Thursday 14 July 2022

Chair Report

Hi Folks,

Thanks for your support since I was asked to take on Interim Chair of our Association. I thought I should update you on the most important issues facing the Clubs, and our thoughts on each issue.


1. We have received no more nominations for the position of Chair, and as we should be filling this role by the next AGM in March, I would ask you to think hard about suitable candidates. There are a number of busy people out there who could admirably fill this role if they were able to spare just a little time. We should also be aware that other significant roles need supporting, and succession has to be a major priority. Our long serving Secretary and Webmaster has been working on our behalf for 13 years now, and is not getting any younger. I would invite any of you who could help with either of these tasks, to come forward to help. This applies across the board across the specialist tasks that we need to help the Clubs.

2 . The most pressing issue of the day is to resolve the problem of having too many events on our calendar, putting overwhelming pressure on the back up services of Marshalling, Medical, Rescue, Recovery etc. This is particularly evident currently, with events, large and small, taking place almost weekly. We will be organising a meeting for the Clubs involved to sit round a table and work out a way forward for 2023, as soon as possible, probably in August.

3. Association Meetings by Zoom have proved to be less than satisfactory, with only 8 attendees at Knockhill for the last Meeting, and a further 14 on Zoom. Not good out of 50 Clubs. We are now proposing that at least 2 out of our 4 meetings in any year should revert to face-to-face meetings, where Club reps will have the opportunity to chat to colleagues, face to face, over a coffee. We acknowledge the cost implications all round, but feel that we have lost a huge amount since covid restrictions. We hope to return to Stirling for the September Meeting.We will organise things so that representatives from distant Clubs can attend by Zoom.

4. I have been in touch with Sue Saunders at MotorsportUK, who has been working with Sport Scotland on our behalf, and I am pleased to tell you that they have almost all the ducks in a row to facilitate an application for Development Funding for Scottish Motorsport for 2023. I will keep you updated.

5. Age is an issue - don't tell me! Wherever you look in our sport, the senior roles seem to be taken by the older generation. There are obvious exceptions, of course, but we need to see more younger people coming on board. Junior 1000 for rallying is a great concept, and the latest MS UK initiative, Street Car Series, will be an ideal starter for 10, aimed very much at low cost entry level sport. Perhaps we also need something similar for Marshals and other officials from a much younger age. We will be looking at recruitment, and how to promote interest in all disciplines.

Please contact me with any thought on these, and any other issues.

Bruce


BRUCE LYLE