Tampa, or Lakeland.

To begin the event leadership survey, click here.

If you’d like to learn a bit more about other opportunities to contribute, we’d love your input.

Attend A Builder, Artist and Maker Meetup

Our community have started hosting private gatherings to start connecting with each other. Find out more in the post “What’s a Builder, Artist and Maker Meetup?”

Name the City. Submit a Theme.

Participate in the survey of what the place should be called, and submit your ideas on a theme to unite participation.

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Afterburn 2018 Pre-Announcement: Communications

Before we can release the roadmap to Afterburn 2018, the Board of Directors would like to clearly define how you can get the latest, most accurate information related to our events.

The Burnt Oranges website will always be the home of official information related to Burnt Oranges events. We recommend subscribing to our email newsletter so you know you’ll receive the most up to date information.

If you’re not the email subscribing type, we will be sharing our news to the Burnt Oranges Inc Facebook Page.

One change is that we will be returning The Florida Burns ** )'( ** PreHeat & Afterburn Facebook Group back to the community. To reduce confusion, limit our liability, and act to protect the privacy of members of this community by dissociating our event from you, we will be removing the event names from the group name, changing it to The Florida Burns ** )'( **. Conversations in this group will no longer be monitored by the Burnt Oranges Inc Board of Directors. We hope that the community will turn this into a place where theme camp, art project, local community event, and all nature of other Florida Burn-related information can be shared and discussed.

Handing back the reigns to the Facebook Group does not mean we don’t want feedback! Your feedback is what allows us to have the kinds of events and community you want and we want to make sure that feedback gets to the right people.

If you’d like to reach us, the absolute best way is to email us. Following that, our contact form is a great option. We’ll do our best to respond to your written inquiries within a few business days. Notes sent on Facebook within a few weeks.

We’ve also made the decision to move all Afterburn (and future event) related information to the BurntOranges.org website. Our belief is this consolidated website will make it much easier for everyone to stay informed regarding all of the activities we are pursuing.

To recap:

  • BurntOranges.org is the home of all Burnt Oranges Inc information, including Afterburn and other events.
  • Subscribing to our email list will make sure you’re up-to-date about everything we do.
  • All news will also be shared to our Facebook Page.
  • The Florida Burns ** )'( ** PreHeat & Afterburn Facebook Group is being returned to the community, will have our event names removed, and will no longer be an official channel for communicating with Burnt Oranges Inc.
  • The Burnt Oranges board can be reached via our Facebook Page (good), contact form (better), or email (best).
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Burnt Oranges 2018 Roadmap

Before we look to the future, the Burnt Oranges board would like to thank all of the dedicated event coordinators, team leads, every volunteer, and each participant in the Florida burner community for helping to pull off Afterburn: Restoration. Based on our own experiences and the feedback we’ve received, Afterburn exceeded many expectations and we hope to build on that success.

In reviewing all of the various team lead reports from Afterburn – as well as countless conversations with members of the community each of us have had since – it’s become abundantly clear that this community is in need of two things:

  1. A trained volunteer base that can pull off any burn or community event.
  2. An Afterburn 2018 that builds on Afterburn: Restoration.

While everything went well, giving the appearance that volunteer needs were covered, many of our limited volunteers spent more time working than they were able to spend sleeping or enjoying the event. While we appreciate the passion, we also know it’s unsustainable.

Our events are volunteer-operated. Without adequate volunteers, we cannot have a safe event that continues to evolve into the regional burns we’d all like to see.

Since the stated mission of Burnt Oranges is promoting and funding art, and establishing venues for that art, all current active Burnt Oranges directors met with Afterburn: Restoration event coordinators Heathen and RobL to discuss Preheat 2018.

As a result of this meeting, a unanimous conclusion without dissent has been reached that we do not currently have the team leads and volunteers to successfully pull off an event that continues the momentum of Afterburn in such a short period of time. While we may be able to collectively forego sleep for a couple of months to pull off an event, there is simply not enough time to plan an event, recruit and train volunteers, and implement the feedback we received from Afterburn: Restoration.

This news is as disappointing to you as it is to us. After seeing the amazing energy at Afterburn, there’s nothing more we’d like to see than another event that brings us all together.

Now for the fun stuff intentionally designed to make you feel better after learning we’re skipping Preheat this year!

