Introduction
Attached to this email is a copy of the Club’s new marshal policy for the attention of all members. Over the past weeks there has been some good feedback and suggestions from members on this issue and thanks to those involved. After consideration of this feedback, the suggestions, our current situation and the number of active members within the Club, we believe the resolution to the current challenge with marshalling for our road races lies with the members themselves.
The policy that is to be implemented will not provide an immediate resolution to the challenges, but will quickly provide the opportunity for members to put up their hands to help. The current marshal groups will be extended for a couple of weeks to provide additional time for this opportunity.
Aims
- Members to have rostered marshal duty no more than 4 times per year.
- That all active members (excluding junior riders) are involved in marshal duty.
- The Club will have 72 trained traffic controllers within the active members.
- There is increased communication between the Marshal Group Coordinator/s and the members.
- The new system should provide flexibility for members that require it.
- An expansion of the concept of the marshal group, so the groups become responsible for the running of club road races and the complete management of all aspects of the club race day.
- The introduction of a disciplinary procedure against members for failing to fulfil their marshal group duties.
Considerations
During the summer road season there were approximately 150 senior members who were actively racing. During this same period there were approximately 50 members who are traffic controller trained that completed their marshal duty obligations. As everyone can see, this is a large imbalance of active members who are not traffic controller trained relying on those members that are trained.
Additionally, the Club tried to organise a traffic controller course on Saturday 20th of March. Due to a lack of members available to participate (approximately 5 members), the course did not go ahead. But consider this, the following day Sunday 21st March at the road race over 67km, there were 57 members available to race and 37 of these members were not traffic controller trained.
This policy has come from a philosophy that you become a member of a Club to participate. With the benefit of being able to participate in the activities we enjoy comes an obligation to contribute to the work involved.
Implementation & Summary of How It Will Work
With the aim of limiting the number of rostered duties for each member to 4 per year, we will need at least 12 marshal groups. This is based upon the 52 week year, less 6 weekends throughout the year when road racing usually does not happen at the Club (eg; inter-clubs). The current marshal groups are to be adjusted to spread the approximately 48 active traffic controllers amongst the 12 marshal groups. Each marshal group will have at least 10 members, but ideally 12, made up of 6 traffic controllers and 6 non-traffic controllers.
Initially, this allocation will mean that each marshal group only has enough traffic controllers to run races on the short course. There will not be enough traffic controllers within the groups to enable racing on the long course. This is a conscious decision. Amongst us all we need 24 more members to put up their hands to become traffic controller trained (ie; 12 groups X 2 members). This should not be a big ask amongst the approximately 100 other members who are active road racers and will eventually reflect the members’ desire to race over the longer course and see this issue resolved.
The policy will also:
- Introduce a disciplinary procedure in respect of not meeting our marshal duty obligation.
- Address the issue of non-members who participate in our road races on a regular basis.
- Formalise the process for arranging marshal duty swaps.
- Provide guidelines for communication of marshal duty matters.
There is no perfect solution to this issue, what is to be initiated for now will no doubt require some fine tuning, but the majority of the solution lies with each member to contribute to the work required.
Regards
Marshal Group Coordinator
Illawarra Cycle Club – Road Races Marshal Duty Policy
- Allocation of members to marshal groups
- All active Members will be allocated to a marshal group.
- Each Member will be advised of their group allocation.
- Each group will be allocated a Group Leader who will coordinate the work involved in running the allocated week’s racing, this will include reminding Members of their approaching duty, allocating duties within the group, recording any swapping of duty dates by Members within their group and advising the Marshal Group Coordinator of any issues related to the marshalling for that race day and confirming the attendance of Members of the marshal group.
- If a Member believes they have circumstances which should allow them to be exempted from marshal duty they must apply for exemption to the Marshal Group Coordinator. The application for exemption must be made within 2 weeks of being advised of their group allocation. If the Member disagrees with the Marshal Group Coordinator’s decision, the matter is automatically referred to the Club’s Executive for a final decision.
- It is imperative on the Member to make the request for exemption. The allocation of each Member to a group will be assumed to be accepted unless contact is made by the Member
- Attendance at Marshal Duty
- Every Member who has been advised of their marshal group and is not exempt from marshal duties is required to attend on the allocated date to complete their duties.
- No Member is allowed to participate in racing on a date they have a rostered duty, unless they have arranged a confirmed replacement.
- The Group Leader will allocate duties to each Member of the group.
- If the Member is unable to attend on the allocated day, they may arrange a swap with another Member to replace themselves within the group. The Member is responsible for arranging such a replacement. The replacement must be advised to the Group Leader and the Marshal Group Coordinator. It is a requirement that the replacement Member confirms this swap with the Group Leader.
- If a Member does not attend duty and does not arrange a replacement, they will be asked to provide an explanation for their non-attendance. The Marshal Group Coordinator will forward the explanation, together with a recommendation whether the Member should be disciplined or not for failing to meet their obligation to complete their duties, to the Club’s Disciplinary Committee.
- Disciplinary Procedures
- If the Marshal Group Coordinator recommends to the Club’s Disciplinary Committee a Member should be disciplined for not completing their marshal duty the Member will be advised about the recommendation and will be asked whether they wish to respond or present a case to the Disciplinary Committee.
- If the Member choses not to respond or accepts the recommendation, the Disciplinary Committee can chose to apply one or all of the measures set down in paragraph 3.4.
- If the Member choses to respond to the recommendation and the Disciplinary Committee upholds the recommendation to discipline the Member, the Disciplinary Committee can chose to apply one or all of the measures set down in paragraph 3.IV.
- The disciplinary measures available under this paragraph are:
- Give the Member a warning,
- Impose a fine of $40, or
- Suspend the Member from racing for a period of one month.
- Non-Members
- Non-members of the Club who live within the geographic boundaries of the Illawarra area (Helensburgh in the north to Kiama municipality in the south) and who participate in the Club’s road races on a basis of more than twice per season (summer or winter) will be asked to participate in marshal duty during that particular season.
- Non-members of the Club who do not live within the geographic boundaries of the Illawarra area and who participate in the Club’s road races on a basis of more than four times per season (summer or winter) will be asked to participate in marshal duty during that particular season.
- If the Non-member does not wish to participate in marshal duty for the season in which they have participated more than twice, they will no longer be able to participate in the Club’s road races.
- Communication
- Each Member will be advised of their marshal group and the group leader.
- The rostered dates for each group will be advised by email, published on the Club’s website and at each weeks sign on for racing.
- The Group Leader will remind the group members of approaching rostered dates.
- In response to this reminder each Member of the group must confirm their attendance with their Group Leader by the Thursday prior to the rostered race date.
- If a Member has arranged to swap their duties with another Member, both the rostered Member and the replacement must advise the Marshal Group Coordinator and the Group Leader.
- Cancellation of Races
- If the required number of marshals to run the rostered race has not confirmed their attendance by the Thursday prior to the rostered race date, the scheduled race will be adjusted (eg; short course race) or cancelled at the discretion of the Group Leader and Marshal Group Coordinator.
| File | Description | File size |
|---|---|---|
 ICC Marshal Policy.pdf | 66 Kb |
