Hello Ray and fellow 22ers,
and indeed South Westers,
<Geoff, should we move this discussion to general chat?>.I had not read this thread, or the one from a few months back, until Geoff our webmaster alerted to me to it today. Let me wade in (as Seals like to operate at wading depth of course). There are two elements to this topic I'd like to address:
- Solent centric (or not)
- Getting more things going in the South West (& other regions)
I will give you a call, Ray, for a chat on how we can help you get more from sailing your S22 in company. I just called the membership secretary to get your phone number, as you just missed getting an entry in our 2011 membership handbook, but Di was just leaving the house. So in the meantime, here are some thoughts.
SOLENT CENTRIC. The association is not by design Solent centric. At the AGM and at National Committee meetings, we frequently discuss how to attract new blood and think how to do more to help our Area Reps. Some examples: we've held AGMs in Boston, Rutland, Bristol, Reading, Poole, Falmouth, London, Bournemouth and Weymouth in past years. We try to alternate between central south and elsewhere. Our trailer sailor rep is in Rutland, webmaster in Wales (but ex-Solent) and we are trying to recruit a newsletter editor from the East. I try to attend, where possible, Area events. If there is some national thing you'd like to see, then just speak up. We are all on the same side and are driven by the desire to get more fun from our yachts. It is true to say that for many people, including in the Solent/Chichester/Poole area, that their main connections to the association are in a) the people they've met, b) the newsletter, c) the web. It is for this reason that I am a big supporter of keeping membership fees at a very affordable level and I encourage members to submit articles to the newsletter for all to enjoy.
GETTING MORE THINGS GOING IN OTHER AREAS
I know from speaking to our reps in the East, in Poole and in the South West that it is incredibly difficult, and sometimes soul destroying, to get people to show up to events. The point about the Solent is that the catchment area is from Poole to Chichester, and Littlehampton if you include our National Sailing Secretary who travels well. If just a few people show up from this area, you have a rally. Poole is a special case where most members are happy with their club (not PSSA) activities but like to have PSSA membership anyway.
For the East and the South West, we have no such single point of content, like the Solent. Our members are spread all over the place, and we usually do not have critical mass. It is very hard work to round people up. In fact, even in the Solent we have as many impromptu rallies as organised rallies,as members have got to know each other over the years.
So can we try to restart rallies near you? Yes of course we can. It does not have to be formal. All we need is a) a date, b) a venue (sounds like Topsham), c) use the web to publicise the event and get people to sign up. Kate has been a great asset to the association over many years and continues to do so. Of course she has to fit this in with being a mum, working and being commodore at Topsham, not to mention her mega involvement in racing and her almost annual keel repairs (which I did read about, having a 275 too).
My suggestion is this:
1. Geoff (webmaster) - please move this discussion and the previous one to the general chit chat forum, if you agree with this
2. Ray - propose three rally dates that would suit you
3. I will ask Kate to pick one of the dates when she could be available
4. We'll publicise the event in the events part of our website
5. See who turns up
6. Ray, I would like you to write a report for our newsletter and in there appeal to S22 and other members in the South West to stand up and be counted
7. Geoff (webmaster) - what do you think about the idea of having a "South West informal rallies" entry in the 2011 events forum? It might work, and could give some South West focus. We could do this for Poole and Eastern areas as well.
If anyone else has any ideas please do chip in. All I can say is that getting things moving in a top down fashion has not met with past success. Getting things going in a bottom-up way might work, and I know that Kate has all the energy in the world to co-ordinate this once things get going.
Keep your feedback coming,
Ken
Ken Surplice
Commodore