How do we get and keep new marshals?

[b1ackcr0w]

Originally posted by Woolley
I had my first days at Prescott this year and can confirm what Stu has said. The key is, happy marshals are even more welcoming than grumpy ones, and happy marshals are one's who feel the organisers are taking them into consideration, particularly when they provide facilities.

Re Mercedes at DTM/GP, I think the answer is the manufacturers are part of the organisation at DTM, but not at the GP.

Amen to that, just take a peek at Stu's pics on Marshalspost, they prove Chris & Stu's point nicely.

I was asked by a person unnamed at a major club why I'd cancelled so many days at their circuits this year. I have to say that the reasons kept coming back to ....

Donnington this year .... felt like a fool, cock up not apologied for.

Brands this year .... had a nightmare camping, senior officials seemed unconcerned at my plight.

Rockingham this year .... great event but got the feeling the senior officials didn't care if I was there or not, even given the short numbers.

In short, when I go hilclimbing, I get the feeling I'm doing something useful, when I go circuit racing I either don't get noticied or get the feeling i'm being taken for a mug.

[bacon sandwich]

Three things for me.
Firstly I don't know how a new marshal ever works their way around.
I basically marshal for 4 circuits. Recently I have been thinking about adding Rockingham to my list. Last week I went to Northamptonshire (for something completely different!) so decided to go and find Rockingham.
A very nice Security guard let me into the circuit and I got up to the fence - but still had no idea where the Paddock was, roughly where the posts were or most importantly where marshals signing on was and I've got 11 years marshalling experience.
Alright, maybe a little over dramatic as I'm sure I could find it and could work out who to ask - but if I was a new marshal ?
Do we give them all the help we need or make it easy for them to join.
Secondly - I get fed up of driving to all these places by myself - it's not so much the distance - but driving 100 miles + with no-one to talk to along boring motorways can be extremely tedious. I s'pose because we all come from differing parts. I don't know the answer to this as I believe a buddy system has been tried and not really taken off.
Thirdly - there are marshals who at certain circuits will only marshal on certain posts. Personally I can't think of anything more boring - but each to their own - but I do seriously object before I've even got there to knowing that I can't do a certain post because that Observer or that flag marshal are in today - or even worse - you marshal a post on a Saturday because they are short and then you get moved on the Sunday - because the regular crew waltz in
I don't know how we recruit new marshals. Every year at the training days we are asked for ideas as to how get in more marshals - but ideas that don't cost any money. To advertise you need to spend money - yet the clubs won't spend any.

[blackx]

Something else about Prescott..........
This is a major plus factor and equally as important as all the other points raised by stu.pike ,gizmo and the rest...
You have the full backing of the Clerks..........
Whatever you do is your choice..........You are there to do a job and they let you do it.........
They may speak to you later on to suggest a different method of dealing with problems you have faced during the day.............But in the heat of battle...........Your choice is the right one..........
That goes a long way...........

[Woolley]

This is something I've said before, but it's worth repeating.

Forget about recruiting new marshals, find out why you're losing existing experienced ones, because if you can't keep them, you sure as hell won't keep a new one.

It takes 10 times the cost/effort to recruit a new marshal than to keep an existing one.

Happy, experienced marshals will bring new ones with them. Unhappy ones won't. If you're finding it hard to put up with everything that is thrown at you, you're not going to risk inflicting it on a friend who's going to ask you forever more "Why do you do it?"

[sss]

Originally posted by bacon sandwich
Secondly - I get fed up of driving to all these places by myself - it's not so much the distance - but driving 100 miles + with no-one to talk to along boring motorways can be extremely tedious.

just stick a note on here when your off somewhere and you may find you can meet up with someone. if you need a lift to brands this weekend let me know as thats where im off to.

[PaulPerkins]

Originally posted by bacon sandwich

A very nice Security guard let me into the circuit and I got up to the fence - but still had no idea where the Paddock was, roughly where the posts were or most importantly where marshals signing on was and I've got 11 years marshalling experience.
Alright, maybe a little over dramatic as I'm sure I could find it and could work out who to ask - but if I was a new marshal ?

Bacon,

That is one of the thoughts that went through my mind when I first started marshalling a couple of years ago. That's why I set up www.marshalspost.com . The site does exactly what you describe - lets you know about parking, sign-on, post locations, and so on. (I hope this is OK with the moderators)

As you have just said, it's a little daunting for an experienced marshal to work out what's where at a new circuit, but if you're just starting out it is very difficult.

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by pixie
Take a look at the Bike Marshals system !

Is there one? If so, can you tell the ACU?

