Wish list to attract and retain marshals

[Baldy Man]

After a fantastic season at Oulton, nearly over, I'm beginning to wonder if our hobby is at risk, because of poor turnout.
Here is a wishlist of things which I believe would improve numbers.
1) Make it easier for Marshals to join, by letting them know who they have to talk to. There is too much hearsay, and dependance on knowing someone, who knows someone else who knows who to talk to.
2) Make sure everybody gets liscenses BEFORE the first meeting. Nobody likes to have to argue their way past the circuit staff.
2.1) Make sure if people want to join partway through the season that they can join and get liscenses quickly.
3) Make us feel welcome, free tea and coffee making facilities, first thing in the morning.
4) More freebies like hats/t shirts etc.
5) Much better quality club magazine. I'd like to know more about how the marshals club is standing our corner and promoting the hobby, it mainly goes on about finances and vat issues. Which whilst important should be behind the scenes (back page,not front).

I hope the club hierarchy listen to this, because it's basics, and relatively low cost.

[Mark Mitchell]

The insurance issues are important for obvious reasons, but it's not "sexy" is it.
The regional mags need to be up to date rather than asking for volunteers for something that happened a week before you got the mag!
Perhaps they should include articles from Chief Marshals offering an incentive to come to their race day at your local track.......ie "MGCC are at Oulton in a few weeks - free tea/coofee/biccies and some great raffle prizes"

Licences.....the MSA issue them for graded Marshals and apart from this year, they normally arrive in good time for the start of the season.
Trainee Marshals can normally get one from the Chief Marshal.
This only seems to be an issue at circuits like Oulton where your MSA Licence is your means of admission.....elsewhere you would probably have tickets or a season pass.

[blackx]

Thats the only thing that deters me from coming to Oulton......
I am not a member of any club anymore and do not have a license........
The only license I posses is my trainee rescue license....

[KayBee]

Originally posted by blackx
Thats the only thing that deters me from coming to Oulton......
I am not a member of any club anymore and do not have a license........
The only license I posses is my trainee rescue license....

There is always the old standby......tickets.

If you want to come to an Oulton meeting contact the relevant Chief Marshal for tickets or even pm one of the Oulton regulars who'll give you details of whom to contact.

[EvilPumpkin]

I have to agree that the BMMC national newsletters are...well....sorry lads, but the ones I've seen have been deeply boring.

Now the NI regional one is a lot better - lots of articles, jokes and local info which is what I really want from a marshal's newsletter.

It was the model we used when we revamped the MRMCI newsletter this year. I know the latest issue is available for d/l at the website - www.mrmci.com - not sure if they still have access to the backdated ones though.

As for lack of licenses, may I suggest that if you let the Chief Marshal know ahead of time you are coming (as you should really anyway) and inform them of the lack of licence, I'm sure your name could be left at the gate - end of problem.

I do agree that licences should be sent out on time to start with though. I also agree with pretty much all the rest of BM's post.

However, I would say that how you treat your marshals throughout the day is the big clincher on whether you keep them. If marshals are constantly being subjected to issues, being second guessed, rudeness etc. - they'll stop coming back, no matter how much free food/tea/coffee/stuff you provide. Any date clashes I've had this year, I've based my decision on where to marshal based on how I've been treated by the Marshalling Club in question - even if that means attending a less "prestigious" event.

And next year, if I decide to cut down the amount of days I'm doing, I'll be using the same criteria.

[KayBee]

Quoted from Baldy man 3) Make us feel welcome, free tea and coffee making facilities, first thing in the morning.

I discovered, quite by accident, that there was free tea and coffee to be had in Chequers, Oulton's café, during the TOCA weekend if you're a marshal. What I don't know is if it was just for that weekend or been there all season and I haven't availed myself of it.

Further, if anyone fancies doing a six hour bike endurance meeting at Oulton on Saturday, 4 October, providing you're a signed on marshal and get there between 7.00 and 8.00 they are once again providing breakfast.



PS I saw you having fun with that penguin.

[Baldy Man]

Some of the discussion just proves the point, like just talk to the chief marshal, for example. How is a new starter to know exactly who that is ? They generally think, this is too much like hassle, and don't come back.

[EvilPumpkin]

Ok are we talking about regular marshals or recruits now?

You have to draw the line somewhere. You can't have a situation where anyone can show up at the gate and say "Hi I'm a new marshal" and then wander in. I wonder how many of them would actually get as far as sign on?

The majority of clubs have a recruitment officer (or something along those lines) - do you not have one?

I spent some time working on this, and the one thing I was adamant on was that no-one turned up unannounced. I didn't consider it to be a good idea to have someone show up with a) no idea who anyone was b) no idea what they were getting themselves into and c) incorrect gear for the day.

We had a person who would be the first point of contact - they had an email address, a postal address and a telephone number and those details were available on all marshal advertisements.

As a result, whenever a new person came up, the CM knew they were coming, they were able to get in at the gate, they had a contact they had already spoken to when they got to the circuit and they had proper footwear/gloves/raingear with them.

We had 15 new people during that period - and we managed to hold on to quite a few of them. I don't think we'd have managed that if they'd showed up, known nobody and been stuck on a bank - not allowed to go trackside because of footwear and getting soaked because they didn't bring any rain gear.