Volunteer Development

Since volunteers are required to pull off the events our community wants (as well as more to come) and we don’t have enough of them, we’re going to address this problem immediately. Throughout 2018, we will be reaching out to the community to bring back old team leads, find and train new team leads, and help those leads to build out their crews.

Our plan is to facilitate several smaller events throughout the state to put those who already know what they’re doing in direct contact with those interested in building the community as volunteers. Depending on the team we’re helping to build, some of these events may include hands-on training run by department leads, in addition to community meet & greets with hosted, large-scale art projects to participate in. There’s one happening next weekend in Palm Beach, hosted by Heathen and the build crew from “Shelter From The Tempest”. We’d encourage our long-standing community members to come together and host similar “Sparks” of community throughout the state as we collectively aim for combining those efforts into the larger flame of a community-created, 10-principles based event filled with art, burnable structures, and opportunities for participation.

If you’ve never volunteered before because you had no idea what you’d be doing, we’re going to provide ample opportunities to become familiar with your volunteer options.

Our goal is to build teams with layers of redundancy so that we’re never faced with an issue of not enough volunteers when planning events like Preheat and Afterburn.

Art Development

While we did streamline our art grant process significantly, we think it’s safe to assume most people are on the same page in wanting more art at our events.

We plan to expand our art grant program to start MUCH earlier, provide guidance and consultation for those of you considering your first project or one at a larger scale than you’ve previously created, and create opportunities for exposure beyond our regional events.

One aspect of our Art Development program that’s just launched is the debut of the Burnt Oranges Arts & Culture Roadshow at the upcoming Okeechobee Music & Art Festival March 1-4. Burnt Oranges will have a booth engaging festival participants in a participatory art project, discussing our trailheads into the community, and promoting the artists in our midsts.

We’ll be showcasing several art pieces from Afterburn: Restoration including the Shelter From The Tempest Pirate Ship, The Augmented Reality (AR) Sandbox, and the The Human Plasmascope. The event is still a month away, but we’ve already been introduced to half a dozen local large-scale interactive artists who we have invited to join us at future burns.

Community Development

Many people have commented regarding how Afterburn felt like a great return of the Florida burn community. We know that’s why so many of you have been looking forward to there being a Preheat.

If you’re a Central Florida loyalist who goes to one or two events a year, or you travel the state to attend all four events, getting friends together two to four times a year doesn’t seem like enough to us.

Between our own smaller volunteer and art development events we’re currently working on and promoting other events across the state, we hope to make it easier for all of us to see each other face to face more frequently.

We’re also in early discussions regarding how we can better utilize the technology at our disposal to facilitate in-person community building.

Each of us would like to thank you for your understanding and patience while we’ve been working on this announcement. While skipping a Preheat will disappoint some of you, we hope you understand the reasons why and that you’ll join us in our efforts to continue to grow our volunteer base, community, and events.

We’ll be available, responsive, and right there with you to provide resources, funding, and support to grow our collective capability of responsibly growing back to the thriving community we know we’re all meant to be.

Hopefully we got you really excited about volunteering. If we were successful, please take a minute to fill out the form below so we can see who is available for what, and to receive direct communications regarding upcoming events where your skills will be needed.

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Blurb of Bob Vol. 1 No. 9 – 2017

Blurb of Bob

Blurb of Bob

Volume 1, Number 9
November 27, 2017

Hey, Guys!
Welcome to the Art Edition of the Blurb of Bob! How about a round of applause for all the art and the artists who brought it to AfterBurn? In this issue, I’ve got photos of many of the art pieces, plus some Very Important Information about how you can make sure AfterBurn continues next year.

How ’bout that?
Bob

In this issue:

  • AfterBurn art in pictures
  •  Support #GivingTuesday to ensure the future of AfterBurn
  • Send Bob your schwag photos
  • Event feedback form still open for your input

AfterBurn art in pictures

The Media team was undaunted by rain as they captured photos of the art at AfterBurn: Restoration. One dedicated member of the team even spent several hours in the Indaba, creating a painting of the art. Here’s a sampling of the results. Which one is your favorite?

Hint: Click on the thumbnail to see the entire image.

