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The Evolution of Expense

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davidyacht View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote davidyacht Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: The Evolution of Expense
    Posted: 08 Mar 15 at 11:29am
Originally posted by Rupert

Those people may be heavily involved in their class, maybe coaching, manning the stand, serving on the committee. They may not be, but plenty of club members are doing the minimum too. The club members may have good reasons... working weekends, taking Chardonnay horse riding, whatever. Taking a snapshot and making sweeping statements not always accurate!

Fully accept this point, and I did add a bit of a caveat, it would be nice to think when they look back on life that they may have redressed the balance of contributing to the sport.  

Again - what you describe re thanks to volunteers is the case in just about every organisation.....including most Clubs I race at!  It's a bit of a human nature thing.

So I'd like to know whether some of the 'the RYA gets it wrong' posters are anti-establishment in all things, or just sailing.

I know I have a pro establishment bias....but I'm also paid (and have a very strong focus on this area in my current employment) to ask whether the organisation I work in is getting it right.

I am pro-RYA on a number of matters, I just think that to many Racing Dinghy Sailors of middle to late age, which is the Sub Group that I belong to, there is some disengagement.  I think that there was a closer link twenty or thirty years ago ... and it may be no coincidence that the RYA's executive was largely populated by middle aged racing dinghy sailors, including the late and great Ken Ellis, who raced at our club, and was always happy to share is sandwiches with us nippers.

Its a fair cop, I am increasingly anti establishment, I think it is an age thing, I hate the new houses being built up the road, and the run up to 7th May fills me with dread and anger!

Anyway our sailing season started yesterday, so I will probably be less grumpy and rhetorical for a while.


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gordon View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote gordon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 15 at 11:46am
What exactly do clubs offer to volunteer...

People who volunteer often get involved with volunteering in several different spheres of activity. After time they will concentrate on those activities that :
- provide a good social experience
- demonstrate that their input is valued
- provides decent facilities/tools/equipment for the volunteers
- are well organised so that volunteers can get on with the jobs that they are their to do.

Above all - VOLUNTEERS ARE NOT FREE LABOUR! Maintaining a team of enthusiastic and competent volunteers is not cheap and requires work.

I do a lot of umpiring for team racing - do I prefer to go to an event where:
- club members provide accommodation in their own hous;
- tea and coffee are available at the umpires briefing;
- the RIBs are dry, well maintained and the motors have been warmed up that morning
- hot drinks and packed lunch are provided on the water
- the club offers the first drink as we get off the water
- a simple but hearty dinner is provided

or the event where we know that none of these will be provided.

The same can apply for mark layers, sandwich makers, race secretaries, and all the other volunteers who make an event or a club a success.

If a club has difficulty finding volunteers don't blame the volunteers. They are probably down the road helping organising a rowing regatta, a junior rugby blitz, a fund raiser for a local charity... To borrow a quite - Do not ask what volunteers can do for your club, ask what your club can do for the volunteers.

Simple things count:
- the social on the Sunday evening after the competitors have left, or the annual volunteers party
- if you are selling event branded gear do you offer volunteers a distinctive version (different colour for instance) as a gift or at cost price
- a reduction in club fees for regular volunteers
- holding a pre-event briefing for all volunteers, and an after event de-brief
...
Gordon
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Post Options Post Options   Quote craiggo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 15 at 2:28pm
I partially agree Gordon in that making the club somewhere where people want to volunteer is half the battle, however there are subsets of society who regardless of club would never volunteer. For me these individuals are the pompous arrogant tw*ts who I would rather not spend any time with and yet frighteningly not only do these people seem to be successful in their careers but also seem to be able to generate a gaggle of followers. I suppose I am a bit bitter, but then I've been brought up to get involved and be helpful and contribute rather than take everything you can and give away as little as you can, and it really irritates me that people only wish to volunteer for some kind of material benefit rather than just because it's the right thing to do.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote gordon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 15 at 4:23pm
'the pompous arrogant tw*ts' should pay for the volunteers! Entry fees and club subs must provide the finance to recruit, operate and retain an enthusiastic group of volunteers.

In our club a PAT who was also a b(w)anker somehow got to be running the regatta committee. We finish the day with a BBQ. Traditionally the volunteers, including the students on safety boats, get a voucher for a drink and a steak. In his mad search for a profit from the day this PAT decided that only the adult volunteers would get a steak. The teenager and student volunteers would get a burger.

