Volunteer Your help is invited... and needed!

Since its inception in 1963, the Mandarins have been sponsored by an all-volunteer Booster Club of parents and other supporters. It is their tireless support which helps the Mandarins achieve continued success as a positive youth organization. The Mandarins program is fortunate to have support from many parents and friends who donate their time and talents to the success of the program.

The Mandarins thrives because of the generous support given by parents, friends and alumni. There are many opportunities available to help, including Bingo, kitchen crew at camps and on tour, truck driving, uniform fitting and alteration, and equipment repair. If you can help out, please contact the Corps' Executive Director, Ray Mar.

Kitchen crew/chaperoning is both hard work and a wonderful and rewarding experience. You will plan, shop for, and prepare meals, rising before the members each morning to prepare breakfast and getting to bed after meal plans are organized for the next day. You help with minor medical issues, repair and cleaning of uniforms on the big tour, and function as pit crew on show days. You become an integral part of the behind the scenes preparations, and see how the members put together their fabulous shows.

Truck driving is a critical part of supporting the Mandarins. The trucks and trailer carry all of the members' performance equipment as well as food supplies and cooking equipment. You will always be driving with another volunteer driver, and you usually will be in a convoy of trucks and buses. Your ordinary valid driver's license is all that is required. Veteran drivers will give you an orientation to the pleasures of driving. If you are interested, talk to Executive Director, Ray Mar.

Host Families We often have members who come from a distance-Nevada, Southern California, Hawaii, Japan, etc. These members need a place to stay when they come for rehearsals. Do you have the space and the willingness to support a member (or 2 or 3) with a home away from home? We need host families for non-residential weekend camps and for the approximately 4-week West Coast season from early June to mid-July. Please talk to the Housing Coordinator, Robin Cole at 916-686-6416.

Bingo

Twice weekly sessions of Bingo at Mayhew Bingo Center provide most of the Mandarins' operating costs. The Saturday afternoon and Monday evening shifts are each about 5 hours long. Your help keeps our Bingo profitable and the Corps in good financial health.

We train you and the work is easy to learn. You'll have fun and meet other Mandarins members, parents and boosters! To work, contact Bingo manager, Janet Wong, at 916-421-4052 or email janbucky@comcast.net to sign up; you cannot just show up. Volunteers must be 18 or over.