Support #GivingTuesday to ensure the future of AfterBurn

GivingTuesday

From the Board of Directors of Burnt Oranges

Burnt Oranges, the nonprofit that put on AfterBurn: Restoration, needs your help to make sure our next event is just as spectacular. On #GivingTuesday, November 28, we’ll be kicking off our end-of-the-year fundraiser.

There are a couple of easy ways you can help Burnt Oranges continue to fund art and community action in Florida:

  1. Make a donation on Tuesday — if you use this link, donations up to $2M will be matched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. There’s no fee or minimum; all the money goes to Burnt Oranges.
  2. Go to smile.amazon.com and designate Burnt Oranges, Inc. as your beneficiary. We’ll get 0.5% from each purchase, and it would cost you nothing.
  3. Can’t give on Tuesday? Just use the Burnt Oranges website to donate at a more convenient time! You can mail a check or come back later and give online.

Did you know that even with a contractor discount and no tax, this year’s effigy materials cost $1705.90?

Did you know that Burnt Oranges donated $8985 in community action grants during the event?

Do you know how much it costs to rent port-a-potties?

Please give Burnt Oranges your support on #GivingTuesday. And be sure to let all your friends know, too!

Afterburn 2017 #unfuckflorida volunteer patch

Send Bob your schwag photos

Hey guys, it’s Bob again! What was the most incredible gift you received at AfterBurn?  If it’s something you can photograph, I’d love to include it in my Cool Schwag blurb! Just snap a picture and email it to me: bob@burntoranges.org.

By the way, I think the most mind-blowing schwag this year was the #unfuckflorida volunteer patch. I got mine! If you didn’t get yours, be sure to send an email to ecteam@burntoranges.org with the shifts you worked and your mailing address.

Event feedback form still open for your input

The Event Coordination team is still looking for your feedback on AfterBurn. Do you have a thank you, an idea, or a suggestion to make the event better? Please use the Event Feedback form to tell us what you think. If you submit the form with your name, you’ll receive a thoughtful response, or you can submit your feedback anonymously.

I got my patch, sent in my event feedback, and set aside some bucks to donate to Burnt Oranges tomorrow. Now I can relax until the next Blurb. Be sure and send me those photos, especially the ones of your schwag!

How ’bout that?
Bob

 

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Blurb of Bob Vol. 1 No. 8 – 2017

Volume 1, Number 8
November 16, 2017

Hey, Guys!
Show of hands: Who besides me was Radically Restored by this AfterBurn? Wasn’t all my super-excitement justified? It was fabulous, fantastic, and amazing! thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU!

The folks with the vision who made AfterBurn happen are the Event Coordination team, led by Comrade Heathen and Robl, and the Directors of Burnt Oranges: Ben, Jennifer, Sara, and Morgan. AfterBurn: Restoration is their gift to the community. They each spent hundreds of volunteer hours behind the scenes, creating a place for us to gather and play and learn and be transformed.

They were assisted by the team leads (more hundreds of behind-the-scenes hours!), and everyone who volunteered before, during, and after the event. But it doesn’t stop there. You brought your art, set up theme camps full of interactivity, played music, and shared your gifts and hugs. AfterBurn: Restoration has restored this vibrant, caring community, and the future is bright, thanks to YOU.

Now, it’s your turn. I want to share YOUR photos, stories, and blogs about AfterBurn: Restoration! To keep this flame burning, please email your submissions to bob@burntoranges.org, and I’ll share them in the Blurb of Bob.

How ’bout that?
Bob

Stuck truck
Oops!

In this issue

  • Event Feedback form published
  • Lost & Found report
  • The AfterBurn Moop Map
  • Volunteer patches
  • Shipwreck update

Event Feedback form published

The Event Coordination team really, really wants your feedback. Do you have a thank you, an idea, or a suggestion to make AfterBurn better? Please use the Event Feedback form to tell us what you think. If you submit the form with your name, you’ll receive a thoughtful response, or you can submit your feedback anonymously.

Lost & Found report

Items turned into the Lost & Found range from hats, cups, and children’s clothing to an entire cooler with a half bottle of Jägermeister. All of the items have been packed up and taken to Tampa, and you have a week to reclaim your lost item from Fluffernutter. If you lost something at AfterBurn, please send an email to sara@burntoranges.org with a description of it by November 24. After that, items from Lost & Found will be donated to a thrift store, with one exception, the Jägermeister.