In a remarkable display of solidarity the adult RIB personnel threatened to go on strike. The free steak was, in reality, a real symbol of the clubs appreciation of the volunteers input. Our friend the banker had completely failed to realise this.

We nearly lost a team of mark layers and patrol boat drives who had been in the club for many years.
Gordon
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Dougaldog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 15 at 5:04pm
Gordon, a spot on analysis! When I was working as an RO out in OZ, there was a very strict 'no alcohol afloat' rule applied to all of the race team boats. You got soft drinks and a nice packed lunch, seeing that the team are the 'first afloat, last ashore' it was nice to be well taken care off. Compare that with an (un-named) club in the UK who baulked at providing anything for the race team on the grounds of 'cost'! Is it any wonder that it can be hard to properly resource all the various jobs in the team!
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Post Options Post Options   Quote davidyacht Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 15 at 5:22pm
Bear in mind that some of the misplaced pressure on cost is often due to the way that clubs are forced to keep subs down to keep elements of the membership happy, leaving very little wriggle room for freebies.  
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 15 at 6:08pm
If running an Open, then it should be taken into account in the fee charged.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote RS400atC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 15 at 6:31pm
Originally posted by Rupert

If running an Open, then it should be taken into account in the fee charged.


I think there is a problem with some clubs seeing opens as cash cows.
Whack up the entry fee, charge more for beer and food, cut back on mark laying and committee boats..

When I volunteer to do rescue boat at an open, why should I expect much different treatment than doing a normal club duty? I'm not even missing club racing.

There are a few clubs I'm in no rush to go back to, because the open meeting seemed to be run more for the benefit of the host club than for the competitors. Then you wonder why turnouts are low...
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Post Options Post Options   Quote zippyRN Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 15 at 7:43pm
Originally posted by gordon

What exactly do clubs offer to volunteer...

People who volunteer often get involved with volunteering in several different spheres of activity. After time they will concentrate on those activities that :
- provide a good social experience
- demonstrate that their input is valued
- provides decent facilities/tools/equipment for the volunteers
- are well organised so that volunteers can get on with the jobs that they are their to do.

Above all - VOLUNTEERS ARE NOT FREE LABOUR! Maintaining a team of enthusiastic and competent volunteers is not cheap and requires work.

I do a lot of umpiring for team racing - do I prefer to go to an event where:
- club members provide accommodation in their own hous;
- tea and coffee are available at the umpires briefing;
- the RIBs are dry, well maintained and the motors have been warmed up that morning
- hot drinks and packed lunch are provided on the water
- the club offers the first drink as we get off the water
- a simple but hearty dinner is provided

or the event where we know that none of these will be provided.

The same can apply for mark layers, sandwich makers, race secretaries, and all the other volunteers who make an event or a club a success.

If a club has difficulty finding volunteers don't blame the volunteers. They are probably down the road helping organising a rowing regatta, a junior rugby blitz, a fund raiser for a local charity... To borrow a quite - Do not ask what volunteers can do for your club, ask what your club can do for the volunteers.

Simple things count:
- the social on the Sunday evening after the competitors have left, or the annual volunteers party
- if you are selling event branded gear do you offer volunteers a distinctive version (different colour for instance) as a gift or at cost price
- a reduction in club fees for regular volunteers
- holding a pre-event briefing for all volunteers, and an after event de-brief
...

 the fundamental difference  in volunteering for a sailing club, especially  when talking about   OOD   and  safety boat duties is that it;s participants  doing it as an integral part of the participation  - where as a lot of other volunteering is  seperate or because people can't afford to participate ( there aren;t many  motorsports marshals  who also compete ) or are now too old / un fit  / have health problems which limit particpation but can still  ref or run the lines ...

the costs/ fees thing is an interesting one and a discussion i remember  hearing  some 20 years ago as a route to  enable  improvements to  the fabric of the club house  / compounds / safety / committee/ utility boats  - introduce a 'development fund' levy and associated  restricted fund , the contribution to which could be avoided by  taking part in working parties and/or offering to do extra OOD or Safety boat duties ... 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 15 at 7:45pm
We run our opens alongside club racing, so the team have more to deal with. A free lunch and a thank you at the end doesn't seem too much to give them.

Big opens at sea will have far more people volunteering to help, often with long days, on top of their normal duty day.
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