Chris.B Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 I'm aware that one AO tried on several attempts to run a westfield only event through MSE on Kembel, Hullavington, Keviel even Colorne (Bath), but lack of support scuppered it. Yep, lack of support. Not to confuse the discussion with picky fact (or correct spelling ) it was that the proposed events at Kemble, Hullavington, Keevil and Colerne did not attract enough support to make them exclusive Westfield only events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilwillis Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Just to address a few unanswered questions regarding the financial side of things and the level of membership...... The club has around 1700 members. Some have been members for years, others join for a couple of years and leave. The events the club organises are generally self financing - though underwritten by the club, and generally come under the umbrella of annual liability insurance that is always required regardless. The Meet the Neighbours is not financed by the club, but by ticket fees for the food etc. It is a WSCC event simply because it's run by Tony Sighe and others from the area, and is put on for it's membership, and hosted for us by a friendly pub landlord who makes us very welcome. The Coast2Coast is also self financing, organised at great effort by two of our members, and because of it's huge popularity, is limited to WSCC members only. Track days organised by the club rarely make a loss, and therefore, again, are self financing. The WSCC Motorsport limited branch of the club receives no subsidy from the WSCC, and is financed by the annual entry fees. \Sarcastic mode on If you join the club, and pay the HUGE fee of £25.00, you certainly won't be subsidising anyone else, but merely paying for the privilege of membership, and what that costs. I can of course understand that people who own Westfields are on the breadline, and couldn't possibly afford our extortionate fees, so needing to gain the benefit of every penny you invest, and needing the club to be tailored specifically to your own requirements, and no one else's is understandable. I among a lot of others put a lot of effort and my spare time - despite having to continue with full time work to maintain a lifestyle (selfish of me I know) - into making the club fit around your specific needs, I apologise if at the end of the day we seem to be less than perfect. /sarcastic mode off Feel free to use this facility without putting anything into the club - let the other mugs pay! On the other hand, you could do what I did, join the club, and instead of sitting back and letting someone organise things for you, roll up your sleeves, and get stuck in. You'll meet a lot of very friendly, very helpful people, who enjoy some great social events that just happen to coincide with motor sport; car shows; scenic drives; tyre kicking at a local pub; go karting; barbeques; visits to motorsport related businesses; the odd curry; the chance to dress up in a loud shirt; access to a website where you can ask daft questions, and get shot down by clever answers; rolling road shoot outs; discounts from various companies; exclusive merchandising; organised trips to Le Mans; the Coast2Coast; Meet the Neighbours; buy and sell bits; and if you feel that way inclined, you can join the Speed Series, and dip your toe into competitive driving. Yes, I've done all that in the 4 years I've been a member. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stanton Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 QUOTE in the 4 years I've been a member. seems a lot longer I learned a simple thing very early on in my career Never ask anything of others that: (1) You are not capable of doing yourself (2) Not prepared to do yourself (3) Haven't already previously done yourself (4) Never demand of others seems particularly applicable to me for any club that relies on volunteers to help out When you are still at a venue at 22.00, being last one out, locking the gates having spent the last few hours putting rubbish into bags and ensuring everything else is locked up and secure - after everyone else has collected their tophies and then shot off like scalded cats, then Mr C perhaps you can fully realise how much effort the club volunteers put into the events Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Westy Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Surely one of the best things to do is to ask others to do something that you're not capable of doing yourself? Sorry but I just don't think it's realistic to expect everyone to muck in - some people aren't capable, some people genuinely don't have time, some people really aren't interested and I'm sure there are a whole host of other reasons. If everyone in the club was constantly running round like a blue fly organising events, then there would be no-one left to attend them. Diversity is what makes the world go round. OK so there's some criticism here, and some very defensive comments in response to it. Yes someone has to do all the donkey work, and yes it's voluntary, but at the end of the day no-one has a gun to the head of volunteers forcing them to do it. From what I've read here, people are grateful - they just have something different to throw into the pot. I sometimes feel like members are made to feel ungrateful for daring to disagree or make a suggestions, and it is responded to as if it's a personal attack, when in fact it's nothing of the sort - they are just making suggestions because they can see something that perhaps could be improved. Sorry but I do feel that the fact that stuff is done on a voluntary basis does seem to almost be used as emotional blackmail sometimes and squashes healthy debate about what could be. It's just a fact - some people are 'ideas' people, and some people are implementers. Trying to force the ideas people into a different box isn't going to work - let them have their suggestions and then let those capable of putting them into practice (if practical, viable, resourced etc etc), run with them. Ideas are just as valid a contribution as anything else, imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stanton Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 and joining