Four weeks
back I happened to mention that the Scottish Association of Motor Sports Clubs
is looking for a new Chairperson. It has now circulated a 'Role Profile' job
description giving applicants some idea of what the job could involve.
It has been
sent to all member clubs, plus other folks on their circulation list, but there
is apparently no intention to post this on the SAMSC website. That's fair
enough as the incumbent will have to be a member of a recognised and member club.
So if anyone has the desire to get involved it will need to be done through
their own car club.
For those
who are not currently a member of a club and fancies a rather different sort of
challenge then they'll need to have a chat with some like minded friends. All nominations
must be Proposed and Seconded by member clubs.
So far, it
would be safe to say that the Committee has not been inundated with responses.
Neither has a closing date been set - yet.
No surprise
really when you see what the job entails. On that basis perhaps it is time to
look at a different approach. Should the 'job' be remunerated in some way? Not
so much a wage but a contribution towards expenses. With Association meetings
held centrally, folks from the far north or deep south may well be put off, not
just by the travelling distance, but the time spent getting around the meetings
and variety of events all around the country.
'Zoom' or
'Teams' meetings on-line are all very well but as anyone knows a lot of work is
done face to face away from the table and this human inter-action is not just
desirable, but I would venture to suggest, vital.
Not so long
ago there were two associations, one for the West and one for East, perhaps
that could be looked at again, but this time on the basis of North and South
which would seem to make more sense travelling wise.
Motor sport,
particularly rallying, is nomadic by nature so travel has to be expected. A North/South
divide might be more appropriate and practical and perhaps one Chair could
officiate at each. That would of course mean the incumbent would have to travel
twice as much as other committee members to co-ordinate views, opinions and
decisions.
A more contentious
point would be to grant the new Chair more power to represent the sport in
Scotland, not just at club level, but at national and local government level.
We still lack a strong presence on SportScotland and that's where the big
decisions are made. If the sport has to fight for its future in the face of
other organisations who think that motor sport is morally and environmentally
wrong then there needs to be a way to argue the merits of each case.
There is of
course another organisation some 400 miles to the south (dependent on where travelling from) but with
decentralisation one of the British government's aims perhaps our 'national' governing
sporting body could consider the same. There is some precedent here in that the
RSAC has long had the power to approve rally routes submitted by Scottish car
clubs. This is necessary because Scots law is different from English while
Forest & Land Scotland is also a separate entity from the Forestry
Commission and we have our own Forestry Liaison Officer up here.
It's a minor
point, but it highlights just one of the smaller issues - why did an event in
the north of Scotland have to 'import' an MS UK appointed Safety Delegate from
the deep south with all the additional expense that would entail. Surely the
sport in Scotland should have its own qualified personnel up here?
Is it time
for the sport in Scotland to have a stronger say in the way things are run?
Should the SAMSC be given more powers? If so, that means a much more
professional approach is needed to manage such a venture.
Anyone up
for it?