Please email your suggestions for the Jägermeister to bob@burntoranges.org. So far, participants have proposed a toxic waste dump and a pest control company.

The AfterBurn Moop Map

On Monday, a small but dedicated Restoration crew tackled the property at AfterBurn: Restoration. We did a series of line sweeps to pick up Matter Out of Place, known as Moop. Read on for a great discussion of Moop from Comrade Heathen Stumble Biscuits, who supervised our LNT and restoration efforts:

Believe it our not, not all moop is obvious.  Sometimes well-meaning burners just don’t KNOW that something is moop.  If it wasn’t there when you got there, it goes back home with you. The Burning Man website has a great write-up on MOOP, and following is a list of MOOP issues that our AfterBurn 2017 LNT and Restoration volunteers were forced to deal with.

Map of moop found during resto
The AfterBurn2017 Moop Map

Things that are actually moop (yes, even at AfterBurn):

  • Firewood left at your camp: (it must be taken to DPW Dog Pound, or it is moop).  If left next to your camp site our hard working LNT crew has to haul it up the hill to DPW so it doesn’t interfere with mowing of the filed later.  High grass grows fast, and things left in the field can cause damage to people, the landscape, and equipment.  Please drop it off at the appropriate location!
  • Food Waste: Chicken bones, orange peels, watermelon rinds, lime wedges, cupcake wrappers, anything.  Take it all with you when you leave.  Do not leave food waste on the ground.  It draws pesky critters in addition to being moop.  Throw it in your trash bag, not on the ground!
  • Rocks, pebbles: Please, PLEASE do not leave small rocks, crystals, or marbles in your camp.  We have to dig them out and through them away.  If you packed it in, you have to pack it out.  Yes, rocks too!
  • Glitter:  This is the single worst thing you can leave behind.  It is an LNT nightmare.  Don’t bring it.  Just don’t.  It can take HOURS of time for multiple volunteers to clean up your mess.  If you have any questions about WHY glitter is terrible, there are many articles out there.  At the end of the day, it’s a trace.  And it’s leave NO trace, not leave glitter trace.  Don’t be THAT shiny jerk!  Glitter bombs will result in your theme camp placement privileges being revoked.  This is a zero tolerance offence.
  • Zip Ties/ Micro Plastic: Be extra-vigilant about tear down.  Zip ties are the single biggest offender, with water bottle tops and glow stick connectors coming in a close second.  Tiny tarp shreds, and Styrofoam micro pieces from coolers or other things are also culprits.
  • Trash in burn barrels: Unless you’re going to stand there and watch it burn ALL THE WAY TO ASH, this is mooping.  Paper almost NEVER burns all the way down, and plastic doesn’t burn, it melts.  Cigarette butts don’t burn either.  All of these things create a gross mess for our LNT/ Resto crew to have to scrape out of the bottom of a barrel before they can be stored.  It’s gross.  Don’t do it.  The best bet is to take it with you back to your camp, and throw it in your contractor bag.  PS: Baby wipes and Clorox wipes don’t burn either!  So knock it off!
  • Plywood/ wood: This must be cleared IN ADVANCE by an event coordinator.  We have to let the fire cool down before it can be cleaned out.  If water is poured on a hot fire, it leaves a significant burn scar (that’s leaving a trace).  When you place something on the fire after effigy burn, it creates a leave no trace issue for our effigy restoration crew.  Instead of being able to clean up a cooled area, we now have garbage, large wooden pieces, and HOT COALS, rebar, nails, etc on Monday.  You’ve essentially created a really un-cool issue for volunteers.  DO NOT ADD ANYTHING TO THE EFFIGY FIRES WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM AN EVENT COORDINATOR.  This WILL effect your future theme camp placement.  Continued issues with this will result in NO ART GRANTS OR PLACEMENT.
  • Damage to the land: Ruts, divots, burn scars.  Open ground fires are not permitted.  Fires in burn barrels or raised fire pits only.  NO FIRES IN WALK-IN CAMPING. Please try to leave the area you camped in as good as condition as you found it or better.
  • Cigarette Butts: Shouldn’t even have to be said, but ALL butts go with you.  Always.  No exception.  Have a plan.
  • Art: You need to have a LNT plan for your art.  Leaving it on site is not acceptable unless prior approval has been granted from an Event Coordinator.  No exceptions.
  • Trash: Anything left behind is moop.  Even if you think it’s moop, it still requires resources for out LNT and Restoration crews to deal with it appropriately.  EVERYTHING you leave behind creates an issue for someone else to attend to, even if you don’t think it’s a problem.  Hint: it actually is.

