Ragging

[Nigel]

How hard is it for your club secretary to photo copy information sent by the WCRA and post it on their notice board or even mail it to them if they wish.

Wouldn't it be easier, cheaper, less liable to mis-interpretation and more available to everyone if the WCRA posted it on their notice board here? Obviously they would still need to send the information to club secretaries but most have internet access these days.

 

[Smiffy@VeronnaV]

Oh dear, oh dear. Does it really who is behind the pseudonym John Doe? It is interesting that the anger or exasperation with racers has come through the writing - one can only wonder why but what does matter is what JohnD says. And he is quite correct in his assessment of us racers. We ARE a lazy lot when it comes to being pro-active within our chosen hobby. If we turn up for club racing and sit watching others working, ie setting out the track, are we then going to change our coats and bother to find out how better to communicate with our Admin? How often have we watched others work whilst we sat talking? Most of us in racing are guilty of that at some/most/all of the time. And this filters down to our view of Admin, we don't bother, not really. Yes we moan and groan but do now't. But then, talk is easy, being pro-active is much harder.

And as he says, you CAN go to the talk-in, you can't vote, but, you CAN speak. There is no point in just moaning. If change is desirous, then we owe it to the sport, and to the people who run it, to make a personal effort to ensure that we attend, support and offer sensible suggestions for change when given the opportunity - such as the talk-in. Just think about it, so far from this discussion we could submit, via our Club secs, a request for:-

Permission to shout encouragement from anywhere other than behind the traps,

A request that the WCRA use the web pages to post amendments to the rules, as and when they are passed as well as distrubuting to club secs (we don't have a notice board at Andover...................! we have a field well, a bit of it and lots of fresh air)

And wouldn't it be helpful to the WCRA if someone with an interest offered to maintain the postings keeping them up to date etc. Don't they have enough to do already? Now, that would be a start, and an encouragement to the committee of the WCRA because they would realise that we care about the practicalities as well as the racing.

I'm guessing now, but were I a gambler I would put money on not many people turning up, and not much on the Agenda from the racing fraternity for discussion! Scholzynetzyn said the worst threat to Democracy is indifference, and he was right. So if you think things could/should change, then take part. As the lotto add says, if you ain't in it, you can't win it!

PS what IS the date of the talk-in? October is the month, but the date?

 

[Nigel]

And wouldn't it be helpful to the WCRA if someone with an interest offered to maintain the postings keeping them up to date etc.  Don't they have enough to do already?  Now, that would be a start, and an encouragement to the committee of the WCRA because they would realise that we care about the practicalities as well as the racing.

I went to a lot of effort over several days sorting out the 'WCRA notice board' on K9 for the WCRA - setting up all the permissions so that they could post but no-one else could, creating the WCRA Moderator group, testing the setup etc. I've offered to help them maintain the SuperStars league on the site and am more than willing to help them publish any information they want. So the help has been given and more offered.

The communication methods are in place for an active dialog between the WCRA committee and the racers both at talk in's and here - but the results are depressing. For whatever reason there just isn't the willingness to communicate...

 

[LJH]

The WCRA once entered into a debate/controversy on-line and deemed they got their fingers burnt. In the light of this I feel they avoid any internet communication. Clearly we are all happy to chat/argue on line so it is a proven method of communication for the whippet racing community so what possible reason can the WCRA have for not using it to bring clarity to the rules,and their updates. They don't have a good record on communication anyway. I remember a time when we were told our dogs could be tested for banned substances, but they failed to tell anyone what the substances were. A bit like driving down a road with a speed limit but not being told what the limit is. Please ,you wonderful peop;e of the WCRA commitee help us , give us the info we ask for !!!

 

[Mark Roberts]

A bit like driving down a road with a speed limit but not being told what the limit is.

You mean theres speed limits on roads! SINCE WHEN.

I don't blaim the WCRA Committee for not getting involved in descussions on the net regarding rules as Committee Meetings are where that should be sorted, but what a great tool K9 is for the WCRA to sound out the feelings of a large section of the racing community ie: polls ect.

 

[Smiffy@VeronnaV]

No Mark, I don't agree that the board is a good way for the WCRA to sound out the views of the racing fraternity via polls etc as, off the top of my head, I can think of four racers who do not have access to the internet - and to judge from the people who post, there must be many, many more. That in itself is undemocratic, as undemocratic as the WCRA would APPEAR to be in fact. But the internet does have a place, and it is at present, under-utilised. As Nigel has already set up access for the WCRA to post, one can only wonder why they do not make more use of this particular opportunity to disseminate information to a wider audience than themselves and our over-worked club secs! After all, it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that we could print off the relevenant blurb and pass it around is it? (Just think of the savings made on photocopying!!!)

But we don't know what the Whippet Club think of posting etc, and the WCRA has to answer to them and, one would suppose, be guided by them.

Judy is right, this is a communications issue, and maybe it's another item for the talk-in and one which we could request be carried over to the Whippet Club AGM!!! :luck:

 

[Scotty]

I thought I might mention a few great Peds and non peds that never looked at the lure at the end yet were fantastic winners, they ran up chacing the lure but ran on to the owners at the end. this also stoped the crazy habit that several Peds have, that is running back down the track to the traps after a race to get back to the owners. try doing that several times a day and hope to win the open ?. Anyway for the peds the great Pickity Witch and her litter sister White Lady, who by the way was even faster but the owners stopped racing never looked at the lure, and the non peds Razamataz, Sasperella Cracked It, all these dogs were brilliant yet never looked at the lure, it does no harm to stand at the end and shout your dog home, as long as you stand aside behind the finishing line. But hey we have hundreds of owners queing up to join our sport, because its just a bit of fun for the family pet! isint it. Lets stop saying CANT and look at things that might improve our fast declining hobby before it's to late. If changes dont work then give them up but you must try in the first place.

 

[Mark Roberts]

Camel I can think of more than 4 that don't have the internet just at the Northern, but that doesn't change that K9 would be a good sounding board to get the views of a good cross section of racers views.

 

[ChrisBishop]

  Lets stop saying CANT and look at things that might improve our fast declining hobby before it's to late. If changes dont work then give them up but you must try in the first place.

Well said Scotty ...... :thumbsup: ........I could not agree more....

 

[Judy]

I can think of four racers who do not have access to the internet - and to judge from the people who post, there must be many, many more.

Yes, you are right that not all people have internet access so of course it can't be the only medium used but I think probably the majority of people do these days and it will soon be as usual as having a telephone. However don't judge the number of people who have access by the number of people who post on here. I know that there are a great many people who look on here regularly but don't post - though they do print stuff off to show other people.

I can understand the WCRA committee members not wanting to get involved in discussions on here as it can lead to arguments, (in fact I believe they have been warned off from posting anything at all on here - apart from puppy adverts that is ) but they do read what we say on here and could ask for opinions - just as they can on the telephone or face to face - even if they don't wish to take part in actual discussion. Aside from that it would be a good place to put information as the more people know, the more it will be passed around just as Carmel has already pointed out.