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The State of Club Sailing
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Woodburner View Drop Down
Far too distracted from work
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Joined: 13 Mar 15
Location: Folkestone Kent
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Posts: 332 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Woodburner Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: The State of Club Sailing
    Posted: 01 Jul 15 at 11:13am
What grinds you down and with the best will and enthusiasm in the world, it's the bloody moaners that dump on you, everything that's wrong in their world suddenly becomes your problem, from the bloody lack of toilet rolls (change it then you stupid biatch) to whatever new thing you institute they don't like never mind the fact the majority do like it.
The problem comes from being a previous business owner manager of a reasonable number of staff, which you can tell to foxtrot oscar if necessary or, at the very least, reason with them, but have an ultimate caveat of ending the discussion with 'well your paid to do it that way so foxtrot oscar'. So being in a volunteer role at the head of a volunteer committee, you end up having to soil yourself with diplomacy, when you really want to fire them, or beat them to death with a dead haddock.

Very frustrating.


Edited by Woodburner - 01 Jul 15 at 11:15am
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davidyacht View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Mar 05
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Posts: 1345 		Post Options Post Options   Quote davidyacht Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jul 15 at 11:10am
Some thoughts about committees ...

Over time you can exhaust all the people who are available to contribute, if you have 10 people serving in some capacity on a 3 year cycle, you will use up about 30 people over 10 years.

The Thatcher me society has resulted in a generation that are willing to enjoy the efforts of others, but not contribute.

The best committees from a Commodores perspective are where the committee are prepared to challenge his/her wisdom.

Because of the turnover of committees, there is a danger that after five or six years that it does not learn from mistakes.

Actually having professionals on the committee might not give you access to the best professionals ... Successful small businessmen (sorry Woodburner) might be better.

I have said in the past that there is room for a forum for those who participate in Yacht/Sailing club management, so that we can learn from shared experiences.  Today's question is how do you set a permanent racing mark at sea, that can be laid without the use of a hiab, will survive storms and will not be removed by crab fishermen?
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transient View Drop Down
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Joined: 21 Aug 12
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Posts: 715 		Post Options Post Options   Quote transient Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jul 15 at 10:52am
Originally posted by Rupert

I think clubs have always struggled for people (and the right people) to sit on committees, at least at times. You may well get a new, enthusiastic influx every now and again, but when those people have served their terms, and maybe the people they brought with them, you then end up scratching around until the next batch. I think our club is currently entering a "down" phase, with several jobs coming up in the autumn.



It seems that recruitment is a permanent job.
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Rupert View Drop Down
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Joined: 11 Aug 04
Location: Whitefriars sc
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Posts: 8956 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jul 15 at 10:10am
I think clubs have always struggled for people (and the right people) to sit on committees, at least at times. You may well get a new, enthusiastic influx every now and again, but when those people have served their terms, and maybe the people they brought with them, you then end up scratching around until the next batch. I think our club is currently entering a "down" phase, with several jobs coming up in the autumn.
Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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JohnJack View Drop Down
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Joined: 12 Mar 13
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Posts: 246 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JohnJack Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jul 15 at 9:57am
Do clubs tend to struggle for volunteers to sit on committees? 
Let alone volunteers with the right skill sets to do certain roles?

Maybe there is a call for regional resources that can be offered to clubs to assist with social media/websites/accounts etc etc (maybe there is)
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iiiiitick View Drop Down
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Posts: 240 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iiiiitick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jun 15 at 8:06pm
I realise that I must seem anti-children but the sport does not start in the cradle and end in the grave. Most people start somewhere in between.

I do like children.....some of my favorite meals contain them.
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iiiiitick View Drop Down
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Posts: 240 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iiiiitick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jun 15 at 8:01pm
I agree with all of that Davidyacht. What do RYA do? 'Push the boat out' who is that title meant to appeal to? Pictures of kiddies in RYA tabards? Training for children who may (I know some do Rupert) never continue. What we need is awareness that it exists as an accessible sport.
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davidyacht View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Mar 05
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Posts: 1345 		Post Options Post Options   Quote davidyacht Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jun 15 at 4:30pm
I write the Salcombe reports, others email any photos, I send the report to Mags, local rag and Facebook page.  It takes about an hour per week.  This is how I help my club.  Hopefully it improves our Club's profile, and attracts sailors in South Devon to join and sail at our club.  Any club could do this ... Didn't see many reports for Bewl.

My point about an overal Dinghy Racing development officer is that to me the RYA focus remains on Olympics, Youth and "learning to sail" training, each element is quite discrete, not joined up, and certainly does not integrate very well with the bit of the sport that most of us care about ... Adult dinghy racing at clubs.  

It would be nice if somebody had a responsibility for trying to tie these aspects together ... Getting the youth squaddies to be sailing regularly at clubs ... And into adult one designs instead of packing it in ... Getting those learning to sail to have a go at club racing ... Maybe having it as part of a certificate as ski instructors have to achieve a downhill time as part of their qualification ... By insisting that Olympic sailors represent a club rather than sail as RYA, so that youngsters in those clubs can identify with them.

My personal experience while sitting on RYA committees is that rival departments or factions are driven by self interest at the cost of the greater good.
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Oli View Drop Down
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Joined: 23 Mar 05
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Posts: 1020 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Oli Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jun 15 at 3:34pm
it doesn't cost anything for a volunteer patrol boat crew to take a few snaps and write up a short report, send it to the local rag and relevant websites.  do that once every two or three weeks in the summer (we use our all in races for reports with an added what else is going on for beginners tacked on.  no one else is going to do it for you, so you might as well do it yourselves and make it relevant to what you're doing as a club.
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transient View Drop Down
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Joined: 21 Aug 12
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Posts: 715 		Post Options Post Options   Quote transient Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jun 15 at 2:56pm
Originally posted by laser47


I'm glad other people have commented on it because it's always irked me!

There is someone responsible for promoting Dinghy Racing in this country but apparently just about no-one knows who.






...as I suggested a couple of posts ago, aren't clubs in the best position to promote Club Sailing (as per topic)? They are on the front line after-all and they are geographically closest to any new potential members.


I'm not sure how much my local clubs spend on local advertising to attract new members but I bet It ain't a lot.

The larger clubs have probably got this covered but a better question to ask for the rest of us might be "Who in my club is responsible for promoting dinghy sailing within our catchment area?" 
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