[Gizmo]

Originally posted by paul.hickman
Thanks Woolley - I guess that you're right about Mercedes cf. with Mclaren Mercedes. One of my 'choices' was not to do the GP this year - comes hard having done them since '76 - but one has to stand by ones principles. As for Prescott - shall be there this weekend (not hill marshalling but car park attending!). Would love to do a modern hill climb there - Goodwood and the young Scottish genius up the hill was awesome...

Paul, if you get chance come on over and say hello. As this is the VSCC`s event they don`t use the Marshals Pound for sign on etc but there will be a number of us there both orange and blue and white...ther`ll be a cup of tea or coffee for you if you do...it`ll be good to meet you

[pixie]

Ohhhhhh !!! Meow Mr Brand

[Ian Lewis]

You have to ask yourself how does Knockhill manage to treat Marshals well?
Is it because they do not have many marshals and need to keep them ?
Corporate days are fewer than say Oulton Park so incoming revenue is lower.
Circuits Such as O.P are more cash-rich than others and do not rely on race meetings to support its business and therefore who needs racing? Oh and Marshals too!
Or is it because Knockhill are just decent folk?
Thanks for volenteering, heres a drink, pie, warm food, fill your flask, come back again??

[Ian Lewis]

Around 5% of Marshals travel to other ciruits to Marshal.
Is this down to the 'time' element or down to expences?

I think we should have a fund whereby Marshals from other circuits are helped out with expences.
How it will work will be debated!!

[Mark Mitchell]

How do you determine where other circuits are?
To expand.....I'm between Donington and Oulton Park, and consider both to be my "Local" tracks.
I also regularly go to mallory, ty croes, silverstone, combe, rockingham.
Would such a fund reconpence each time I went to these tracks.
It's a great idea but there's no way that Brands Hatch for example, would fork out for me to visit them!

[b1ackcr0w]

Originally posted by blackx
Something else about Prescott..........
This is a major plus factor and equally as important as all the other points raised by stu.pike ,gizmo and the rest...
You have the full backing of the Clerks..........
Whatever you do is your choice..........You are there to do a job and they let you do it.........
They may speak to you later on to suggest a different method of dealing with problems you have faced during the day.............But in the heat of battle...........Your choice is the right one..........
That goes a long way...........

Hear Hear, that would have solved my gripe about Rockingham

[bradenc]

Do drivers of cars with an extra seat ever offer to take marshalls out. wouldn't it be nice if the club could organise a day when marshals could get a ride with the drivers. We get to go on the bank, why shouldn't marshals get to whiz around the track.

I'd gladly do it but there is little room for me let alone me and a marshal in my vee.

[Ian Lewis]

Originally posted by observer
How do you determine where other circuits are?
To expand.....I'm between Donington and Oulton Park, and consider both to be my "Local" tracks.
I also regularly go to mallory, ty croes, silverstone, combe, rockingham.
Would such a fund reconpence each time I went to these tracks.
It's a great idea but there's no way that Brands Hatch for example, would fork out for me to visit them!

Only if you required funding.

Marshaling is your hobby and you can put as much time and money into it as possible. Not all marshals are as well off as others.
Ian

[andrew_powell98]

Originally posted by MarshalGirl

I think some of the committee members on some of the clubs have been there too long - and I'm sure they get a few perks - and have forgotten what it is like to be on the bank every weekend. I'm sure someone can put me right on this!

Handbags at dawn
I totally agree. However I don't see local news, or press coverage of the marshals. We need to get people like 5th gear, the BTTC programs to talk about the marshals, even the f1 on ITV.
F1 racing did a thing with Alan McNish training with the Monaco marshals, what about using that as a fourum to get people to look at marshaling as a hobby? Many motorsport fans read the magazines so why dont we make use of them?

[GT3]

wouldn't it be nice if the club could organise a day when marshals could get a ride with the drivers. We get to go on the bank, why shouldn't marshals get to whiz around the track

Each year the British Heart Foundation in conjunction with the BRSCC East Anglia region hold a charity weekend at Snetterton where as a punter you get three laps but as a marshal you get a pick of the cars from a 2CV to an DB7 and depending on the driver, you get more then three laps and ........... it's FREE !

[EvilPumpkin]

For the last few years, the drivers have got together at one of the quieter race meetings to take the marshals for a spin.

Primarily it's been the Dunlop Supercars (the class formerly known as RT2000) but we've also had representatives from the Fiat classes and the Historics.

Dunlop Supercars have always been firm supporters of the marshals and regularly donate spot prizes for the marshals draw. However, much as I love them, nothing could ever persuade me back into a car with one of them! My fellow marshals don't feel the same way though, so I hope we can look forward to a repeat performance this year! Fiat have been very good to us this year as well, donating two large gift vouchers!

The sidecars also regularly offer to take the marshals out as passengers any time we would like to show up to a track day. As far as I know, only one person has ever taken up the offer though........

