falce, that's a debate that needs a thread all of its own - the pros and cons of what should and should not be paid for, for marshals!
IME numbers fall off for several reasons:
- Poor treatment of marshals by organisers/competitors/circuit - lack of civility;lack of lunchbreaks
- Poor treatment by marshals club/other marshals
- Bad marshalling experience - near miss of your own; seriously injured competitor/spectator/fellow marshal
- Poor circuit facilities - no shelter;badly kept marshals posts (banks etc.);nowhere for marshals to go for lunch;unsecured camping facilities/no camping facilities
- Bad communication - not enough regular contact from marshals club - left feeling "unloved" - and usually uninformed
- "Seasonal" drop off - holidays/students returning home for summer
- "Familial" drop off - just married/new baby/growing children
- Retirement - too old for this sh1t! (sometimes hits people even in their twenties!)
Think that covers the main ones that I usually hear from different people.
Item b is surprisingly common - and not just poor treatment from your Club. The most daunting thing in the world is to be a new marshal arriving at a circuit for the first time and being confronted with a group of people who, regardless of how well they do or do not get on individually, are a team - and one bonded together by shared experience.
It is up to each and every one of us to welcome in every new marshal, ensure they're looked after and are not left sitting alone for their lunch or standing like a spare muppet whilst on post. Don't wait for someone to ask you to "take care" of someone. Do it yourself!