Volunteer patches

From Bob:

I goofed!  I was supposed to give the volunteer patches to the volunteer leads, but I was so super-excited, taking pictures and hugging people, they never made it out of my tent!  Whoops!

If you volunteered at AfterBurn with an infrastructure group (see below), you probably qualify for a patch. Please send the following information to ecteam@burntoranges.org:

  • Legal Name
  • Burner Name
  • Shift/s Worked
  • Mailing Address

Here’s the list of infrastructure groups:

  • Cats
  • DPW/ Dogs
  • Earth Guardians
  • Effigy Crew
  • Gate/ Greeter
  • Gloo
  • Indaba
  • Info Booth
  • LNT/ Resto
  • Media Crew
  • Medic
  • Placement
  • Ranger
  • Sign Crew
  • Temple Crew
  • Webteam
  • Woodchuck Work Weekenders
Shelter from the Tempest at AfterBurn2017
Shelter from the Tempest

Shipwreck Update

From Comrade Heathen Stumble Biscuits:

Many questions were asked about Shelter from the Tempest (also affectionately deemed the shipwreck, or the pirate ship) on Sunday.  We were unable to burn the structure safely due to weather and a lack of suitable support staff.  Many of you wrote message of all kinds in our temple, and left lots of heart. Do not despair!

The Event Coordinators, Board of Directors, and Temple Crew met with the landowner to determine some options for this beautiful art piece.  It was decided that we shall leave it as a semi-permanent interactive art piece until the next AfterBurn. At which time, we will schedule a memorial burn for the burn that should have been!  In the mean time, enjoy Shelter from the Tempest!

Thanks again for your awesome participation at AfterBurn: Restoration. Stay tuned for the next edition of the Blurb of Bob, with stories from the Burn and ways to stay in touch in the coming months. If you are active on Facebook, be sure to follow the Florida AfterBurn News & Updates page for information about future events — that’s the most reliable source of AfterBurn news on Facebook.

How ’bout that?

Bob

 

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Blurb of Bob Vol. 1 No. 7 – 2017

Volume 1, Number 7
November 9, 2017

Hey, guys!

There’s a hard-working crew here on site, sweating like pigs and swearing like sailors. Just what you’d expect from the DPW! We’re going to have things ready when the gates open at 8 tomorrow morning.

Drive safely! We need you to arrive in one piece!

How ’bout that?
Bob

In this issue…

  • Official directions
  • Download the WWWW
  • Perimeter, conclave, and fire safety meetings
  • Perimeter – the most magical volunteer role
  • Real Burners Carry Trash
  • How can you stay through Monday?
  • Grant Salon
  • Tool Drive
  • Community Dinner
  • It’s never too late! Volunteering at the event
  • Out of room? Leave your firewood behind!

Official directions — be sure to turn on Albritton Road, not Sand Lake Road

From Florida Highway 60, turn South on 80 Foot road (there is a Citgo Gas Station on the South West corner of Hwy 60 and 80 Foot Road). Continue south approximately 3 miles. Turn right (West) on Albritton Road. You will then turn left on Sand Lake Road. There will be a 90 degree left bend in the road, follow around this to the gate, which will be on your right. Even if your GPS tells you otherwise, we are directing traffic this way to prevent any backups onto a two lane 50 MPH roadway.

When you come through the gate, you’ll find four lanes: RVs, Theme Camps, Open Camping, and Walk-In Camping. Pick the lane that corresponds to your intended camping spot, and we’ll get you checked in and placed as quickly as we can.

Download the WWWW

Who? What? When? Where? Download your printable version of the WWWW here. You’ll also find it in poster format in the Indaba and at the Gate.

Perimeter, conclave, and fire safety meetings

These meetings are required for anyone who is fire dancing, spinning fire, fire-breathing, serving as a fire safety, or volunteering for Effigy perimeter.

