In response to the points that MemSec has raised, my tuppenceworth is -
Is AUK committee correct in trying to outlaw the small events?
No. If theres time being wasted supervising organisers then the Committee should seek to whittle out badly run events (repeated last minute card orders, late submission of results, that sort of thing) not small events.
- is this the best way to encourage Organisers to grow their events? If not, what is?
It’s a blunt object and would probably achieve its objective of fewer very small events. I'd challenge the underlying assumption that small events are by definition a problem though. For example, what about an impeccably organized event that attracts all 5 AUK members that live in a 30 mile radius for the one Audax that they all ride each year? This event is no hassle to AUK and can’t be grown. I can’t see justification for making the running of this event more expensive per head than a larger one. That’s of course just an example, but my last calendar ride (the UK’s first PBP qualifier of 2011 on 3rd January) had just 8 riders. Sure I would have paid more, but IMHO that’s not justification for the proposed change.
- Should our team of volunteers who support the calendar events just get on with it, or should we seek to adjust our processes to cope with events as they really are, rather than as we might wish them to be? What if this means we need more volunteers ... ?
I'd say “get on with it” and “do you need a help?”
- Should we encourage the development of Audax in certain areas, possibly at the expense of larger events elsewhere?
No. Events will happen if somebody can be bothered organizing, otherwise they wont. An excellent framework is already in place. AUK currently does enough and shouldn’t be beating itself up on this.
- If you were to lose these smaller events, are you likely to ride bigger events elsewhere, or would you just ride more Perms?
I wouldn’t ride bigger events elsewhere, would probably do more perms, but they require a lot more motivation and unless one makes an effort to organize a Group perm there’s less likelihood of meeting your mates.
- should we have some "official" way of organising Group Perms so that you can be notified and invited to join in with others on a Perm, as a replacement to these small Calendar events? (Remember, not everyone is on YACF)
No. Group Perms will happen by e-mail, phone, YACF, Facebook, Twitter, down the pub etc etc. An “official” way will need an organiser to volunteer.
Oh and BTW, one man’s “subsistence culture” is another’s “not ripping off your cycling mates”. I charged £6 for a 200k yesterday and used the bigger than expected field to fund an extra manned intermediate control.
I would far rather be on the margins financially than blithely charge more just 'cos I can. Of course, it's maybe a subject closer to Scottish hearts than most.