Discouraging Newcomers

[blackhands]

Last year I decided that perhaps I should register with the MSA and this year decided to join the BMMC.

It took the MSA 5 months to issue me with a licence. It has so far taken the BMMC 4 weeks to send me a membership card together with a letter which is totally inappropriate as it assumes I am a novice, yet refers to my grading being approved. I now await details of my BMMC grading.

OK, I know that there are good reasons for the delays. However, that is not the point - if I were a novice, or were perhaps undecided about matters I might have gone off and done something else. We all now expect instant gratification and if the MSA or the BMMC are slow off the mark they will lose out. As I mentioned on another thread, I was marshalling with someone who had done 4 meetings yet had never been told what the flags mean nor had he been given a card to start getting his upgrade signatures.

To me it is obvious that many marshals like to feel that they belong and adorn their overalls with badges - making newcomers feel that they belong is equally important. I know that there will be replies telling me how welcome newcomers are made at X or Y but is that the case at all of the others.

[EvilPumpkin]

Well I can't comment on the MSA, but to the best of my knowledge, the officials and administrators of the BMMC are all volunteers - they do this in their spare time, which I'm sure is fairly tight during the racing season.

I agree that it is a good idea to make a newcomer feel welcome - but I would suggest that part of that is for experienced marshals or the local club rep ensuring that they realise that we are all volunteers and instant gratification is not necessarily an option.

IME as long as people know what time frame to expect, then they'll be fine - so they should be told from the beginning that it can take time for things to be sent to them.

[Stoowert]

Why do we go marshalling? To get a nice piece of paper from the MSA or the BMMC? No! We marshal because we want to do something that helps us get closer to the racing and helps Club X run their meeting. I see you live in Canterbury, does this mean you've been made to feel excluded at Lydden or Brands? I hope not.
I know it's not made too clear how someone can start marshalling, when I started it was a big secret! Times have changed, Steve Green has done a lot to make new marshals feel welcome at Brands, as has Peter Scillitoe. All you have to do is get in touch with him and -whap! You're in! Hows that for instant gratification!
The BMMC, by the nature of the beast is a National organisation and therefore may seem unweildy and cumbersome, but the regional committees should be very accessable, most of the SE ctte are out at Brands most weekends. As for the MSA, I totally agree with you! A pain in the armco! I wonder what other organisations issue licences and then expects third parties to run the system?
See you at the Belcar Races?

[Tim Falce]

I am a driver and I am going to have my first go at marshaling on Sunday. Why? because I want to see what it is like on the other side of the fence and as a bit of a thank you to all those who stand out there in all weathers for me and my mates, not a bit of paper.

[SRPhoto]

Originally Posted by falcemob

I am a driver and I am going to have my first go at marshaling on Sunday.

Well done, I am sure you will be made very welcome!

[CombeMarshal]

Blackhands, have you tried phoning anyone?

And as mentioned before, the piece of paper means nothing to me, I do it for the Fun, Thrills, and love of motorsport, If you are a regular at a circuit they will know you and know you experience, Adrian and Nicki at Combe are great for that, and I'm sure the Cheif Marshals wherever you go are somewhere near as good!

I know I got my MSA license within a month, but that was in the quiet season, and even my upgrade that has just came through only took 3 weeks

Lee

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by blackhands

It took the MSA 5 months to issue me with a licence. It has so far taken the BMMC 4 weeks to send me a membership card together with a letter which is totally inappropriate as it assumes I am a novice, yet refers to my grading being approved. I now await details of my BMMC grading.

Grades are issued by the MSA, not the clubs. The club handling your grading is your 'Primary Club', the first one listed on licence - as your licence predates your BMMC membership I assume that you have another club already listed?

You can download a copy of the Grading Manual from the BMMC's website. You may also find:

http://web.onetel.com/~davebrand/grading.html

useful for an unofficial explanation of some of the questions you may have.

As I mentioned on another thread, I was marshalling with someone who had done 4 meetings yet had never been told what the flags mean nor had he been given a card to start getting his upgrade signatures.

Rule number one in that situation: ASK!!!

[blackhands]

I'm afraid that you have all missed my point. I don't marshal for a bit of paper - and I wasn't personally concerned that everything has taken so long. I've been marshalling for some time without ever feeling the need to register with the MSA, to join the BMMC or to adorn myself with badges. However for reasons which I won't go into I decided to register and join the BMMC. So in some ways I am a newcomer to the wider marshalling scene as most (but not all) of my marshalling over the years has been with the VSCC.

I have started to marshal much more locally this year and of course I have had a friendly welcome from the Chief Marshals (but I'd expect that as they are usually short of bodies) - I don't find the rest particularly friendly especially when they find out that I'm a member of the VSCC - but that's not the point and it doesn't bother me. The point I was making is that people coming into marshalling need to be kept and therefore they need lots of encouragement. Today there are many calls on people's time and it's during those first few months when they are perhaps unsure if marshalling is for them that everything must be done to encourage them.

I know that the BMMC are volunteers as we all are. I'm not knocking those who give up vast amount of their time to such things. The point I was trying to make is that perhaps overburdened amateurs is not the way forward. A couple of weeks ago at Brands there were 10 of us on one post all doing the job for nothing whilst highly paid touring car drivers competed watched by doubtless well paid pit crews. Also young lads and lasses competed in cars costing £80k per season. I'm in no way suggesting that marshals are paid - what I ask is how can some of that expense be diverted to be put into marshalling to ensure that there are enough marshals to ensure that racing can continue.

