A Club Duty Swap Isn't Finished When Someone Suggests a Name
By Proximatic
Alex can't do Saturday's Duty lead job and asks Erin to take it. Erin is an approved lead and looks free that morning. While they're arranging it, another coordinator puts Erin on coaching.
If Erin's name goes straight into the duty schedule, the club has traded one gap for another. Agree the replacement before changing the assignment, using the current schedule to check who can take the whole duty.
Member-run clubs often put that responsibility on the person who needs cover. Broadwater Sailing Club asks unavailable members to arrange a swap; Chanonry Sailing Club restricts swaps to the same duty role. The replacement has to be someone who can do the work.
Start with the two Saturdays you need covered
Suppose the club needs a Duty lead and a Helper, 9am–noon, on November 7 and 14. The lead opens the clubhouse and runs the session. Each member has supplied the hours they can attend, and the club has approved them for their duties.
| Date | Duty lead | Helper |
|---|---|---|
| November 7, 9am–noon | Alex | Blair |
| November 14, 9am–noon | Casey | Devon |
When changes come through in separate messages, you have to piece together who's covering each duty and whether another job has been added since you last checked.
A proposed name still leaves you arranging cover
Agree the replacement
Check the whole duty before changing the name.
November 7 · 9am–noon
Erin suggested
Approved lead, but coaching from 10–11am.
Ask Casey
Approved lead. Can attend the full duty.
Casey agrees
Update Duty lead and let Alex know.
Casey and Blair cover November 7. Alex is released from the duty.
While Alex is asking Erin, the November 7 lead duty still needs cover. Blair remains the Helper.
Before you put Erin into that lead place, the coaching assignment comes to light: 10–11am on the same Saturday. Erin can't lead the full 9am–noon session while coaching for an hour in the middle.
Casey is another approved lead and can attend November 7. Casey's existing duty is on November 14, so the two dates work together. Ask Casey to take the extra Saturday. Casey agrees, and you update the schedule.
Now the November 7 crew is Casey and Blair. Alex is released from the duty.
Make the change easy for everyone to follow
Send Casey the complete duty details and tell Alex that cover is arranged:
Updated club duty — Saturday 7 November, 9am–noon. Casey, you're now Duty lead. Meet at the clubhouse entrance at 9am; opening and closing are included. Contact the duty coordinator if anything changes.
Keep the schedule and cover together in Proximatic
In Proximatic, set up the Lead and Helper jobs with their times and places. Add the approved teams and available hours, run free Auto-Schedule, and review the roster.
Saturday club duties
For a later vacancy like Alex's, use Find cover to find someone who fits that duty. Agree the replacement and assign them; the other duties stay in place.
Prepare the next duty period with current availability. If helpers can choose their own places, you can also combine assigned leads with helper signup.