[pixie]

Local People

Have fun at Oulton for the KRC bash, we'll be down South in the Mediterranean climate of Lydden having a sidecar burn up

[Nadine J Lewis]

Originally posted by Baldy Man
After a fantastic season at Oulton, nearly over, I'm beginning to wonder if our hobby is at risk, because of poor turnout.
Here is a wishlist of things which I believe would improve numbers.
1) Make it easier for Marshals to join, by letting them know who they have to talk to. There is too much hearsay, and dependance on knowing someone, who knows someone else who knows who to talk to.
2) Make sure everybody gets liscenses BEFORE the first meeting. Nobody likes to have to argue their way past the circuit staff.
2.1) Make sure if people want to join partway through the season that they can join and get liscenses quickly.
3) Make us feel welcome, free tea and coffee making facilities, first thing in the morning.
4) More freebies like hats/t shirts etc.
5) Much better quality club magazine. I'd like to know more about how the marshals club is standing our corner and promoting the hobby, it mainly goes on about finances and vat issues. Which whilst important should be behind the scenes (back page,not front).

I hope the club hierarchy listen to this, because it's basics, and relatively low cost.

To answer in order!!!
1 - New marshals - take their name and address and pass on to the committee. I did this from TOCA. New membership pack sent out by Sue Whitlock and I followed up with a letter asking if they want to come for the last meeting I would get them tickets (3 people so far and tickets supplied by A Garrett!)
2 - Many problems with licences etc. - apparently some problems with not putting enough stamps on envelopes - which I believe is now rectified!!
3 - Again - should be improved for this year, but tickets as a last resort.
4 - Freebies - I did my best!! Most clubs do run a raffle, but not everyone knows about it. When not I did arrange one myself - though that never got announced either (too busy in Race Control!!!!)
5 - Magazine - I think the magazine should be more of a bulletin. List events that have happened plus a one-liner (e.g. 10 races, 5 red flags still finished at 6pm - well you can wish!!). Then a list of forthcoming events in the region (plus biggies round the country!) with a blurb on what you can expect. Any other ideas?

BTW - I am hoping to get on the committee this year which will give a few more people a point of contact. Come and vote on 23rd October!!!

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by pixie
Local People

Have fun at Oulton for the KRC bash, we'll be down South in the Mediterranean climate of Lydden having a sidecar burn up

Hmmm......one race, six hours long......can I book an alarm call for 6PM, please?

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally posted by MarshalGirl
...Many problems with licences etc. - apparently some problems with not putting enough stamps on envelopes - which I believe is now rectified!!

The MSA use pre-paid see-through envelopes for licences! I heard that the problem this year was a couple of mail sacks being stolen/lost!

BTW - I am hoping to get on the committee this year which will give a few more people a point of contact. Come and vote on 23rd October!!!

If this is for region committee, don't forget you'll need to be a member of that region. (I'd vote for you Nadine, but I'm not in the region!)

[Flying Muppet 2]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by KayBee

I discovered, quite by accident, that there was free tea and coffee to be had in Chequers, Oulton's café, during the TOCA weekend if you're a marshal. What I don't know is if it was just for that weekend or been there all season and I haven't availed myself of it.


Yes, Mrs Flying Muppet found out by accident that tea & coffee was free to marshals on Sunday morning (whilst I was eye-ing up the grid girls who were getting changed next door).

Good thing it wasn't advertised otherwise everyone would have known about it.

[QuickBrownFox]

The tea & coffee or the grid girls...........

[Baldy Man]

Another thing, is there any way there can be a postal ballot for commitee members.
Nadine would get my vote, but I can't get there to cast it !!!

[Mark Mitchell]

Send it to Michael Cadwallader - secretary of the BMMC North Region.
His address should be in your last newsletter!

[Nadine J Lewis]

Originally posted by observer
Send it to Michael Cadwallader - secretary of the BMMC North Region.
His address should be in your last newsletter!

The only problem is that the last "Outpost" mag had current members who are standing again, but doesn't list anyone else who is standing for election!!!! You only know 'cos I just told you!! I don't know if anyone else is standing. As they only have to be in 7 days before the AGM this makes it a bit non-sensical.

[pixie]

6hrs of pure .................. Get the papers and supliments have a good read and try to put the ladies on a post where they can get to a loo .............

[pitpopsie]

Make sure there are no discriminating people working with us!!

[Nadine J Lewis]

Originally posted by pitpopsie
Make sure there are no discriminating people working with us!!

Discriminating how? Take 'em out and shoot 'em!!!

[KayBee]

Originally posted by pixie
6hrs of pure .................. Get the papers and supliments have a good read and try to put the ladies on a post where they can get to a loo .............

Asking the circuit staff to check that the toilets were unlocked and to come and open the box was the first call on the radio from my post this morning.



PS I made sure I was on a post where there was a nearby toilet and you didn't need to cross the track.

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by pixie
6hrs of pure ..................

Despite my expectations, I actually enjoyed it. Mind you, Lodge in the wet was never going to be boring.......seven down ain't a bad day's work!

One really great thing was the appreciation the riders showed to the marshals on their slowing down lap. Not just waves but, in many cases, applause; it's things like that which makw the 'job' worthwhile.

[Stephen Green]

Some very good points so far.

Like many others I feel the regional BMMC newsleters could be improved (maybe even the national one as well) but, and here's the rub, they are compiled by volunteers.

I would like to see more information on forthcoming meetings, sign on times and contact names etc. A brief revue of the recent meetings if there were something worthwhile to report. Not to mention a paragraph or two that kept us informed of matters being taken up at 'higher levels' and that may have a bearing on marshalling in the future. That in itself would generate more interest and dare I say spark off a few 'letters to the editor' which would in turn give the magazine/newsletter more depth.

[Sheila M]

I think another thing we should consider when trying to recruit new marshals (particularly through this forum) is to try not to whinge when things haven't gone as well as we think they should have done. By reading lots of whinge threads prospective new marshals may not realise that despite everything we still really do love doing what we do and be put off!

Perhaps we should all try to post positive comments about marshalling for a change.

[Bob Pearson]

Youre right Delta,
It is an unfortunate fact of life that we only feel fit to put pen to paper, or in our case finger to key board when we aren't happy. There is rarely a report made on the good times.