[Stephen Green]

Originally Posted by blackhands

I'm afraid that you have all missed my point. I don't marshal for a bit of paper - and I wasn't personally concerned that everything has taken so long. I've been marshalling for some time without ever feeling the need to register with the MSA, to join the BMMC or to adorn myself with badges. However for reasons which I won't go into I decided to register and join the BMMC. So in some ways I am a newcomer to the wider marshalling scene as most (but not all) of my marshalling over the years has been with the VSCC.

I have started to marshal much more locally this year and of course I have had a friendly welcome from the Chief Marshals (but I'd expect that as they are usually short of bodies) - I don't find the rest particularly friendly especially when they find out that I'm a member of the VSCC - but that's not the point and it doesn't bother me. The point I was making is that people coming into marshalling need to be kept and therefore they need lots of encouragement. Today there are many calls on people's time and it's during those first few months when they are perhaps unsure if marshalling is for them that everything must be done to encourage them.

I know that the BMMC are volunteers as we all are. I'm not knocking those who give up vast amount of their time to such things. The point I was trying to make is that perhaps overburdened amateurs is not the way forward. A couple of weeks ago at Brands there were 10 of us on one post all doing the job for nothing whilst highly paid touring car drivers competed watched by doubtless well paid pit crews. Also young lads and lasses competed in cars costing £80k per season. I'm in no way suggesting that marshals are paid - what I ask is how can some of that expense be diverted to be put into marshalling to ensure that there are enough marshals to ensure that racing can continue.

Let me assure you that there is a great deal of work and effort going into recruiting and retaining marshals, not only by the BMMC but by other clubs and the MSA. I accept that the licencing issue needs to be tightened up and people are working to try and make sure things proceed rather than go backwards.

I'm a little unsure how you have been marshalling for some time without being licenced by the MSA as I thought all organising clubs take steps to register marshals and get them licenced.

I am surprised that you feel being a VSCC marshal has caused you to be liked less than other marshals as in general, marshals don't judge others by the club they belong to, more by their ability to do the job. At least that has been my experience.

With regard to the BTCC meeting last weekend, you are always going to get more marshals at the high profile events, just ask Trevor Jackson how many volunteers he has for the Goodwood FOS as opposed to a normal BARC meeting. That I'm afraid is the nature of the beast.

Please contact Gerry Hopkins who is the Chairman of the BMMC SE Region regarding your grading, he should be able to sort it out for you or at least let you know how it is progressing.

As Stoowert mentioned above, the officials of all clubs, including the BMMC are mainly volunteers and we do the work in our own time (or in some cases whilst at work) and so by nature it often takes a little longer than you might think.

Stephen Green
National P.R.O.
British Motorsport Marshals Club

[Gridlock]

I have had a number of volunteer management roles over recent years and before taking them on made myself fully aware of the commitment expected of me. When taking on these jobs as a volunteer you should be aware of what you are taking on and have the comitment to carry them out fully. I do not accept that being a volunteer is an excuse for not doing the job correctly especially if it involves other volunteers who's support you need. Whilst I accept it can take time for a system to work and complete certain aspects of a job, there is no reason why a person should not be given a simple acknowledgement. I have had no problems with the MSA or the BMMC, but I am affriad many aspects of the BRSCC SE this year are making me consider my membership next year.

[numbersix]

I haven't got a clue why I go marshaling. I like being busy, and many days aren't. By about 4.00pm back and leg-ache have set in together with thoughts of going home. When I get home I'm cream-crackered and need a bath to loosen up. I have no desire to race, but I do enjoy watching. But I can watch for a tenner at most meetings and from the comfort of a chair.
What I do know is that I look forward immensely to the next meeting, drive to it with a big grin on my face and I'm desperate to get a big badge on the back of my ovies saying: Property of Guantanamo Bay.
Are we all nutty?

[Grandslammer]

Originally Posted by numbersix

I haven't got a clue why I go marshaling. I like being busy, and many days aren't. By about 4.00pm back and leg-ache have set in together with thoughts of going home. When I get home I'm cream-crackered and need a bath to loosen up.
Are we all nutty?

Probably!!...back and leg-ache...some of us are not getting any younger ...as far as keeping busy,try flagging,it keeps the mind focussed if not the body

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by Grandslammer

Probably!!...back and leg-ache...some of us are not getting any younger ...as far as keeping busy,try flagging,it keeps the mind focussed if not the body

Alternatively, try some of the off course stuff - assembly, start line, pits or (even better for us elderly folk on wet days ) race phones. I tried race phones at Oulton Park last year for a 750 meeting and was really busy all day. Plus I had the added advantage of sitting down all day!

[danccooke]

I have just moved house so had to change my address with BARC and MSA, both a trouble free process, tickets flowing to the correct address.
Both Dee and I have been made to feel really welcome especially last year which was our first season.
I have never felt unwelcome anywhere i have been and i would like to think that most people i have worked with would happily do so again. I have participated in other hobbies that have made me feel less welcome and have been more dis-organised than this, we all know that this could be better organised but as Mr Green pointed out it is being worked on

Why do i do it?
I would love to say i do it to get away from the trouble and strife, but she is always sat next to me in the car en route with a bigger grin on her face than mine, both of us look forward to it, meeting all the usual suspects, meeting new ones, and helping the sport we love.

[blackhands]

Stephen

You have also partially missed my point - I'm not unduly concerned from a personal point of view how long these things take. What I am asking is do such delays put off new recruits who might be used to things happening more quickly?

I was also suggesting that having unpaid and self funded marshals and unpaid amateurs administer one side (marshalling) of a sport in which millions of pounds are sloshing around may not be the best way forward and that the injection of some of that cash might help towards recruiting and retaining marshals.