HullabalU is an all-ages event that upholds the ideals of the Burning Man Festival. It is a time when burners old and new can gather to discuss the burn season, make plans for future gatherings, and have a crazy good time with their burner family. Come celebrate with Midwest Burners and many, many others as we extend this social phenomenon into America's Heartland!
Haven't been to Burning Man? No worries! Many Midwest Burners have never been to Burning Man but are drawn to it because of the close friendships and spontaneous culture it produces. HullabalU has a very laid-back atmosphere that allows you to really get to know us. If you want to get a feel for the community ahead of time, please join our yahoo group and introduce yourself.
To become a member of Midwest Burners, register at our Membership & Event Registration site.
Midwest Burners is a Burning Man-inspired organization. As such, we strive to uphold our understanding of the 10 Principles.
- Radical Inclusion
- Anyone who desires to pursue this Association's values and purposes is welcome to participate. A person does not have to know a member of this Association or be from the Midwestern United States in order to join this Association. We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual preference, race, or religion.
- Leave No Trace
- We want to leave the environment, where we gather, in the same or better condition than when we arrived.
- Radical Self-Expression
- We believe in the freedom of each individual to express him or herself as that person sees fit. Self-expression is the essence of art. Self-expression is a gift to the community and is a part of our gift culture. The giver should keep this social context in mind and respect the rights and liberties of the recipients.
- Personal Responsibility and Self Sufficiency
- Personal freedom and happiness starts with the individual. We are committed to a Do-It-Yourself mind-set. The individual is primarily responsible for creating and maintaining his or her own reality.
- Participation
- Individual and communal happiness are achieved through personal participation. Our community is only as great and enjoyable as each person makes it. Participation is the Do-It-Yourself mind-set applied to the social realm. Everyone is welcome to work and play.
- Communal Effort
- We constantly work to improve and enrich our interaction with each other. We build and maintain an environment of creative cooperation and collaboration.
- Gift Culture
- We reject any form of commerce during our events. We focus instead on gift giving, which does not require a gift in return.
- Decommodification
- We are participants rather than consumers. Thus, we bar commercial sponsorships, transactions, and advertising from our social gatherings.
- Civic Responsibility
- While we value individual freedom, we realize that it exists within the context of society. Each member is responsible for the impact of his or her actions on the Association and society in general. We strive to avoid harming each other and to operate our events in accordance with local, state and federal laws.
- Immediacy
- We seek immediate experience of ourselves, each other, society, and the cosmos. We attempt to remove barriers to this experience. The pursuit of immediate experience underlies all of our other values and objectives.
InterRangers
The InterRangers are members of your community who have volunteered to facilitate the safety and well being of the HullabalU community. Modeled after the Black Rock Rangers of Burning Man, we are a non-confrontational mediating entity. We participate by practicing the Art of Rangering. We help our fellow community members find solutions to their problems. We're not cops and we're not your mamas! In fact, we have no real authority whatsoever other than the power of persuasion. We're here to help you find solutions. We're your first responders, with Medics, Firefighters, and Crisis Intervention Specialists in our crew.
We can be reached 24 hours a day at our HQ, by radio, or you can find us strolling around in our stylish green InterRanger shirts.
Joining the Ranger Crew
As an InterRanger, you'll spend the vast majority of your shift getting to know our fellow Burners. It's a great way to meet people, educate them on who we are and gain their trust so they'll come to us when needed.
Since we serve a first responder role, our crew is strengthened by the presence of people with special skills and training. While not required for InterRangering, special skills and training are highly appreciated and valued.
Are you a First Responder, EMT, LPN, RN, NP, PA, or MD? The citizens of HullabalU may need your skills! Be an on-call Medic or combine your skills with the Art of Rangering.
Do you have an NFPA Firefighter Certificate or other related professional training? Your skills will come in handy keeping everyone safe during the effigy burn and other sculpture burns.
Regional Burns usually bring out the best in people. Occasionally, the survival environment can be extremely stressful. Couples can face difficulties, people may witness a trauma and individuals may abuse alcohol, etc. Whether trained in psychology, social work or willing to do 12-Step work, you could make the difference in someone's weekend, or even their lives. We're not necessarily looking for you to have some graduate degree. Sometimes the School of Hard Knocks is your best resource.
Requirements
Shift duration is 2 hours per shift. Everyone, including specially skilled InterRangers, will be expected to work at least one shift in addition to helping maintain the burn perimeter at the effigy burn on Saturday night. The Lead Ranger may also develop flexible on call shifts for medically skilled InterRangers. Additionally, we require you work your shift sober. The Lead Ranger will meet with volunteers at the event to orient them to radio procedures, safety, and Ranger philosophy.
All InterRangers except people involved in the Pre-Burn Ceremony need to help maintain the perimeter at the Main Burn.