Marshalling - to avoid hijacking the ACC sportive thread

[quote="Rob C"][quote="Snoop Doug"]
We passed an amend to Rule 12 at the last AGM which now obliges all racing members to marshal/support a minimum of 2 events every season. All non racing members (people who do the club run or other ACC organised events) are obliged to do a minimum of one event each season.

[Rob C]

A few points for me personally and some questions:
1 - I only joined last year
2 - The first I heard of the AGM was virtually when it was held whilst looking at Facebook (I probably missed the email/announcement for that).
3 - Were the AGM minutes sent out via email, post etc? I get emails about the club dinner but nothing for the AGM
4 - Does the club offer extra support to those that represent the club other then at the CR?

Cheers

[kieran]

Snoop, whats the punishment for failing to do your bit? Not that I won't as 2 events is not much when you consider that some members seem to be at almost every one!

Rob, marshalling a road race is like being a spectator and if weather is good can be a nice lazy day as they only come around the course every so often, note the ACC crystal Palace race and MTB/cyclo-cross races are also easy events to marshal and can be exciting as well. Time trials are not as much fun as usually early in the day and you get a constant stream of TTers so no relaxing and also can be stuck on roundabouts. If you are lucky you might be doing the start/end or HQ for the TT.

[richv]

[quote="Rob C"]A few points for me personally and some questions:
1 - I only joined last year
2 - The first I heard of the AGM was virtually when it was held whilst looking at Facebook (I probably missed the email/announcement for that).
3 - Were the AGM minutes sent out via email, post etc? I get emails about the club dinner but nothing for the AGM
4 - Does the club offer extra support to those that represent the club other then at the CR?

Cheers

[Andrew G]

Rich, I recall it was a forum sticky for a number of weeks prior to the AGM.

Kieran, Off the top of my head the punishment as such is that you will be asked not to compete in any events, or partake in ACC organised event, in Addiscombe colours until your marshalling requirement has been filled. Obviously this would not stop someone competing in plain colours, or just being a belligerent so-and-so and carrying on regardless, but that is not an agreeable thing to do.

Regarding marshalling, yes TTs can be early starts but it isn't as though we are asked to do it every week. The issue was largely raised as the same people seem to end up doing all events, and the organiser finds looking for marshalls like searching for hen's teeth.

With a membership the size of Addiscombe's (c250) the reality is that everyone's name in the hat then you would possibly only be needed once a year, or every other year. The club run has been above, or close to, 100 at least half a dozen times in 2007, and even in grotty weather 50-60 is common, yet getting 10 or 12 people to marshal a handful of events was always a last minute completion through pressgang putting the organiser(s) under additional stress.

Hope that gives a bit of background Rob.

As far as I know competing members are always asked to do a little bit extra and the ACC marshalling requirement is akin to others. As Rich says the club pays a number of subscriptions to various bodies and you are allowed to compete in their events by virtue of being a member of a subscribing club. You can often enter as a "private" member but have to pay a personal subscription to those bodies.

Snoop/Rich/PVT - Do you have a copy of the revised wording that was agreed at the AGM? Can you send it to me and I'll put it in an Announcement at the top of the forum under a heading of "ACC Membership Requirement". That way people will be fully aware of it and we can point new members towards it.

[Paul H]

[quote]We passed an amend to Rule 12 at the last AGM which now obliges all racing members to marshal/support a minimum of 2 events every season. All non racing members (people who do the club run or other ACC organised events) are obliged to do a minimum of one event each season.

[MJ_1993]

Will I have to marshal?

[Marek]

It seems to me that there is no way of enforcing this. If people don't race, then why would they give two hoots about not being allowed to race and the like. Therefore they are unlikely to marshall.

Paul, I know what you are implying, why is it that racing members of such a big club have to find themselves sitting out of races that they could be in as they have to marshall.

Well, considering the racing members get the benefit of racing most of the rest of the year, I think that they should actually be the first port of call for marshalling and promoting events. I know it can be boring relative to actually racing, but am sure if we arranged some kind of ride/mess about race after an event where a number of us marshalled we would still get a good workout. I think most clubs do this and actually we get off quite lightly, SWRC do quite a lot and they do a morning and afternoon race, that is quite tough.

The racing members also have more experience etc of what is required as will have had first hand experience of being a rider in these events.

As there is no way of forcing people that don't race I expect it to be the racers and usual faces that will have to make sure they marshall the required number of events. I think it is nice to have own riders in a club promoted race, but the reality is that this should be seen as a 'nice to have' as opposed to an expectation. We should firstly see the ACC promotions as where we are undertaking our annual marshalling duties.

Therefore in my opinion racers should not really target the ACC race as where to do well, this should be where you give something back and marshall.

Cheers

Marek....

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Getting people to volunteer for marshalling etc is like pulling teeth, and when 250 odd people are benefitting from the club's facilities in one way or another, is it too much to expect a little on return?

I don't want to play the "sympathy" card, but last year I promoted the road race, lap-scored the cyclo cross, completed result board in the 25, helped at Beastway and the 10, attended committee meetings, took the minutes, as well as being road race and rollersand social secretary post, completing a Gazette that was sent to everyone, taking extended rides on Saturdays, organising the Club Dinner, and a stalwart of the (successful) ACC darts team, and more besides.

I do these jobs because I am passionate about ACC and someone has to do them. If more volunteers came forward, I could get out on my bike a bit more!!!

The rationale behind the club's rule was decided at committee and considered (and amended) at the AGM to find it's way into the rule book for the forthcoming year. There can be much debate as to the rights and wrongs, but let's give it a go, and see how it works in practice, then come along to next year's AGM and fine tune it if necessary.

One last thing, Marek - I disagree with your final point - my view is that ACC should be able to provide sufficient bodies that those who want to race in an ACC race do so. I would much rather an ACC rider wins the road race etc and a road race rider will have plenty of other opportunities to help (cyclo cross for example, when it would probably be down time). NB Surrey League rules are quite clear - enough helpers or no club riders.

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="mrP(Boonen)VT"]Getting people to volunteer for marshalling etc is like pulling teeth, and when 250 odd people are benefitting from the club's facilities in one way or another, is it too much to expect a little on return?

The rationale behind the club's rule was decided at committee and considered (and amended) at the AGM to find it's way into the rule book for the forthcoming year. There can be much debate as to the rights and wrongs, but let's give it a go, and see how it works in practice, then come along to next year's AGM and fine tune it if necessary.

[Brian Nolan]

I was a marshall at one event early last year & quite enjoyed it !
I was on a corner with Hal and Brian Robinson and we had a good chat about all things cycling in between laps . We were talking to an injured ( or recovering from injury), racer - think it was ' Tony ' ?
anyway - I would be happy to marshall again if I'm not away slogging up some hill or other !
cheers,

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

That was the JB Smith Memorial road race at the end of March.

I'll put you down for this year then, thanks

[Brian Nolan]

no problem Paul - baggsy same corner again !
well that's one of me days taken care of ...

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

Nice one Brian, just need another 30 and we're sorted.

I've ordered a lovely sunny day so you'll be alright on that corner.

[Paul H]

Where is the ACC road race this year?