I'm resigning from the Marshal's Club.

[Stoowert]

I'm not renewing my membership of the BMMC at the end of the year. Why, I just don't think it's relevant today. It can't/doesn't have any teeth to get done what needs to be done. The MSA licece has taken away the last reason for it's existance. Any meeting I want to do, I know all the clubs phone numbers, e mails etc.
The racing clubs can only use their influence if the circuits want it.
Go on, talk me out of resigning. I'm open to persuasive arguments...

[sss]

i think your right

[brickkicker]

No arguments from here but if you are doing that send back your application with a letter of why or the people that need to know will just think its because you have stopped marshaling.
I think the only problem comes with upgrading and how do you that without being in a club? If it can be done can someone tell us

[Teletubby]

Hmmm, don't you have to be in a club to get upgraded? Er, not sure how you could get round that but I seem to recall that the MSA card has your club listed on it. Do you actually have to be a member though, BARC for one certainly accept non-members as marshals so surely they would handle the upgrading for you??

[rick vaux]

I`m a member, sorry will start this again......
Being in the BRDC, i have only been to Silverstone on three occasions this year, yet to BARC and BRSCC events more times than i care to mention.I have received no news letter from BRDC or any such literary output.

Last week though, i received from BARC an invitation to apply to marshal the GP next year, not quite hit the magic 15 days, stick another 20 on that and were near the figure.
Now they will need confirmation that i have done what i have said i have done. MSA card you all think, well not quite, i only have six sigs on it for this year, mainly due to problems we have on post, not enough people to go around.

I`m not the sort to go chasing for sigs either.So i wonder whether the BRDC will be kind enough to supply BARC with proof of days on post, come to think of it , will the BRSCC ?

I won`t hold my breath, mind you, do i really want to go that bad

[Tosher]

Have you told them in the power seats why you are leavin as they may not read these sites.

By the way, I'm stayin'

[sss]

just shows how the licensing systems need a stick of dynamite under it.

[Stoowert]

As I'm still a BRSCC member, I can get any upgrades thru them. I will certainly tell the BMMC why I'm not renewing. Good luck to antone who would rather belong to the club rather than the BRDC/BARC/BRSCC cartel. It's just I can't see it's relevance when it does, or SEEMS to do, very little to address the real issues.

[Stephen Green]

I have to admit that belonging to several clubs does become very expensive, especially at the beginning of the year when all the susbscriptions become due. I'm a member of BARC, BRSCC, BRDC and BMMC and will seriously consider which I renew this year as all told it comes to around £100 per year in membership fees!

[EvilPumpkin]

*shrug* I'm BMMC because that's the only UK crowd that have a branch in Northern Ireland, which is where I do quite a bit of marshalling, and it's helpful to have a UK membership if you like to travel to mainland UK circuits.

Their politics is neither here nor there for me - it's just a card that's recognised in the UK which eases things along. The NI section is run by people I know in any case and I've never had any problems.

If the organisation of BMMC as an entity leaves something to be desired...well it won't be the first marshals club I've been in that meets that description, and from conversations here, it probably won't be the last.

I guess the question really has to be - is anyone in a marshals club that they actually like?

[Teletubby]

Stephen, I'm only a member of BARC so I may be asking a stupid question but here goes: Don't all clubs operate the 'stamp card' idea which means if you marshal for a certain number of days you can use the card to pay for your membership?

[Stephen Green]

The BRSCC do a similar system but, as I pay my membership by direct debit, I would have to send the card in and ask for a cheque in return. I believe the maximum you can get back is 50% and so the effort outweighs the reward I'm afraid.

[Stephen Green]

I pay my BARC membership in the same way..

[Teletubby]

Ah, BARC will pay back 100%+ of the value of the stamps if you pay by direct debit!

Give Karen a call, I'm sure she'll sort you out!

