OK, I am going to preface my entry into this discussion by saying that I am not longer able to ride, but did quite a lot in old days and also have extensive experience in running clubs and events.
Firstly, it's great that there is an open debate about Heaven's future direction.
My 2c worth would be as follows:
I am in the "less is more" camp with regard to the number of race meetings that are run during a year. For me, I think probably 6 championship rounds for motocross is more than enough and yes, you should be able to drop at least one round to allow for member's not being able to attend for whatever personal reason.
I also believe that there should be a stronger focus on the tracks used being Vintage bike (and vintage rider) friendly. Modern MX facilities are generally not well suited to Vintage bikes, mainly in the area of having steep upramps on jumps, so they should be used only as a last resort. Tracks that probably fall in this category are Clarence and Mt Kembla. While it is a complete pain in the rear to go out and track down new race locations, it's not impossible to do and that is something that the committee at Heaven possibly should do. Obviously, the closer to Sydney these new locations are, the better and more of an attraction to rider they will be. This is especially important to preserve the participation of the older pre 75 bikes, I feel.
Another aspect of having a long term successful club is the social aspect. Having a club to only organise MX races is a very narrow focus. Thus there should be social or "fun" events organsied during the year, as well as regular club general meetings at a social venue. Examples of fun events could be:
- 4 or 6 hour team MX event
- Vinduro Poker Run
- Gymkana
- Social BBQ / Presentation Night
- Summer Sailing/Surfing Day
- Golf Day
- Bowling Night (yes)
The more someone gets out of a club, the more he/she is likely to recommended it to his mates, I feel. Social events can also involve the other half.
Another important aspect is Promotion of Events and the club in general. Firko has already pointed out things that were done in the past which could still work today in promoting the club. Of course, let us here at VMX know about upcoming events - but don't do it 3 weeks before the event, do it 6-9 months before.
Lastly, timing of events is critical. A lot of clubs take no account whatsoever of what other clubs are doing and what "big" events are on the calender for the year. It's not sufficient to say "we've been running this event at this time of the year forever" and expect everyone else to not schedule a competing event on the same weekend or indeed the weekend before. Sometimes, you need to be flexible to allow for specific one-off circumstances where another event gets scheduled on or near "your" weekend. The key is to communicate with other clubs and coordinate the calender with them. That way all will benefit from maximum participation, including Heaven of course.
