My first CLAW experience was the Leather Getaway Weekend in Los Angeles. The Pup & I were pulling into our driveway when I saw an ad on Recon regarding the L.A. event (Which I’ve heard called “La Claw,” a wonderful reframing of the event’s name.). Excitedly, we created accounts & began perusing the site for its offerings.

Speed dating, dinners, sling rentals, dance parties, it was just the thing we needed after being cloistered away for two years no thanks to a bastard of a virus. All of these things could be yours for a pretty hefty price tag that was discouraging as the Pup & I aren’t exactly Scrooge McDucking into piles of gold.

Fortunately, the folx at CLAW were offering & continue to offer attendees options to lower your registration fee to as little as $1.

(SIR gesturing to an empty auditorium.) “How?,” you say?

Well, it’s simple: You get a lot by giving back through volunteering. That was how we were able to afford to go. We also opted for all the dinners which I’ll touch on later. I want focus on the volunteer aspect.

One of many ways we, in the Leather Community, give back is by signing up & showing up to help put on events, raise funds & support our fellows. CLAW is no exception & requires a massive amount of support to happen. From facilities to badge checks to providing security to helping the vendors, there’s a job for everything and everyone willing to give time & energy, a little or a lot.

Volunteering is also a great way to connect with others; last year, I met a boy who I got to share a great scene with on the last day. I vetted him as we passed each other in the halls & set up a date at the last play party. I’ve kept in touch with Henry who was not able to make it this year but there are hopes we will meet again soon.

In the past, I chose to go the easier route; that is, I volunteered for more administrative work (i.e., registration). It went well until I had some bad experiences with irritable attendees that really put me in an bad space. Most recently, I’ve chosen to help with set up & tear down as well as loading in & out of the VendorMart. The latter was what went down for CLAW 25.

The big draw of doing the harder work was that I could get my volunteer hours out of the way before AND after main CLAW events instead of peppering hours here and there throughout the weekend increasing the likelihood of missing a class or event. Because it is hard work, more help is needed & I enjoy getting physical, getting sweaty & musky while having the opportunity to wield dangerous cutting tools. I thrive in that environment, that type of work because I know how to use my hands & I love helping out with the heavy lifting. When it’s done, my scraped knuckles & aching buttocks tell me I did my part in making CLAW happen.

That all said, there are a few things I observed regarding the volunteer side of things with a focus on the facilities and loading/unloading aspects:

• CLAW needs new coordinators. When the Pup and I checked in for our load-in shift, we were passed on to no more than four people in the span of five minutes. From facilities lead to the VendorMart lead to two folx sitting on a flatbed golf cart, it wasn’t clear who our “boss” was nor was it clear HOW we were going to accomplish the task of bringing vendors’ wares down. I’ve run into this before at CLAW 24, it ultimately was up to me to figure out what I should be doing. I helped with the VendorMart and did some site setup but was often left on my own as it was nearly impossible trying to track down a lead. I get that they’re busy but being available for volunteers is the bare minimum of supporting one’s team.
• CLAW did not have equipment for us to use. The load-in crew was tasked with helping vendors unload at the conference center curb meaning we’d be hauling bins, bags, and more down a set of stairs or the ADA-compliant ramp. All well and good; however, there was nothing provided for us to safely and efficiently do so. Some team members carried heavy bins down stairs nearly blind. Eventually, carts and dollies were found but, as the shift progressed, the Pup and I were the only two up at the curb waiting for vendors with the ONE dolly we managed to commandeer and hold on to. As we waited, we directed incoming attendees to the CLAW entry, doing what the sheet of yellow notepad paper taped to the front was trying to do. Other load-in members presumably were put to work helping to set up vendor booths, we were not given directions to do so.
• CLAW is trying, it really is. I strive to provide my observations with objectivity with opinions here and there. It’s not a goal for me to bag on CLAW as there are many, many other aspects of the event that it excels at. It’s just that there are many, many other things that CLAW can improve on. CLAW is one of the few events out there that I know off that provide education along with a host of great Leather and Kink events. It’s trying and it does so with the help of countless folx willing to step up to lend a hand or paw. That said, it could help if CLAW reviews the structure of its operations and perhaps implement a chain of command for facilities rather than putting the entire responsibility on a few people. Also, clarity of WHO is supposed to be in charge would be good; this would be accomplished if leads could perhaps stay in a central location and delegate tasks from it. A command center, if you will, rather than forcing volunteers to wander around looking for “the tall guy with the radio” or “the guy with the hair way back in the VendorMart.“

Lessons Learned

Below are some lessons learned from CLAW 25; again, I’m coming from a load-in/-out perspective but this applies to anything volunteer-related.

• Reduce or eliminate your registration fees by volunteering. Depending on the amount of time you’re willing to give, you can get into CLAW for free or, like the Pup and I, for $1. The stipulations change slightly every year so review the options available. It’s a great way to save money, give back, and still enjoy CLAW.
• Use your talents to make CLAW a memorable experience. Whether it’s behind the scenes or serving as a frontline person, there’s a position for you. Registration, badge checks, clothing check, skills and education monitors, photographers, and facilities; all these areas and more are available to you. As someone who enjoys being physical, hauling tables and using hand tools were up my alley so I went for it. I just wish I’d brought my work gloves but scraped knuckles are no big deal for me.
• You will be missing CLAW events when you volunteer. Review the event schedule before selecting your shifts. I chose Load-in/-out shifts because they were in higher demand and required fewer shifts to fulfill my volunteer commitment. This left most of CLAW open for attendance. If you choose positions that require shifts in the middle of the day, know that you will miss events. That’s part of it, the price of giving back.
• Register early so you can get your preferred shifts. If you know what you want to do, register as early as possible so you can get your shift preferences. Spots can fill up fast for the most desirable or easiest jobs. If you get to it later or last-minute, you’ll need to take what you can get. Also, if you register and need to change your shift, it’s best to do that as soon as possible so CLAW can make changes on their end.
• Volunteering is largely thankless but worth it. One of the hard parts is that volunteering can be thankless. You may complete your shift with no expression of thanks from CLAW staff. You may miss the free food voucher or not make it to the volunteer lounge. You might spend your shift on your own apart from the rest of the team. In these instances, keep in mind that you’re doing your part to help put on a great event and CLAW does appreciate it. When I’ve felt that pang of, “Well, shit, what am I doing this for if I don’t get at least a nod?,” I remember that there are benefits for giving my time, it being that I was able to get into CLAW and all its offerings for the mere price of $1.