Welcome to 2010.

Monday sees in the start of March and in just a couple of weeks this year’s Rally Programme starts to gain momentum.  It has felt like a very long winter and hopefully Spring is well on its way and with some luck, some warmth with it.

Memberships

I’m sorry to have to report that Centre Membership administration continues to be a problem due to the CC computer system upgrade problems.  Resolution of these problems is totally out of the Secretary’s hands but it is causing her a lot of extra work to try and keep some semblance of order to ‘who belongs’.  Please ensure that when your Membership cards drop onto the doormat that you send or phone in your Centre renewal to Club as soon as possible as there is no longer a grace renewal period – if you are not registered as a Centre member when your Club Membership renewal date is reached – you become NRC (no longer registered Centre).

Rally Book Editor

I had the pleasure of welcoming Steve Berridge to the Centre Committee at the February meeting.  Steve has agreed to join us in the role of Rally Book Editor to produce the 2011 Rally Book.  This alleviates a number of worrying issues that existed around its possible format and indeed its production.  I am sure you will all do your best to assist Steve in his task wherever you can, be it in timely submission of your Rally proformas, write ups that truly sell your Rally, etc.etc.

Dinner Dance 2010

The Committee have been considering the ‘verbal’ feedback from the 2009 Dinner Dance.  It has been decided that the venue for 2010 will remain the same, but the few niggles that arose will be taken up with the Management and fixed.  Please remember – the shortfalls last year were a direct result of a ‘booking error’ and the rescue plan achieved a result in that the event was not cancelled, but did fall short of what we would have liked.  Mistakes happen.  I trust that you will continue to provide your support to this function and keep it ‘alive’. All the right components will be in place this year to make it enjoyable, but a successful event is always down to the attendees not the planning or the cost.

Wessex 2010

Planning for the Wessex is now well underway, all it needs is ‘you’ to start considering and entering the many ‘competitions’ available to you.  Your Centre representatives are detailed in the Rally Book, and very shortly on the Website, and they look forward to hearing from you.  In addition, every Committee Member should be in possession of a set of rules should you need some basic information – just ask.

Following Dereks resignation as Centre Wessex Rep I am really pleased to welcome Wendy Howlett to the position and thank her for stepping forward so quickly.  Thanks also to Peter Wiltshire who has kindly taken on the Photographic when the position became vacant.

We are still short of volunteers to take on the Centres Entertain and Walking Tableau events.  Could this be the first time in Wessex history that the Wiltshires haven’t entered?

 

 

 

Fellowships 2010

The face of rallying is slowly but surely changing across the country, as reported through all Regions and Centres.  The Caravan Club has been applying pressure for the Centres to do their best to encourage and maintain Centre numbers and events to take on the shortfall of pitches available arising from the ‘stay at home’ holiday boom and resultant new caravanners that are all looking for somewhere to pitch.

The salient points seem to be:

o   a dwindling pool of volunteer Rally Officers
o   lack of suitable, affordable’ sites with facilities for socials etc. 
o   Members reluctant to rally in fields any more due to the Ecoli and other health and safety scares.
o   Work precludes pre planning or indeed having weekends free for leisure
o   financial pressures of the cost of fuel, site fees, social costs etc as well as balancing the ‘home’ budget
o   lethargy
 
Unfortunately, the Centre Committee can only do so much to change things within the rules and regulations it has to operate within (as laid down by the CC) and the resources (willing and unwilling) that it can call upon.
In consideration of all the above, the Committee have discussed and agreed that Fellowship recognition criteria needed to be addressed to fit the new ‘rallying profile’.  To this end, I can inform you that from this moment on, the requirement to qualify for ‘Fellowship’ in any calendar year will be the attendance at a minimum of 15 Wiltshire Centre Rallies (rallies where the Wiltshire Centre flag is flown (legally)).  Work is underway to design a more ‘fitting’ memento but changes to how it is presented  may be required as it is likely to incorporate the ‘year’ in the design.  It is hoped that this will encourage a few more members to go ‘the extra rally or two’ to qualify and thus swell the dwindling small group of present Fellowship qualifiers that form the ‘regular’ rally attendees throughout the year.
It is noted that a number of other Centres require a submission detailing each rally attended  in that year in order to qualify.  Our records to date (as maintained by the Treasurer) indicate that possible occurrences of ‘wrongful’ application are thankfully few and far between but the process will continue to be monitored and changes made if necessary to our present application process, which is based on trust.
 
Finally.
Sorry this one has been so long  - but it is a couple of months since I last wrote.
I trust that you find the Blog informative – over and above info provided at Flag and Noticeboards? 
Conversely, if you think they are a total waste of time then please let me know. 
 
Get your slips and deposits in now for those rallies you really want to attend.  A number are filling up now, or are already full, so don’t delay.  If you are venturing out in the next 4 to 5 weeks Jennifer and I look forward to seeing you on the Field.  If not, then please consider supporting the Centre with your attendance in the near future and if you’ve never yet sampled a Rally – then go on – try it at least once.
 
Happy Rallying,
Glynn