Club life.

[pancho]

  There is quite a difference in club life now compared to how it was when I first joined Merrylands DMCC in 1957.

 In those days the club meetings were held every Monday Night at the old Literary Institute hall at Smithfield, on which is now called The Horsley Drive.

 Our membership included riders who competed in maybe only one, or all of the branches of the sport, or even social activities which were on the go.

 I was interested in Short circuit [dirt track] and Scrambles. [Motocross to you young blokes]. Other activities available were Road Racing,road trials [Goodwin Shield, Lance Watson Trial], observed trials [called sporting trials then].

 At these weekly meetings, with members involved in such a variety of activities the 'reports' part of the meeting was listened to with great interest.

 In 'general business' there was involvement of all members in discussion on which "open" and "restricted" meetings members would support by riding or assisting on the day.

  A very important part of the  meeting was forward planning of what events members wanted to have run as club events in the following year.

 Merrylands club through the course of the year would run a couple of club only events on short circuit,one at Mt Druitt road race,a 'standing start quarter' and a 'flying mile' at Castlereagh air strip, and one or two sporting trials under the power lines at Deadmans Creek.

 For scrambles we would run a point score at a Moorebank or Woolongong track during one or more of the frequent open meetings run.

     Now that a fair few megalitres of water have flowed under the bridge since, this type of club life is very difficult to find.

 The demise of the old 'one man one club rule' weakened a lot of clubs.

    The big question is, can the motorcycle sport that I am interested in participating in continue to go forward in a way that satisfies me. If not enough of us support our now mostly monthly meetings to discuss what I/WE want to support. cheers pancho.

[Curly3]

I understand where you're coming from Wally and in part I agree.
BWP club meetings were held at Dad's shop for a long time and by all accounts they were often pretty wild nights, with most of them lucky to be alive.
When I was a kid it seemed we were going to some form of motocycling event every other weekend, in fact it was at a Gymkhana event held at Luddenham that I beat TH in a Chase me Charlie race when I was 13, I was on an A100 Suzuki and Trev was on a simmilar size Yamaha, it was later in day and he may have been a bit lubricated but it's a great memmory for me.
All the reporting of events and discussions happens on places like this forum, but I admit the social side of the sport is not what it was, a sign of the times.
I bumped into a mate of yours a few weekends back, Brockie, a good fella.
Cheers, Steve

[Nathan S]

A few thoughts that I can't be bothered turning into an otherwise coherent post:

1. Internet forums like these have removed a lot of the social aspect of Club Meetings.

2. As Clubs are run more like businesses, members expect to be provided with a service (as a customer does). This quickly damages/destroys the idea of a "club" and (in particular) reduces the general membership's willingness to help in the running of the club.
If members feel that they gain value from joining/renewing then that helps heaps. Similarly, if members feel that their contribution to the club is worthwhile, then they are far more likely to offer that contribution.

3. Virtually nobody has any spare time. And even the die-hards usually have past-times away from the club. Every club then stuggles to find people who can commit to making anything happen.

4. Everything goes in cycles. I have been heavily involved in two car clubs - ten years ago, one of them was just existing. Now, that same club is progressive and innovative and has a sparkling reputation.
In the same time, the other club has become very financially successful but suffers from incredible apathy within the membership and a reputation for in-house bickering, and for being petty and mean spirited. While it is still easily the larger club, the trend for the memberships is as you'd expect.

5a. Personal agendas are very difficult to manage - it only takes one person in a position of influence within the club to turn lots of people away (even if they maintain their membership).
The fortunes of my two car clubs can be directly linked to the level of influnce of particular people within each club.
5b. The number of memberships has only a passing relationship with the club's real value.

6. At the Retro-MX ride yesterday, the overwhleming vibe was that we were all a part of making something happen, and the sense of community was palpable. This is a relatively easy feeling to achieve in the early days of any club, before the nuts and bolts of running the club becomes apparent, but it is all too rare in many clubs nowdays.

7. The requirement to have 'qualified' officials tends to create an atmosphere of "us and them" within clubs - it creates a hurdle (real or imagined) between the majority of the membership and the people that actually, directly make events happen. This is then compounded when the qualified people are flogged to death and everyone else sort of sits back and thinks "I dont want to get qualified because it means you get flogged to death!"...

[pancho]

  I agree Nathan with a lot of what you said, especially the fact that forum like this provides easy access to the social aspect that 'face to face' would otherwise provide.

  The need for a regular sit down discussion on direction for the group as an active club is hobbled considerably if members with similar interest or concerns don't take the opportunity to put thoughts into actions.

