Serious question

[EvilPumpkin]

I've known it to happen. It's hard to strike a balance when you do have a crew that are used to being out together. I have to say I've been lucky in that respect, because I've always got marshals that are more than willing to bring you up to date on "in jokes" and tell you their war stories so you get assimilated pretty quickly.

[EvilPumpkin]

arrrgh - and the moral of this story is don't press the quote button when you really want the edit button.

I need more coffee!

[flaggie1]

EP have sent you a few suggestions about what you pm'ed me about. Sounds like your having some sleepless nights.

[EvilPumpkin]

LOL - thanks for that flaggie - no I don't let it keep me awake nights - that would be giving it way to much power over me. I need more coffee simply because I'm not a morning person and I don't function well without at least 2 cups of coffee circulating

[Marshal]

Originally posted by Bodysnatcher

and how easily do new crew fit into this cozy picture?

I remember a few days where a regular crew were less than welcoming to an outsider.....

Its a good point. I generally don't believe in working with a set group, for that reason, but if you end up with a good crowd, you do end up becoming much closer.

I agree it important to encourage anyone new or "different" and try to do so.

[NotLordPercy]

May a new comer to this august body put a point of view?? This question of 'amateurs' providing their services free to enable others to enjoy themselves always intrigues me.

I want to have a pleasant day out amongst friends that I know, trust and like. I still do , almost invariably and when I don't, I shall stop ( and probably regret it immediately).

We welcome new marshals ..some like our atmosphere and ask to work with us in the future. Others you have nothing in common with at all and they will move on until they feel comfortable with another .

I just toss these thoughts into the general discussion as I dip my proverbial toe into these waters.

[EvilPumpkin]

BURN THE HERETIC!!!! Oh wait - he's a marshal, he's fireproof...

Just kidding Martin - all very good points and well made

[Stephen Green]

Welcome to the forum Martin and some good points made there. I think the gist of the previous conversation was a little along the lines that it is possible to get 'elitist' groups when you find the same marshals working together time after time. It started to happen at Brands Hatch a few years ago and the problem is that other marshals who want to work on a particular post are prohibited from doing so by the 'regulars' as it were. My personal opinion is that a mix somewhere between the two extremes is a good thing. If you have a particular friend you wish to marshal with, then I think it should be accomodated where possible, but to have a whole team regularly doing one post to the exclusion of all others is detrimental to the team spirit that we try to encourage. In the end it comes down to how the Chief Marshal wants to handle the situation, each will do it a different way from another.

Once again a warm welcome to ten-tenths and I hope you will become a regular contributer to the marshals forum.

Stephen.

[flaggie1]

hey EP, i spoke to a fellow marshall the other night and he said that track safety like bad positioning of points, unsafe track, unsafe cars. would be the only reason.


P.S. did you check out the website.

[EvilPumpkin]

Hi flaggie - didn't get a chance yet but I will

[pinki]

Stephen, I think we had it just about right on Post Five, a regular core of marshals and a handful of people who were new or had never done the post before.

I learnt a lot and also made a some very good friends on that post and that's why it's so close to my heart.

I do miss the old days sometimes but when I think of everyone involved it's good to see that they are all still marshalling and have gone onto become some of the best in the business.

I mean, even the 'old I/O' made Observer in the end

Yours, swinging the lamp,

[Stephen Green]

I think you are right Keith, most of the 'crowd' have gone on to bigger and better things!

[NotLordPercy]

On the same post ..not good for crew , club or morale of new marshals. Nucleus of friends who trust each other in emergencies and share the same generic sense of humour ( and the ridiculous!) is good.

But new posts and new challenges at each meeting stops complacency. And by all means add newcomers to the mix regularly..as I say, some will stick and others will drift off to other crews with whom they feel more at ease. We must make sure they keep returning ; we can ill afford to lose new and keen marshals.

PS thanks for the words of encouragement

PPS Just how do I add icons...there is such a variety that are crying out for insertion....

[Stephen Green]

Scroll down and click on the blue word 'smilies' at the bottom left of the page ok?

[pinki]

We'll have to catch up on Monday Stephen and chew the cud

[Stephen Green]

See you in the Kentagon for breakfast Keith?

[pinki]

Or Hailwoods, depends where signing on is ???

[Stephen Green]

OK

[EvilPumpkin]

Originally posted by EvilPumpkin
I'm not going to discuss the issues on this site for a number of reasons - not least of which is that my posts are being monitored by certain people and I simply can't deal with yet another mish mash of misreported **** being thrown back at me by people who haven't even read the post - presumably because they'd rather believe what they're told than actually check the facts - but that's another story.

And a big hi there and hello goes out to Mr. EG for totally vindicating me on this by doing precisely what I've outlined above.

Well done.

[Teletubby]

EPW, I guess you used to be paranoid but now they're just out to get you! ;0)

Seriously though, don't let the b******s grind you down, just smile sweetly and ignore them. Do what I did, move disciplines! Go join the donut eaters! :0)

Keep your chin up!

[EvilPumpkin]

LOL - I'm not paranoid - I know you all think I am....

I'm not ground down, just really tired of people's behaviour - particularly when it's getting so predictable, I can make a statement like the one above and be proved absolutely correct within a few days of making it. You always hope that someone will surprise you and prove you wrong.

I don't really think I'm donut material - (too much dough, not enuff nut! ), but I'm still pumpkining away at other events so I'll just have to strike cars at the regular circuit off the list. I was always going to be missing quite a lot of the car events this year as I'm moving buildings with work over the next couple of months and there's quite a lot of weekend work required.

I shall stick with me bikes and me karts and cars at other circuits and simply chalk this one up to experience.

I would like to take this opportunity to say the marshal mantra:

We, the willing
Led by the unknowing
Are doing the impossible
For the ungrateful
We have done so much
With so little
For so long
We are now qualified to do anything
With nothing
For next to nothing

[flaggie1]

Hi EP love the mantra somes up our life trackside doesn't it. Anyway i threw your question around to a few of our members on the weekend and they all said that safety would come first. They did add however, that if the politics ever got in the way they would seek another position with another team.

P.S. Maybe you could change the last line to For NOTHING.

[EvilPumpkin]

LOL - it is pretty cool - it's actually an old one that my Dad used to have on his office wall when he was in the Civil Service - but it does seem to fit nicely doesn't it!

[flaggie1]

EP have you heard anything on your about the 24hr race planned at bathurst for late November involving GTP and production cars.

[EvilPumpkin]

Oh I took a look round the site as well - it's great - gives you all the info you need in an easy to use manner

I have to ask though - what poor unfortunate is modelling the "emergency rain gear"