Dinghy Show 2013

[robwilder]

Dear British Moth Sailors,
As you all know the committee took the difficult decision not to attend the dinghy show this year for a number of different reasons, I am sure many of you disagree with this decision but as Chairman I've not had one single person volunteering their time to set up and run the stand or even offer to help...
Main reasons for not attending this year.
Cost - It costs the class around £1000 to attend. We have a small membership you do the maths.
Boat - We didn't have a boat to use or an owner willing to take the time to bring the boat to London.
Stand manning - The show is over a weekend but requires a couple of people to go on a friday (take a half day off work) and set up the stand.
Volunteers to man the stand all weekend. usually saturday is fine but many people don't want to help on the sunday as they would rather go sailing.
Then you need to stay late and try to get out of the show on sunday evening.
So my point really is before you start to think it was a wrong decision ask yourself this: were you willing to set the stand up? arrange the volunteers for the weekend? break the stand down on the sunday?
If the answer is yes... Then why did you not offer your services to the class when I wrote about the decision in the last issue of Chrysalis.

Rob

[the black pig]

cheers for posting the reasons for the non atendence at the show
as this is the decision of the committee, i am more than happy to go along with it.
it makes sense, if we dont have the money or the people to do it properly, not to go.

but can i correct you on one thing- a boat was available from john claridge.

and ask one question- when were any volunteers asked for? because i must have missed it in the chrysalis and on the forum.

duncan

[robwilder]

Duncan,
If the membership felt that strongly about attending the show then I would have thought someone might have contacted me.

I will put your name down for Dinghy show 2014 British moth show co-ordinatior, the plan always was to attend every two years, and nice to know you will be free for Friday set up and Sunday breakdown..
Rob

[the black pig]

;D

sorry cannot do it, i know what a co-ordinator is, but have no idea what a co-ordinatior is !

[jonathantwite]

Shame. Anyway if anyone is there, you might bump into me dreaming of all these nice boats I could buy if I had some money...

[the black pig]

Have a great time, it is normally a good show. If you see any mothists, say hi from us..
Regards Duncan and Elaine.

[bertfatal]

Abby, Gary and I are going on the Saturday, which day are you going?

Richard K.

[paultp]

I think this is a shame really, the show is a real opportunity to publicise the class at a time when the membership is low, as well as showing boats to potential purchasers it gets the class in Yachts and Yachting. Also, I'm surprised that John did'nt want to use the show to advertise his new British Moth given the amount of time and work he put into developing it.

I think Duncan has a point about not asking for volunteers I too can't remember a general call for help, but I am almost senile now so I have trouble remembering last week. I'm semi retired so, at a push, I could probably have rolled together some work at The National Archives and blagged some accommodation in London so I could help (including the Friday afternoon) if I'd known that this would be the difference between going and not going.

I'm starting to get some interest up north in the class; someone at Ripon was considering buying Poli as his Wednesday evening boat (based on a fat lad like me doing well in 784). I'm also in the process of getting reciprocal membership at Yorkshire Ouse SC in order to sail 784 on my local river, again because a couple of people from that club also sail at Ripon and have commented about a British Moth being ideal for the river.

Not going to the show makes us look like we are a dying class IMHO which I think will make getting new owners and members all the more difficult.

[abby]

I think that the decision was taken to attend the Dinghy Show every other year not bin it altogether. As one of the people who did this for a number of years I would point out it is, as Rob said, a lot of hard work - not only setting up, but (if you look back at old Forum posts) in finding decent exhibition panels which are heavy and cumbersome to cart about; to produce sufficiently high quality photos that are mountable; to comply with the Exhibition organisers online booking system, health and safety regs etc. We are a spread-out Class, no longer centred around London and for all that the Forum and emails and phone calls are great to communicate, actually getting 'volunteers' to commit to doing the job in the time allocated by the exhibition organisers, was difficult.

I am very pleased there is interest in the class up North. I found from my several years of standing on the Show that we got a lot of interest as in "I sailed one years ago and wouldn't want to again" and interest in John's new boat; Asbo's sails, X-Moth's rolled decks, but I am unaware of any of that interest translating into members and boats on the water. If someone can give me a name and a boat of a new or returning member who arrived via the Dinghy Show then I will take Friday March.....2014 off to once again set up the stand. I may do that anyway - but I will look forward to all the VOLUNTEERS coming forward and OFFERING to be there without a beleagured committee member chasing around looking for them.

Look out for Lapwing at Whitefriars. Abby

[paultp]

Yeah, you're right, it isn't worth doing.

[jonathantwite]

Neha and I'll be down on the Saturday. We usually go with my family but they can't make it this year. Shame, I was getting quite good at getting them to open their wallets when the time came to pay...

[robwilder]

I informed the membership of the decision in the last issue of Chrysalis which was sent out just before Xmas. If the membership felt that strongly about not attending the show at the time, I would have expected to receive at least one of two emails/ phone calls expressing concern and perhaps offers of help.. I didn't get one reply positive or negative from anyone!
I see from all the posts that next years stand will be full of volunteers all weekend including Friday set up and Sunday evening take down, so will be back in 2014. Duncan has already volunteered to be the dinghy show BM organising chairman for 2014
Though I expect if someone really wants to take this on we could still get a stand for 2013? Waiting now for my inbox to be flooded with emails with offers to take this on.
Rob