Sign Up to Volunteer with the Blue Stars!

VOLUNTEERS HELP OUR MEMBERS FULFILL THEIR DREAMS

To put it simply, the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps would not exist without the dedication of volunteers. Since our founding in 1964, thousands of individuals have donated countless hours in a tireless effort to provide a unique and unforgettable experience for our marching members. As we continue the legacy they fostered, we seek to build and refine the volunteer experience, providing a positive and devoted team to support the Blue Stars both on and off the field.

2025 VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

We utilize an online service called Sign Up Genius to coordinate our volunteer schedule. Please check for open volunteer positions, compare it with your availability, and check the Blue Stars Performance Schedule for tour dates & locations.

• Visit www.bluestars.org/volunteer to find more information and links for Sign Up Genius!

• Reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator by emailing volunteer@bluestars.org if you have any questions or concerns!

THE VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

As a Blue Stars’ volunteer, you can expect to have fun, to enjoy the drum corps activity, and to work hard… very hard. There can be no misunderstanding, drum corps volunteering is demanding. Much like the members rehearsing and performing on the field every day, volunteers work long hours behind the scenes to ensure our members have a smooth, safe, and worry-free summer.

In between your volunteering duties, you will have opportunities to watch rehearsals, to attend drum corps shows, and to share in the ups and downs of the season. While in the bubble of tour, it can be very easy to lose perspective and forget that our job is to make sure the needs of the members and the organization are met. Tour can be a very stressful place. Lack of sleep, extreme temperatures, vehicle breakdowns, unexpected scores, and other challenges can make it easy for negativity to creep in and to poison the atmosphere. It’s imperative that all volunteers work diligently to maintain a positive environment – even in the face of adversity. Enjoy the experience!

Moreover, we live in very close proximity while on tour. We ask that you please use your very best judgment when making comments regarding the members, staff, other volunteers, the scores, or corps in general (ours or other teams). Also, we ask that you respect the design team’s creative decisions and recognize that they are working to produce an entertaining and competitively successful show and to create an enjoyable experience for the members as well. Genuine concerns about issues on the road should be brought to the attention of the corps’ leadership and administration.

We respect other drum corps and recognize that our goals are one in the same - providing a life-changing experience for the performers - even if we are, at times, in competition.

Above all, we ask that you have fun, enjoy the volunteering experience, and remember that the Blue Stars strive to provide a positive and enriching experience for everyone involved. We serve to make the members have an amazing experience!

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?

Sleeping Gear:

• Pillow

• Sheets and a blanket OR a sleeping bag - your choice

• Sleep clothes (layers)

• Air mattress / sleeping pad (if staying inside housing site)

Toiletries & Showering Gear:

• Shower Shoes

• Bath Towel (quick dry is best)

• Shampoo / Conditioner / Soap

• Toothbrush & Toothpaste

• Deodorant

• Medication (please have prescriptions filled BEFORE joining the corps)

• Sunscreen

Other:

• WiFi is not always available and phone service can be spotty

• Bus Bag - Backpack or bag to keep items you may need overnight on the bunkhouse (your suitcase will be under the bunkhouse or in a trailer behind the bunkhouse)

• Day Bag - Backpack or bag if you need to bring items to Café during the day

• A book or something to do if there is downtime and you choose to not watch rehearsal

• Reusable water bottle

SLEEPING ACCOMMODATIONS

We do our best to provide adequate sleeping arrangements for our volunteers during overnight events including Camps, Spring Training, and while on Tour. Depending on location, sleeping accommodations may include a bed, but for some camps we may only be able to provide a room to set up your gear (cot, inflatable mattress, sleeping bag, etc.).

If volunteering during the DCI Tour, volunteers may be able to secure a bunk on the volunteer entertainer coach, depending on availability. If entertainer bunks are unavailable, a room in the corps housing site will be designated for volunteer sleeping accommodations. 

We will do our very best to communicate your sleeping accommodations prior to your arrival as a volunteer. Please email volunteer@bluestars.org to confirm your sleeping arrangements. On rare occasions sleeping accommodations may change unexpectedly, so your preparedness and flexibility is much appreciated.

JOINING THE CORPS ON THE ROAD

As you determine your volunteer availability, please plan ahead and communicate your travel arrangements to the corps administration listed below. If you need a shuttle from an airport, bus station, etc., we will try our best to pick you up at your location. Please coordinate your transportation plans with the Director of Organizational Leadership, Tour Director, or Volunteer Coordinator, so you may arrive and depart at a mutually convenient time and location.

If you are traveling to meet the corps on tour, you may have to wait for the corps to arrive at your location. We will provide shuttle transportation within a reasonable distance from the corps’ location. We ask that you please be patient as unexpected delays can occur while the corps is traveling down the road.

When you arrive to volunteer while on the road, please go first to the food truck. The food truck is usually where most volunteers are located and is always bustling with activity. Once there, other volunteers or staff can direct you to corps administration who can help facilitate finding your sleeping amenities, confirm job responsibilities, etc.

COMMUNICATION

Open, friendly, and honest communication is essential to have a positive volunteer experience and to provide the members with an enriching season. From communicating travel plans to asking any questions about volunteering for the corps, we strive to create an open and friendly environment.

It is important to inform the right leadership personnel - in a timely manner - if you observe a questionable situation. We want to minimize gossip and to maintain individual privacy and the overall morale of the organization. Also, we want to prevent a situation from being blown out of proportion.

VOLUNTEER EXPECTATIONS

• AGE REQUIREMENTS : 18 years and older. Minors must be accompanied by a parent/guardian and will travel in one of the corps’ vans instead of the entertainer coaches

• THE CORPS WILL PROVIDE FOOD, LODGING, AND TRAVEL ACCOMMODATIONS WHILE VOLUNTEERS TRAVEL WITH THE CORPS

• THE BLUE STARS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHER PERSONAL EXPENSES (i.e. food on free days, travel, medical, traffic fines, etc.)

• DRIVING CORPS VEHICLES :

• Anyone driving a Blue Stars vehicle must be at least 25 years old

• Prior approval by our insurance provider is required

• We require a photocopy of driver’s license

• BACKGROUND CHECKS :

  All adult staff and volunteers must go through a criminal background check and be cleared for before working with the members. The Blue Stars background check policy requires a check if you meet any of the below conditions:

• You are staying overnight in the same facility as the corps OR are traveling overnight in a corps’ vehicle

• You are volunteering for more than 24 consecutive hours with the corps OR are volunteering for 2 or more consecutive days, even if you are not sleeping or traveling with the group

• Yearly background checks are required by DCI and the Blue Stars.

  • Upon signup, a link for the background check will be provided to you by the Volunteer Coordinator or the head of the area in which you are volunteering. For additional questions regarding your background check or to confirm the date of your last completed background check, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator.

LEADERSHIP

The Blue Stars organization and leadership team cares about you and hopes that you have a positive and rewarding experience. If you have any questions or concerns that you believe need to be addressed by corps administration, please communicate with any of the following personnel:

• Cory Jones, Volunteer Coordinator - volunteer@bluestars.org

• Sue Wilson, Culinary Director - sue@bluestars.org

• Lizzie Miller, Director of Organizational Leadership - lizzie@bluestars.org 

• Brad Harris, Corps Director - director@bluestars.org

• Brad Furlano, Executive Director - brad@bluestars.org

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?

Visit www.bluestars.org to learn more about how you can help support the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. 

For information about volunteering needs and important dates, please visit www.bluestars.org/volunteer 

OTHER QUESTIONS?

Please feel free to direct any other questions regarding volunteering opportunities to volunteer@bluestars.org