Crew Leaders

Welcome to the Crew Leader Home Page!

Below you will find all pages and documents you'll need to fulfill your role as a Crew Leader.
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Qualifications:

  • Complete COTA training program (or receive exemption).

  • 1-2 years of prior trail work experience.

  • Basic trail knowledge in all aspects of trail maintenance, hand building new trails, finish work behind machines on machine built new trail construction, and managing people with positive attitude and appreciation of volunteer work.​

  • Must be a current dues-paying COTA member.

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​Interested in becoming a crew leader? Contact us: Here

Training Dates:

March 13: Crew Leader Kick off

April 1: Trail Maintenance 101 - Crook County

April 11: First Aid class - $20 per person: 4p - 8p at the bunker

April 22: Trail Maintenance 101 - Redmond

April 24: Trail Maintenance 101 - Sisters

April 26: First Aid class - $20 per person: 9a - 1p at the bunker

May 13: Trail Maintenance 101 - SoDeCo

May 27: Trail Maintenance 101 - Bend

Tentative: October 25 - 26: Trail School Training

*Subject to change - Watch for information on MeetUp or email us Here

Expectations

You represent COTA when leading crews. How you act is as important as the work you do. Treat everyone with respect.

  • Be a model of safety and trail etiquette.

  • Participate in at least one Trail Love event each year.

  • Participate in and/or lead at least 4 regularly-scheduled work events each year.

  • Complete regular maintenance on trails (Brushing, drainage, treadwork).

  • May lead specialized work after consultation with your staff liaison (Trails Program Director for Crook County, Redmond, Madras, and Sisters; Trails Program Coordinator for Bend and SoDeCo). Such work may include rock work, trail realignment, trail design, machine work, jump building and repair, wooden technical feature inspection and repair, etc.

  • Participate in at least one training opportunity per year.

  • Support and educate volunteers while doing trail work to grow their skills.

  • Log all individual volunteer hours and trail work event hours.

Conduct

  • You represent COTA when doing trail work and leading crews.

  • Treat everyone with respect, including yourself.

  • Remain calm and professional no matter how other people act.

  • Protect COTA’s reputation by behaving in a manner befitting it.

  • Be a model of safety and trail etiquette.

  • We are here to have fun, get to know people, and get work completed.

  • Support new volunteers with a positive learning environment.

If another person’s actions or comments make you feel disrespected:

  • Speak to them about it, if you can do so in a respectful way.

  • Discuss it with your staff liaison. They will escalate it to the Executive Director if necessary.

Responsibilities

All trail work must be pre-approved by that chapter’s staff liaison prior to doing work. In particular, don’t plan a work project on a trail in another chapter without talking to your staff liaison.

  • Ensure trail work conforms with the existing character of the trail.

  • Don’t modify or disparage someone else’s trail work. Talk to the person about it, if you can do so respectfully, and come to a mutual agreement on any changes, or talk to your staff liaison.

  • No one adopts or owns a particular trail. We work as a team to scout and divide work according to skill, interest, and availability. That said, people do concentrate on particular trails and develop deep knowledge of those trails. Coordinate with your staff liaison to avoid stepping on someone’s toes.

Disrespect will not be tolerated and disregard of the above, particularly the Responsibilities and Conduct, is grounds for dismissal as a Crew Leader.