As I'm in my first year of marshalling, here's my view, for what it's worth, on arriving into marshalling.
First off, I had often watched marshals at work on race coverage, thought "that looks interesting" but just assumed it would be some sort of over-subscribed club which you wouldn't be able to get into unless you could trace your family lineage straight back to the Bentley Boys.
I'm sure I'm not the only person who thought that, and in my view, this is probably the biggest myth to dispel.
Once I did find out I would be more than welcome, the MGCC made it very easy for me to turn up and have a go, and I've been back for more since.
Here I think is the second crucial point. I don't think it matters what the clubs or the MSA do at that point, since far more important for me was simply to enjoy myself on the day! Without exception the people I've been on post with have been open, welcoming and willing to share their own knowledge of what's going on. This was absolutely vital on a less than interesting post at Thruxton, since with not a single need to move onto the track all day, it was great to have people to talk to!
What am I saying there? I'm OK, as I'll merrily wander into any conversation, but for someone a little less confident, I would imagine the fact that everyone else on post seems to have known each other for years, it might be quite daunting. Some sort of mentor for the first couple of meets would be useful.
Finally, the lunch break! Someone made the point to me at the MGCC meet at Brands that they were an exception in insisting on a lunch break for marshals, and not to get used to it. They also advised a packed lunch and a folding chair so that even a 20 minute break would result in food and a sit down! On the one day I forgot the packed lunch, the 25 minute break was a disaster. On the other days, I've been perfectly happy with a short break to munch down some sandwiches before the next race. Make sure people know what to expect in reality, and are prepared for it, and I personally don't have a problem. At the end of the day, I'm there to see the racing as much as the next man!
Maybe I haven't seen enough of the problems yet to see a need for major change, but after 5 meetings, the only thing that is causing me major frustration is the wait until next year's timetables come out, and I can book up for more!