  I don't imagine that some of the old activities common of the earlier days like social tennis one night every week where other family members would participate are likely to return but planning occasional family outings like picnic days, going to a live show in a group etc, would have partners interested I"m sure.

 The point is all members of a club are important to the ongoing viability of there club. Even if joining was primarily a requirement to getting a start at an event membership is a privlige which should not be taken for granted.

  My club [Penrith] is putting on a practice afternoon for members at Nepean Raceway followed by a Christmas get together and point score presentation  on 4th Dec.
 I really hope to see as many of the friends old and new out there and especially you good people from St George MCC and others that I only get to talk to on race days.

 Christmas cheers to all. pancho.

[VMX247]

and you know what !!
we dont socialize enough out of VMX events. 
So if anyone is interested a few of us old pre75 and new pre85 folk are heading down south to watch the Black Sorrows gig in Febuary. 
http://www.brookhamptonestate.com.au/2011_Concert

[TooFastTim]

1. Internet forums like these have removed a lot of the social aspect of Club Meetings.

True dat! It would be nice to have fortnightly/monthly "tech evenings" (as they are euphemistically  referred to in South Africa).

[pancho]

Well the fact that 'rain stopped play' did nothing to dampen the atmosphere Sat. evening at Nepean Raceway.
 The club presentation and bar-b-q was well supported with a  50 odd contingent of members and friends. Just like the good old days!
 Herb gave a sample of his culinary expertise in the form of  prawns cooked to his RED HOT formula.
  A great gathering cheers pancho.

[VMX247]

The club presentation and bar-b-q was well supported with a  50 odd contingent of members and friends. Just like the good old days!
 Herb gave a sample of his culinary expertise in the form of  prawns cooked to his RED HOT formula.
  A great gathering cheers pancho.

Fantastic news --a good old bar bee q 

[VMX247]

Hey Wal,heres another reason to have a BBQ.......from one of the GOB's !!

Perhaps one way of ensuring that everyone at least starts the season on a kosher bike, hold a non race pre season "tech inspection day" where eligibility experts could inspect every bike and advise the owners on any changes needed to be made and to advise them on various aspects of their involvements in the sport ranging from licencing right through to riding gear inspections as well as bike eligibility. The day could double as a BBQ type social event and give newbies an opportunity to meet their fellow racers and learn how 'the system' operates in a more relaxed enviroment.
cheers A

[SAABCOMBI]

I agree, as a kid in the 60`s it was a social night out for all the members, cuppa tea and sandwiches at the end of the meetings, we didn`t have to pay anything to ride at club fun meetings at the track. today standard it different its not the same anymore the excitment and dedication its there. sad. tomorrow is a show and shine at the tractor pull at ballian near gordon / Ballarat. and it a ride day too.

[Curly3]

Gee Dave, tea & sandwiches, quite a bit different from the club meetings I remember.
Actually I only ever saw the condition my old man was in when he got home after a club meeting and only found out what went on when I was old enough. Mind you the local Coppers were regular visitors and in those days the boys had a get out of Jail free card.
For a while there I thought the Police were dad's private cab company, they bought him home so often.
It will never be the same, we can sit in our own home, ( in the nude if you want ) and talk shite,  too many other distractions today, life has become so bloody complicated.

P.S. I meant to add that I love the JAWA, I had my eye on it and forgot that it was ending, you owe me, it may have cost you more

[huskibul]

        classic sliderulz !!! there the same meeting's i fondly remember

[GD66]

Hey Wal,heres another reason to have a BBQ.......from one of the GOB's !!

Perhaps one way of ensuring that everyone at least starts the season on a kosher bike, hold a non race pre season "tech inspection day" where eligibility experts could inspect every bike and advise the owners on any changes needed to be made and to advise them on various aspects of their involvements in the sport ranging from licencing right through to riding gear inspections as well as bike eligibility. The day could double as a BBQ type social event and give newbies an opportunity to meet their fellow racers and learn how 'the system' operates in a more relaxed enviroment.
cheers A

Good thinking ! We held one two Sundays ago, with a club concessional licencing renewal in the morning, a lunchtime bbq, and an afternoon pre-season scrutineering session for newbies. Ripper day, and lots of bench racing : just what clubs are for ! 

[SAABCOMBI]

I am having a ride on the Jawa tomorrow at Ballan Tractor Pull.

[Curly3]

I don't think it'll out pull a tractor, you'd need a longstroke JAP for that.