Monday, 31 May 2004

calenture52degrees

Hello - I have accepted your membership but please go to your profile and add your real name and please make sure you sign contributions with your real name.
 
Michael

Friday, 28 May 2004

Wednesday, 26 May 2004

Marlin tie rod bushes

Any Marlin owners replaced the front tie rubber bushes as I have problems in getting new ones . My unipart supplies say thay are obsolete the local motoquip shop say the are a unipart part only any ideas desperate for MOT soon. the tie rod goes from the radias arm to the front bumper on a Marlin.

Sporting Owner Drivers Club

Is this club still in existance? I ask as I have just bought on eBay a package of memoriabilia for just a few pounds. I bought it as I would like it all to go to a good home.
The package contains among other things a marshalls armband, cloth badges, metal badges, book matches, small metal plates for a variety of events in the 60's, stickers for the Rally Dubonet and Woburn hill climbs etc. and also trials. All are in as new condition and its   a real walk down memory lane. I remember marshaling on the Dubonet rally when it ran in Wales in the 60's, we all got a bottle of Dubonet! I also checked the map navigation for Stewart Gray when he ran the SOD's rally in East Anglia as a Motoring News round.
So if anyone is interested please get in touch.
Stuart Harrold

Tuesday, 25 May 2004

Messaage to Dave M

Thanks for your membership application. Please check out our rules and re-apply so we all know who you are. - Michael

Reliability Trials in Australia

I have recently been to Australia on business and managed to get to the Philip Island race circuit. There is a mall museum there with lots of B&W photos of the early days of motorsport in the area. There were several from the 20's which were of reliability trials covering hundreds of miles with some nice old bikes and cars. So it appears that our sport once flourished 'down under'.
Stuart Harrold

Tuesday, 18 May 2004

Roger Pole

It is with great regret that I have to anounce the death of Roger Pole, who passed away on Monday afternoon.   Roger had been ill since Christmas with a brain tumour that defied treatment.    His passing was peaceful, and I sure the whole trials community will wish to pass their condolences to his family.    I will post details of the arrangements here once they are confimed.
 
I for one shall miss him.    

Thursday, 13 May 2004

MCC Committee Elections

In my Lands End post here I said "Lots of "political chat" on the way round, ranging from the letter Dennis has published here through to the restarts on Bishops Wood and BH1 and why the MCC doesn't send out a committee nomination forms. No I don't know how members know which positions fall vacant and I to think you shouldn't have to ask a member of the committee. It's certainly different to any other club or trade association I have ever belonged to, maybe thats part of its charm"
 
Alan Foster has sent me a reponse which I publish here with his permission.
 
Michael
 
"I was interested in the aside comment in your account of the LE about
Executive nominations etc.  A fair question.  The MCC is a Limited Company
and its proceedings are set down in the Memorandum and Articles of
Association ("Mem and Arts").  I have an electronic copy (
alan.foster@pins.gsi.gov.uk <mailto:alan.foster@pins.gsi.gov.uk> ) if you
can't find your Handbook (A5, blue cover).  A root and branch review of
these has been on the cards for a very long time but the task is daunting,
and has made little progress.  If you know of trialists who are expert in
company law, current democratic processes and effective and inclusive
management with weeks of spare time on their hands, the Executive would love
to hear about it.

"The Mem and Arts stem from nearly 100 years ago, before women had the vote.
The concepts of democracy, proxy votes, nominations in advance and so on
were very different:  the Club was London based:  it's members were
'gentlemen'.  The whole historic process revolves around personal attendance
at a General Meeting.  Article 17 sets out the management structure.  All
the officers (except, it seems, the Secretary - which we don't currently
have) and one third of the Executive stand down at the General Meeting and
are eligible for re-election (Article 18).  It is open, as I read it, for
other nominations to be made on the day (others may take a different view).
In theory there could be more nominations than places on the Executive which
would involve a ballot - or a resolution to change the number.  How all this
could be handled at a General Meeting is a frightening thought: an
adjournment to another day I suspect.

"The general principle adopted by the Executive for many years is that
everyone has a job - it is not just about attending meetings.  So if there
are folks out there who think they can put the MCC on a better track, there
is a need for a General Secretary, possibly a re-invented Competition
Secretary, a 'shadow' Sec for the Exeter, a Sec for the Edinburgh and a
Regalia Secretary (all have been mentioned in MCC material over the last 6
to 8 months). Drop me an e-mail if you want to know more - please don't wait
until the AGM."