In addition, for the past 2 years (and hopefully ongoing... if anyone from Mondello Park is reading this... ) Mondello Park have treated all marshals with a minimum attendance to a morning in their Performance Driving School. Mondello Park also give us a half page advertisement in each programme they produce and Matt Feeney, the resident commentator, always makes a point of plugging the marshals club - and responding live to the texts he gets from certain marshals when we're bored out on post! Matt also attended our National Training Day and wrote an article for us which was published in Irish Car Sport (photos provided free of charge by Con Connolly who gave up his time to come down and provide us with a full record of the day!)

Also, I have to plug the BTCC guys here. I know that Toca have a bad rep for how they treat marshals, but I can honestly say they could not have been more helpful at Mondello this year. The majority of teams donated prizes for the Marshals Draw over the weekend - and very nice ones too - including hats, fleeces, t-shirts and an extremely attractive and unusual object d'art from the Porches (it's one of these 3-d glass etchings with a Porche in it - very pretty). In addition, Dan Mayo, with full co-operation from the teams, arranged for us to put marshal recruitment leaflets on every stand for the pitlane walkabout - and even had the PR ladies distributing them.

The level of appreciation - and showing that appreciation - for marshals has improved a great deal in Ireland over the last few years and it's gestures like this that help us to retain people.

[Clive Harper]

I've read the thread, and boy have I started a debate! In answer to your questions and comments I have eased off my duties for several key reasons.

1. I'm fed up with arriving at sign-on after leaving home at 5.00 am to be told that racing doesn't start until 10.00 am.

2. I have a young family and changing work patterns mean my only time to see them is at weekends.

3.With the exception of the Goodwood meetings more and more events seem 'samey' and I usually feel I'm taken for granted.

4. It's costing me a fortune in fuel to get to events.

5. The higher up the grades the more difficult it seems to be to progress due to the 'clique at the top', a glass ceiling for marshals.

And so it goes on...

By the way, I picked up this item from 'Sniff Petrol'today (www.sniffpetrol.com) and thought you'd like to share it.

"There were shockwaves in F1 this week as it was discovered that the dramatic track invasion by a kilt wearing loon during last month's British Grand Prix at Silverstone was no surprise to the race organisers.In fact it was deliberate experiment that may become a regular part of future races.
'We saw how a track invasion at Hockenhiem a couple of years ago made for a more exciting race, so we tried it again', said an F1 insider, speaking from inside F1.'The plan is that track invaders will be used like The Joker in It's A Knockout. As at Silverstone they will wear cartoonish national dress related to the host country; in next year's Chinese Grand Prix they may even have a rickshaw as well'.

Track invaders will be drawn by ballot from Formula 1 fans. A spokesman for one leading team (so not Jordan then) said, 'This is great for the sport and a real answer to those who say that F1 does not let fans get close enough to the action. And the possibilities are endless.In Japan it would be considered a great honour to die for Formula 1.Imagine the coverage.'

Meanwhile the FIA has launched a full investigation into the Silverstone incident. 'It's not the buffoonish track invasion that bothers us,' insisted a spokesman. 'It's the sheer volume of so called 'overtaking'. Passing outside of the pit stops is dangerous and could seriously damage the reputation of F1 as a dull and soporific procession. This can't be allowed to happen again."


Nuff said.

[Muppet]

Does this mean we'll all need special training to rugby tackle these loonies before we get selected for the GP next year?

[Stuart Hill]

Originally posted by Muppet
Does this mean we'll all need special training to rugby tackle these loonies before we get selected for the GP next year?

Dunno about that but it does raise another couple of questions........

Just how many of US would have run onto Hanger Straight with the F1 cars coming ????

And if we did, how many of us would have actually CAUGHT him ?

Are we going to hold the GP Fitness Trials at the various training days next year???

Events could be:

25m Gravel Sprint with Bottle
25m Gravel Sprint without Bottle (Observers only)
3m Deckchair to Unit Sprint (Rescue)

feel free to add your own.

[beefy]

How about "flying leap over the barrier with car in chase"? Extra points for observers that make it!!

[Stuart Hill]

Originally posted by beefy
How about "flying leap over the barrier with car in chase"? Extra points for observers that make it!!

and just why would any self-respecting observer be seen anywhere near the track??

Unless they wanted to promote a new range of luminous red training shoes.

[beefy]

They'll all be wanting to get in on the action now!!

[Mrs BlackX]

Originally posted by crazystu
Events could be:

25m Gravel Sprint with Bottle
25m Gravel Sprint without Bottle (Observers only)
3m Deckchair to Unit Sprint (Rescue)

feel free to add your own.

How about another one for the rescue unit???

Who can sleep the longest in the cot's in the unit???

Oh no sorry.... They do that every weekend anyway!!!!