[sss]

why should you pay to join a club which must make money to continue racing and without you they cant race, but expect you to be a volunteer.

the race clubs that im involved in, allow all the marshalls to marshal without being a member, that seems to me as fair. They even organise the registration card for the regulars, how nice of them

[Jenny]

Phew guys! The politics, the politics. Am I naive? Isn't this supposed to be fun - paid or unpaid? I'm a Goodwood Marshal (only two signatures and 1 training day under my belt)with my second, unpaid day last Saturday. I really enjoy marshalling because it means the racing, particularly the historics and track days, can continue. Without us the whole racing scene would crumble. I have a 12 year old son and I want him to be able to enjoy racing as much as I have for the past 30 years.

Sure, proof of experience is vital to protect us and ensure that all the marshalling needs are met at each post. I don't see that as a problem. What I do see, from my extremely limited experience is that marshals don't appear to have an official spokesteam to air their collective views and issues. Is this correct?

[Teletubby]

You don't have to be a member to Marshal sss!!

[EvilPumpkin]

Jenny - regrettably, we have more "official spokespeople" than you can shake a stick at - in every country.

The problem is that they're not necessarily the people we would have chosen, and whoever they're talking to, it's not us!

Politics and bureaucracy are the unavoidable result of getting any group of people together - and as with so many other areas of life, the people who tend to rise to the top are not necessarily those with the skills or the understanding of those they represent to do a good job.

The ones who do understand tend to be very intense and involved and therefore unable to present a dispassionate approach to those they're trying to deal with - and those who don't understand get rings run round them and sit in the corner trying to pretend they're important.

Not an ideal situation.

However, the very bottom line is this - despite their position in Motorsport, marshals have no power. Because every circuit and organising club in the world knows that there will never be such a thing as a marshals strike.

If there ever was one - and I mean a full one - no exceptions - then things would change very rapidly. But it will never happen. Which brings us back to why there are so many marshals clubs......

[TwoSheds]

Originally posted by Stephen Green
The BRSCC do a similar system but, as I pay my membership by direct debit, I would have to send the card in and ask for a cheque in return. I believe the maximum you can get back is 50% and so the effort outweighs the reward I'm afraid.

Stephen, I too pay by direct debit. If you send off your card prior to the money being taken from the bank I believe only the difference will be taken.

[Stephen Green]

Thanks for the advice on the cards chaps!

[Baldy Man]

I so wish there was some representation from the clubs here or someone from them brave enough to make a comment!! People are talking of strikes, so surely it must just be a matter of time. I am so sick of marshals bein taken for granted.
Probably gonna do more small events next year, and the GP can KMA !

[EvilPumpkin]

I'm not precisely talking about a strike as in "we should do this". Marshal numbers are dropping, but it's happening in dribs and drabs and there's never a situation where someone turns around and says "I'm sorry, we can't run the event today, we don't have enough marshals" - although we've all seen situations where the circuit is being run with far fewer marshals than we consider to be appropriate.

Until this happens, no-one outside the marshalling clubs is going to take any kind of affirmative action to make marshalling a little bit more attractive - why should they - they're getting the bodies they need.

I just think that the day someone finds they cannot run an event because of lack of marshals will be the day people will sit up and say "oops". I just hope it isn't too late by the time they do.

[Jenny]

Astonishing state of affairs really. I offer my services as a marshal because I race and couldn't enjoy my sport without them. Shame more racers don't feel the same way, it would introduce more numbers if a few more did.

[Stephen Green]

Very true Jenny, it really is a shame a few more drivers or team members don't join in on occasions, it would give them a more rounded perspective of the sport.

From what I hear, Brands Hatch came very close to not having enough marshals last Saturday for a BRSCC meeting and the stewards had a close inspection.

[Cynic]

Perhaps it should be compulsory for drivers to do a day on the bank to get a signature? I can think of a few candidates who could definitely benefit from a day in charge of the broom!
Surely there is always going to be a conflict of interest for clubs that organise races and marshals - drivers and punters bring in money whereas we don't. Why can't grading and training be put into the hands of an independent organisation. Even with the introduction of the MSA card, the system at the moment is just too fragmented.