The Evolution of Expense

If you look after volunteers you will find that there are people who will run racing, lay marks, run safety boats, who are not now active racers.

For instance, it was noticeable at RYA Race Officials Conference a few years back when Marklayers were invited for the first time just how many of them were not from a sailing background, but were ex forces, power boaters, sea anglers....

The same applies for many tasks when running a big event. At my local club some of the sailing members were fond of a game of bridge. This has developed in to a flourishing bridge club, with many people now club house members who have no link with sailing. It is surprising how many get involved when we run a regatta. No sailing experience is required to make sandwiches, run the BBQ or even run the tally board on the slipway along with many other duties.

Originally posted by JimC [RANT] Oh good grief, that's just got to be challenged. Takers not givers indeed. What nonsense. Doing circuit events is in itself a different kind of giving to the sport, especially if you're one of the 90% who isn't taking home the glassware. My club for one values the people who come to our open events, take the trouble to travel, bring an extra dimension to those of our class members who aren't able to travel. If you don't think that committment is giving something to the sport you need to look at yourself very hard. It sure as hell is giving something to our club that people are prepared to take the time and trouble to travel to our opens, to pay us an entry fee over their own club or RYA subscriptions and everything else. We're glad to see them and the more of these "takers" the better. At different stages in your life its appropriate to do different things. Last time I was campaigning on the circuit semi seriously I was a member of a club, but I didn't contribute anything to it but my club fees. We did the occasional tuning weekend, but that was it, no duties, nothing like that. Now though I have more time than I did then, and I get to the majority of my current clubs opens and I try and provide a reasonably efficient results service and some hopefully not too dreadful photos on the screen at lunchtime and on the website, which I hope makes the day better for the competitors. I'm not a giver now and a taker then, I'm the same damn person, just a different stage in life and different opportunities. [/RANT]