  • Effigy Perimeter Volunteers and Fire Safeties: Either Friday at 5 pm or Saturday at 2 pm
  • Conclave Participants: Either Friday at 5:30 pm or Saturday at 2:30 pm

Perimeter – the most magical volunteer role

Have you ever volunteered for Perimeter? It’s the most magical experience — instead of watching the Burn, you get to watch the amazing faces of all the Burners. Please consider volunteering for this very special job, which makes the Burn possible for all of us.

To volunteer for Perimeter, check with the folks at the Info Booth in the Indaba.

Real Burners Carry Trash

LNT stands for “Leave No Trace.” This is why there are no trashcans at AfterBurn — you are expected to take everything with you, and to pick up any Matter Out of Place (aka Moop) you find as you walk about the property. Real Burners always have a couple of pieces of trash in their pockets!

How can you stay through Monday?

In addition to cleaning up your own camp, we need additional volunteers to stay over on Monday and help us restore the property to its original, wild state. Fill out the DPW form online, and then check in with Comrade Heathen when you arrive. The folks at the Info Booth can help you find her.

Grant Salon

The Grant Salon is in the Indaba at 5 pm on Friday. Hear what folks want to do to improve their communities and vote on who gets funding! It’s super-exciting!

Tool Drive

One of the first things you’ll see when you arrive is the Big Blue BWB Container. This container is destined for the Florida Keys, where it’s badly needed to help rebuild after Hurricane Irma. Bring tools to  help us supply the container, and if you’re making one last stop at Lowe’s, please pick up a few new tools for the project.

Community Dinner

The Community Dinner will be in the Indaba on Friday evening at 8 pm. We’ve got barbecue and all the fixin’s for everyone — just be sure to bring your plate, cup, and utensils. If you’d like to bring your own special dish to share, we’d love that!

Bob’s car was too full to bring pie. Could someone please bring pie?

Volunteer, painting in the shade

It’s never too late! Volunteering at the event

As the old saying goes, many hands make light work. So volunteers are always needed at the event! Please stop by the Info booth in the Indaba and find out how you can volunteer on site. Remember, not only does your volunteerism make you an awesome individual, but you’ll be rewarded when it comes time to buy tickets for the next event — volunteers get first crack at ticket sales.

Bob wuz hereOut of room? Leave your firewood behind!

Robl says there’s a giant pile of firewood on site, so if you don’t want to bring your own, you don’t have to.

It’s getting dark out here, and I have to set up my tent. And you need to be packing, not reading this blurb. How ’bout that?

 

 

Posted on

Blurb of Bob Vol. 1 No. 6 – 2017

Blurb of Bob

Blurb of Bob

Volume 1, Number 6
November 8, 2017

Hey, guys!

This new site has real critters, and you know what rhymes with hugs? BUGS! Pack your insect repellant and boots.
How ’bout that?
Bob

In this issue

  • Site map
  • Did we mention boots?
  • What to expect at the Gate
  • Ticket exchange
  • Unsupervised children will be given espresso and a puppy
  • Ice sales

Site map

AfterBurn site map
The AfterBurn site map

When you arrive, be prepared to wait at the Gate until the Placement Team can take you to your camping location. The Info Booth, located in The Indaba (top left corner of the map), will have a Theme Camp map to help you find your friends.

Did we mention boots?

This entire site will be considered by most Floridians as “Primitive”. This means, for the most part, unimproved natural, beautiful habitat. Wear boots and socks and have a bug plan for sunset – fire pits, mosquito coils, essential oils, or Deet if you don’t want to get eaten. Ant bait is a good idea, too.

We’ve seen a variety of flora and fauna onsite, from bobcats to deer to alligators to gopher turtles to snakes to birds. The center of the field (marked) is a bird sanctuary. Please do not take vehicles through the sanctuary, including golf carts. The area is very rough. Pedestrian traffic only.

Bring boots, hard-soled shoes or hiking boots. If you decide not to wear them, great. 

How ’bout that? Did we mention boots?

What to expect at the Gate

Gate hours are:

  • Friday, November 10: 8 am to midnight.
  • Saturday, November 11: 8 am to 6 pm.
  • Sunday, November 12: No entry. You must be packing up by 4 pm, and off the property by 7 pm.

AfterBurn is a no-reentry event. If you leave, you will not be allowed to return.

You know the saying, “The party starts at Greeters?” Be prepared to wait in the gate/greeter area to be placed — someone from Placement will take you to where you need to go. This is for your safety, and the safety of other participants. 

