Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Things looking up?

[Rattler]

I see green shoots!!!

In reality the DSC trackday will offer a real litmus test for where the club currently is.

Is the DSC as good as it was? No, but is it as bad as it was? No.

It should be a club that offers benefits and value to members and potential members alike. Where visits to the board or engagements / meetings with members should be a positive experience.

It's about people; individuals making an effort and contributing positively to the greater good that will slowly rebuild the club. It may never be the club it was before, but maybe it doesn't have to be?

Amen

[Chris Wood]

Ask not what your DSC message board can do for you,....

Splitters.

[psychlist]

Perhaps if the MT had put as much enthusiasm into the regions as it did into DD some 3 or 4 years ago then maybe a lot of people wouldn't have gotten so disenchanted and then maybe the "troubles" wouldn't have been such a disaster for this club. When I was running DSC Sussex we had an active, vibrant region that seemed to dissolve as soon as I stepped down. The same seems to have happened in Surrey! What are the MT doing to keep BHCN alive? Perhaps if the MT had had any notion of responsibility to the clubs lifeblood (then as now, the regional membership) then maybe things could have been different, but it seemed that you had to have the same opinion as the MT or you got pushed aside or even expelled!
I'm not going to be fit enough to ride this years trackday which is the only benefit to me and I'm not sure whether to renew in September. It really doesn't matter now as this AGM'll just go the same way as every other AGM I've been to over the past few years and nothing will change except my membership status, maybe it's too late for any change, much like the attitudes of some...

[John W]

okay, so a few thoughts from me.

Firstly, I used to be a member, but chose not to rejoin.
My reason had nothing to do with what went on, because to be honest I was not visiting the forum at that time, and the first I knew was when the forum was already locked. I wasn't even getting time to read the Pronto.

I would much rather have a forum like this where there is a healthy level of inteligent posting, with a low noise threshhold. Sure, there will always be banter, there has to be. That is what you get between a bunch of mates.

I have never been involoved in the racing side of the club, so for me there was little incentive to pay money to be a member.

As for the regional meets, this club is no different to any other in that there will always be a group of people that do the majority of the work, and are also the people that keep the areas active.

Trying to get people who have left to pastures new to come back is always hard work. Its easier to try to get fresh members, because they don't have the baggage of what has happened in the past so could happen again.

I have other comments but given that most of you probably don't know me, your probably dismiss them anyway

In closing, keep up the good work guys. It is a thankless task, but some of us to recognise the effort and are grateful for it.

Cheers,
John.

[WeeJohnyB]

Mr Psychlist dear boy, how lovely to see you on the site, hope you are on the mend mate.

I don't disagree with what you are saying, (and appreciate all the history), but every club is run by a couple of individuals, plus a few who do stuff and 99% who do nothing except be a member (which is absolutely right). The old 'you only get out what you put in' doesn't really apply as long as people are happy to depend on others to do stuff and the others are happy to do it. (if you see what I mean).

When I set up what was the BHC all those years ago, there was nothing at all locally. I got help from the then MT with a list of members in the area and an address to write to ask if they wanted to come on the first ever local rideout. I was very lucky that Fordie, Jools, Keefyb, David Cook and Monty showed up and we've been friends ever since. We were also lucky that when I gave it up, Fordie stepped up to the plate. Your question however is a very valid one. What are the MT doing to maintain and develop one of the most active regions in the country? Every region is slightly different, but I bet they all have one thing in common - they are like mini-versions of the club in that they are run by one or two people and without that person, little gets done as most people (it's their right) are happy to participate but not organise - that's their right as a member and quite rightly so. I am not at all surprised that Sussex and Surry both 'disolved' after key people stepped down, but if BHNC dwindles away to nothing, it will be a sad day.

Most if not all the regional events are organised locally, eg BMF by BHNC, Popham by Roy, Raid the lakes by the NW guys etc etc.A regional coordinator on the MT should be ensuring there is a proactive person running the region and that good ideas are shared around and there is enough organised locally to keep people interested. But none of us can expect the MT to do everything and in my view, they should be dealing with the big stuff and ensuring their is an infrasructure in place to encourage members to organise things locally. For example, one of the best things I ever did with the DSC was the trip the BHC (and some others) made to Yorkshire and met up with the boys up north, brilliant, absolutely brilliant and a lasting memory, but all organised over the board and a few emails and calls, job done (with no MT input)

Now if the MT are serious about the regional structure and 'grass roots' of the club, then they should use some of the £20,000 they have stashed away to buy me a Ducati and I will be delighted to run a thriving region.

WeeJohnyB

[bradders]

one of the reason Hants still gets on is that there are more than 1 or 2 organising things.

[Monty]

Originally Posted by bradders

one of the reason Hants still gets on is that there are more than 1 or 2 organising things.

And that is to the great benefit of the Hants group Paul, the problem is as WJB points out in the main it will always be one or two people who do everything. As most people know I am one of the 3 remaining 'founder' members, was on the MT until I stepped down 18 months ago, been chairman twice, and have organised the trackday since I started it 5 or is it 6 years ago. I hardly rode anything last year-went out with the BHCN once, can't ride this year because of the operation on my wrist, but will be back next year. However, as an official 'old git' like Fordie think maybe it is time for some of the younger guys to organise things-anyone want to run the trackday??-thought not-so I shall just have to keep on with it won't I?

John

[MrWhite the 848]

I cant offer much here as I'm a newby but I live in Sussex and ride with (well the last couple of times certainly) Hants - good bunch, took me in, left me behind. Hope the DSC can sort everthing out but they are not he only forum/ organisation having a crisis of confidence. SV650.org (previous machine) have just had the same thing.

Everything gonna be erie!

MrW848