the club is also voluntary, no-one forces anyone to join, whatever light hearted banter is given. You take a view, if you can help great, if not no worries, if you don't like it and the volunteers at present do not have the time to accomodate further events then it doesn't get done and you can choose not to re-new and seek satisfaction elsewhere. I think somewhere perhaps between 8000 and 10,000 Westfields have possibly been sold over the years and yet our membership is still below 2000 - Clubs are not everyones cup of tea and perhaps WSCC does only appeal to the minority Trying to force the ideas people into a different box isn't going to work - let them have their suggestions and then let those capable of putting them into practice (if practical, viable, resourced etc etc), run with them. Agreed ................. but don't be upset if the implementers simply don't have any further free-time available to undertake additional tasks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markcoopers Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 I'm aware that one AO tried on several attempts to run a westfield only event through MSE on Kembel, Hullavington, Keviel even Colorne (Bath), but lack of support scuppered it. Yep, lack of support. Not to confuse the discussion with picky fact (or correct spelling ) it was that the proposed events at Kemble, Hullavington, Keevil and Colerne did not attract enough support to make them exclusive Westfield only events. I was talking about events we tried to organise back in 1996-1997 ish when we were setting up the then new southampton area. However some 10 years on we are still saying the same and I know you and others do a huge amount to try and change it for the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilwillis Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Fair point Mrs W, I guess sometimes ranting takes hold of us all. Healthy debate is never unwelcome, but this thread has at times made me see red. It's far more constructive to do something about things than merely to winge and criticise. Let's see if that happens here. Forgive me for not holding my breath waiting for the volunteers. I missed one activity out earlier too - some of us went out in drag a few weeks back - but that's another story entirely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adhawkins Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 You have your Westfield Racing website which you enjoy - good luck with it and every success for the future He does? I've never seen anyone mention it Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Westy Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Indeed it is far more constructive to do something instead of whinge and criticise but I have to say, there has been whingeing and criticising from both sides here. If you were a newbie, would you want to muck in and help if you were being met with this thread, or would you want to go elsewhere? Also, goes back to what I was saying before about stuff being taken personally - one person's whinge is another person's constructive criticism. Depends on how the receiver is listening. Are these one off comments requesting the club to bow down and provide something for one person, or are they actually just suggestions of wider issues that just one person is voicing? If there are limited resources, are they being used in the most effective way to meet what most people want? Without listening to feedback, how will you know? I just think dismissing people's suggestions as whinges and demands is not necessarily helping the bigger picture and probably not a good way to endear people to want to muck in and do what they can to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KerryS Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 timc78 really started something here didn't he Kerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adhawkins Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 I sometimes feel like members are made to feel ungrateful for daring to disagree or make a suggestions, and it is responded to as if it's a personal attack, when in fact it's nothing of the sort - they are just making suggestions because they can see something that perhaps could be improved. The thing is (and as ever, I'm happy to be corrected) but I haven't seen many suggestions for improvements here, merely 'complaints' (wrong word, but I can't think of a better one) about things that aren't happening... Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stanton Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 He does? I've never seen anyone mention it its not often, only every time he posts, baits the hook and then departs watching everyone starting to get emotive and bicker Game plan seems to be working Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Westy Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 The thing is (and as ever, I'm happy to be corrected) but I haven't seen many suggestions for improvements here, merely 'complaints' Like I said - is it a complaint or is it constructive criticism - tis in the eye of the beholder. If I ring up the caretaker at work and moan that there's no bogroll, he could take that as a complaint and get defensive that I think he's not doing his job properly, or he could say "hey, perhaps there needs to be a better system for enabling us to check that there is always a supply of bogroll available". If you don't give people room without defensive responses to tell you that there is something else that they want or don't want, how will you know what you should be organising and where the resource should be going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stanton Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Caretakers get paid to replace bogroll as do taxi drivers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Westy Posted June 21, 2006 Share Posted June 21, 2006 Caretakers get paid to replace bogroll But whether they're paid or not doesn't affect whether they see the issue as a complaint or a potential area for improvement. It's ok, my taxi is here - it'll be leaving real quick too, it's running Stunners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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