Ticket exchange

Do you have an extra ticket? Things are hopping over on the Facebook ticket exchange page, and you can easily find a new home for your ticket. To join the Facebook page, visit this link. Remember, when you transfer a ticket, the name on your ticket must match your government-issued ID. To change the name on a ticket, phone Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006.

Unsupervised children will be given espresso and a puppy

Sorry, no puppies at AfterBurn. That was just to get your attention.

Now that we have your attention, this one is serious: If you are planning to bring a child to AfterBurn, you must read the Minors policy on our website. The policy states that you must be prepared to supervise your child 100% of the time during the event: “All children must always be accompanied by a designated, responsible, sober adult.”

What should you do if find an unsupervised child? Get a Ranger.

Ice Sales

Ice will be available for purchase Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, and Saturday before dark. If there’s any left we’ll sell it Sunday. The cost is $3 a bag.

How ’bout that?

Bob

Posted on

Blurb of Bob Vol. 1 No. 5 – 2017

blurb of bob

blurb of bob

Volume 1, Number 5
November 6, 2017

Hey, guys!
Bob’s down in Bartow, getting the AfterBurn site ready for you. Over the past three weeks, it’s been transformed from an overgrown field in the central Florida wilderness to the site where our community will come together and co-create an art-filled event. I’m super-excited! From the views of the sunset to the natural amphitheater, I can’t stop thinking what this place will look like with 600 people bringing their best!

How ’bout that?
Bob

An urgent message from your Event Coordination Team!

This week, we need help with final site preparations. Anyone signing up for one of the following shifts is guaranteed a volunteer ticket +1 for the next event.

  • Today thru Wednesday: Infrastructure build crew to assist with core building and land beautification. If you have skills in lawn care, brush clearing, picking up sticks, raking sand, filling in holes, and building structures, we need you. We’d also like to get an area cleared out around the natural, sand-bottomed artesian spring so community members have a place to soak tired feet.
  • Tuesday: Indaba Setup Crew. Noon to 1 PM. We’re looking for a handful of people to help raise the tent in the field for the Indaba. Bonus points if you’d like to transition into a site build crew or land crew once you’re done in the field.
  • Tuesday thru Thursday: Stake crew. Assist DPW with placement of stakes and string to mark off gate, greeters, and parking areas as well as any places where people should stay away from such as drop-offs. If you’re handy with a hammer and know how to tie knots, this is for you.
  • Wednesday and Thursday: Paint Crew. Turn leftover plywood into signage and works of art. If you like to paint, we’re looking for those who know how to hold a paintbrush, draw lines, shapes, and letters.
  • Wednesday and Thursday thru Event: Effigy Crew. Help make sure that the effigy sites are ready for the event. Help spread piles of sand with tractors, rakes and shovels. At the event, be an Effigy Guardian to ensure that noobs don’t mess them up for others. Help with LNT after the effigies burn and rake the fresh sand over the burn areas so grass will grow there and it will look better than before.
  • Thursday and Friday: Placement crew. Directing people to the appropriate camp sites for open camping, primitive camping, RV camping, or theme camping. You need to be a licensed driver, we will provide the wheels. Basically, lots of driving around, explaining, and pointing. Be friendly and ready to answer the same questions over and over. Some periods of slow hanging around, interspersed with periods of great chaos!
  • Sunday evening thru Monday afternoon: Tear-down, LNT and Resto Crew. If you’d like to ensure that this beautiful land is left better than we found it, sign up for this shift. You’ll be making sure that there aren’t any fun burner toys left behind, getting the infrastructure packed away in a way that will make the next event run more smoothly and wrapped up with glee, instead of angst. We’ll be offsite by dark on Monday 11/13, and you’ll be home before bedtime.

If you would like to join any of these crews, please send your information using this Google form: https://goo.gl/forms/PSefBqNlR7Y3i2Oa2

When you fill out the form, you’ll get a confirmation email to verify your availability, and you’ll be assigned a team lead to check-in with on-site. You’ll also be able to ask any questions you may have about the process.

How ’bout that? I had no idea there was so much work involved in setting up the site! Be sure to thank your hard-working DPW Dogs and Event Coordinators when you see them. I’ll write more tomorrow, and I’ll see you all very soon! ~Bob