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Volunteering - what have you been up to?
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Paramedic View Drop Down
Really should get out more
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Joined: 27 Jan 06
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Posts: 929 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Paramedic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Volunteering - what have you been up to?
    Posted: 02 Jun 21 at 8:33pm
I think the whole covid thing - dreadful though it is - could end up as being the biggest ever opportunity missed by classes and by extension clubs to grow their racing fleet at grassroots level while the top racers have/had fewer/no events to travel to.

But a lot of the top racers want normality yesterday

And many of the clubs have found covid friendliness challenging, and have been outcompeted by other clubs who have pushed the boundaries.

There is still time,.


Edited by Paramedic - 02 Jun 21 at 8:34pm
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423zero View Drop Down
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Posts: 3420 		Post Options Post Options   Quote 423zero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 21 at 6:52pm
Griff, I know young people who are barmy/eccentric, so I think we jokers have a future
Robert
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Riv View Drop Down
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Posts: 353 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Riv Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 21 at 2:39pm
We run a club WhatsApp group, and promote it as much as possible.It allows us to put out calls for help and mostly they get answered.
This year has been difficult, unless members were within walking or cycling distance they were unwilling to drive, having the usual working parties with 5+ people was out. So this year really only about 8 people on the exec committee have been active. We are all feeling a bit burnt out.
Mistral Div II prototype board, Original Windsurfer, Hornet built'74.
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Posts: 3400 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 21 at 1:29pm
Both my home (Leigh & Lowton) and holiday (caravan site based) clubs seem pretty healthy, maybe a few more "help with duties' emails from L&L* but both have well established memberships and seem to be getting good numbers on the water.

* I'm looking from an ordinary members PoV at L&L
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423zero View Drop Down
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Posts: 3420 		Post Options Post Options   Quote 423zero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 21 at 11:52am
Not sure if this year will show the future, people appear to be in hibernation, waiting to see what happens.
Robert
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iGRF View Drop Down
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Posts: 6499 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iGRF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 21 at 11:43am
Originally posted by 423zero

Bartley green sailing club, which is not far from me, appear to be doing well, this is a very large club though, they have a large modern club house, bar, dining etc, not my cup of tea, I prefer 'Last of the summer wine' type clubs, but if there wasn't one, I would go to a big club, sure to be a barmy bunch I can join or start.
The more aggressive racing would be nice for a change.


We're very much last of the summer wine, but regrettably the wine is running out.
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423zero View Drop Down
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Posts: 3420 		Post Options Post Options   Quote 423zero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 21 at 11:41am
Bartley green sailing club, which is not far from me, appear to be doing well, this is a very large club though, they have a large modern club house, bar, dining etc, not my cup of tea, I prefer 'Last of the summer wine' type clubs, but if there wasn't one, I would go to a big club, sure to be a barmy bunch I can join or start.
The more aggressive racing would be nice for a change.
Robert
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iGRF View Drop Down
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Posts: 6499 		Post Options Post Options   Quote iGRF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 21 at 11:41am
Have any of you also noticed more of a reluctance to risk(covid) amongst the less gung ho racers?

One of the other things I ended up volunteering for was publicty for the lake and I had plans to try my seniors (mature empty nesters) ploy, but they, even though many are fully vaccinated, remain the most reluctant to engage. This combined with the fact the least likely to entertain something that is as what shall I say, less exciting/action sporting, i.e. the young, is making things even more difficult.

It worries me wether we're ever going to bounce back, even after June 21st.

Edited by iGRF - 02 Jun 21 at 11:42am
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davidyacht View Drop Down
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Posts: 1345 		Post Options Post Options   Quote davidyacht Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 21 at 10:43am
I fully buy into promoting the sport and club activities to ensure that anyone interested in sailing and even better, racing, have no barriers to access to the sport, I am not quite so convinced that trying to interest anyone who is not really up for it is really going to be that productive.

I suspect that the key to running a club with volunteers is in engendering a positive atmosphere, if volunteers think that they are doing something positive then they will take some satisfaction from it, especially if there is some positive social interaction.  It is probably also important to find roles that a volunteer is comfortable with.

As far as racing is concerned, there is a danger as the OP said, of over complicating the race management process so that volunteers run away, so if you have an automated system, make sure that it doesn't scare off the 80 year old lady PRO ... ultimately the job is blowing a hooter and pulling up some flags.  

Happy to do this on my own, a volunteer built a wooden dias attached to the flag pole so that the hooter, flags, pencil, paper and clock are all within an arms reach.

The real danger for any racing club is when the number of active sailing members drops below the critical mass to run racing even at a skeleton level, at which point too many duties become a chore ... maybe at that stage a reduction in the sailing calendar or some consolidation in the number of clubs might be the only way forward.

In a previous discussion it was suggested that changing from formal racing to more informal/no racing transformed the success of a club, I guess where there are several clubs then some niche marketing targeted at families and training can work.
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423zero View Drop Down
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Posts: 3420 		Post Options Post Options   Quote 423zero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 21 at 10:16am
Very difficult series of questions, we either do the same as we have always done, or, try something else.
Volunteers will carry on doing what they do, or, do more, or, give it up.
Advertising, your work place notice board, local papers, schools and universities, community centres, that type of thing, bring a friend day, talk to people walking round your lake, give them leaflets, offer to take them round the lake, have your guest buoyancy aids outside ready to use.
Robert
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