:nuts: The current position in New Zealand is that the present management of the Radio Yachting Association is in the hands of just one man, Geoff Davies.
Geoff has held the chairmans position with very little support from the rest of the execuitive, IMHO.
At an annual general meeting two years ago it was suggested that an expanded ruling council be formed with representitives from all areas of the country.
Unfortunatly the plan, which I think is a good one, has not been as succesfull as was hoped.
We all have our opinions as to why that was the case, but I would suggest that we would do better to look forward, rather than back.
Communication is in my opinion the key word for the future of the sport in our country.
With most of the participants having some access to the internet it should not be too difficult to arrange some contact amongst them. :shoot:
We at present are only looking after the IOM class to any extent.
The Marblehead class is sort of acknowledged, whilst the EC12 Owners Association has recently split away from the NZRYA for policital reasons.
No support is given to any other classes, including the over seven hundred
Townsend “ELECTRON” owners or the large number of Wind Warrior skippers.
Maybe Its time for a change. Lets have your “vision for the future” :graduate:
I wish you guys well with this effort - as I know how “nasty” it can turn out to be.
Your thoughts of an Internet based information/communication format is interesting. I hope you can pull it off. Up here in the states, every time I (or someone) mentions moving away from a printed publication and going to an electronic one (where files, CAD drawings PDF booklets, etc. all could be provided and easily downloaded) one would think those making the suggestions were plotting the overthrow of both church AND government.
I (and others) have learned to just shut up about the whole thing before it gets “political” here as well.
If you do manage to go electronic, it certainly will put the information in the hands of the interested - at the time the “send” command is made - not a month or two from now! You will also have put “one-up” on us Yanks.
EDIT / ADDED: - after reading the most recent “poll posts”.
I had no intention of starting a war - or airing dirty laundry. My hope was to see numbers from which a suggestion could be made for our esteemed leaders to consider some changes in direction - or identify a group that may have been overlooked. As for this thread, I respectfully bow out, and leave you to discuss “internal” matters. I certainly don’t want to stumble into something where I don’t belong. Apologies to all - was not an attempt to hijack the thread.
if i knew the future i would aim higher than the NZRYA.That said here goes,IHB like myself are not of the tactfull nature,we both have strong views,and like to follow them up into practice.When i first started sailing i often wondered about the dizzy hights of the National body,who they were,what they did ect.After a few years i am still wondering.i would like to have in NZ the National body elected from area reps in turn elected from club members.And get away from the tail wagging the dog idea,the MAIN interest to be Radio Sailing in all its forms,how we communicate be it by email or what needs attention (at present there is none)
Subs ? you ask for subs to be paid and LOUD and clear comes the reply "what do we get"hard to answer !there is some hard working members of the NZRYA and others choked with apathy ! how about we try club reps/area reps then elect a council fully in tune with the members wishes.No one class of boat should dominate the NZRYA we all race/sail radio yachts.The ec12 group departed for diffrent reasons lot of hard working skippers lost to the NZRYA lots of get up go,(yes they told me to get up and go)but no hard feelings on my part
we need groups like the EC12 and others to have ONE aim for Radio sailing in NZ ,promote and progress.We have Alan Hayes web site most people can access this why not use it fully to promote the sport ? it could work if more skippers took a interest, leadership is the answer at the moment this is sadly lacking.
we need more than a sticker for our subs !!!
well Ian more washing on the line,lets hope we get a good drying day.:bag: :smile3:
Well guys, here we are having a private discussion in a public forum.
I share your views about airing the laundry etc Ian, but I think we both know from experience that the only way to get a response out of NZRYA sometimes is to provoke one in a manner such as this. Sadly I doubt if anyone from NZRYA council will be reading this (apart from Rusty).
Many years ago a guy from your area (I think it was Harry Short) Ian suggested a structure for the NZRYA consisting of club reps reporting to area reps reporting to council. At the time the majority considered it to unwieldy, however with todays communication it is probably the best solution with a bit of modification.
A couple of years ago at Wellington at the IOM Nationals we had that meeting with Geoff (who was the only Aucklander that bothered to show up) and selected a few area reps who were prepared to help, this hasn’t worked as we do not get notified about anythng to be discussed etc. We need to have frsh blood at the top I believe, the guys there at the moment while having an interest, don’t appear to want to promote anything, or have any interest in anything happening outside of the Auckland region.
I would suggest that the coucil be comprised of 2 reps from each affiliated club plus 2 reps from each recognised class, exec positions to be chosen from this group. All meetings etc can be dealt with either by email or discussion groups.
We need to work hard to get those other classes aboard (electrons, wind warriors etc).
We need to go back to having a real AGM - at the Nationals of the most popular class at the time.
A structure as outined above would mean that those clubs/classes that are active would get representation, having 2 reps from each hopefully means that the information will filter through to the members more reliably.
Now lets see how many other kiwis are on this forum!
Firstly I would like to acknowledge the work of Steve Walters who has been the Registrar of the NZRYA for many years and does a fine job.
It was never my intension to denigrate any of the work or effort put in by any of the various council members over the past years.
I am trying to help us look forward not backward.
Yes Dick I know it is dangerous doing this on a public forum, but in another way it is so transparent and honest, my hope is that with the right feeling of forum ettiquette and coolheadedness we may at least come up with a democratic and workable plan.
Unfortunatly as always, it is just the usual suspects who take the time and effort to make their views known, but they are also those on whom we can count for some action and support.
All the replies so far have nailed the challenges as I see them.
Apathy is the biggest challenge.
After the mailout to all IOM owners at the end of last year asking for their votes on the proposed new rules the responce was pitiful, around ten replies I am told.
So the old story, “if you dont vote you cant grizzle, OK”
Yes the model of clubs appointing reps for their area who then elect an execuitive could work.
Is that the most favoured option?
i will second the vote for the fine effort from Steve Walters.alan what part can your fine web site play? Nothing said in my post has not been expressed to diffrent member of the NZRYA before.they say people get the goverment they deserve ?apathetic skippers get the same.:spin:
Yes guys this is a dangerous place to discuss this topic but even if our “esteemed Charirman” does get to read this which I think is highly unlikely his reponse IMO would be to say F**K YOU ALL.:verymad:
As the kiwis are aware at the last AGM a couple of years back I stuck my hand after voicing myself and tried to become involved b y producing the NZRYA News.
Well after 4 issues in one year I was ready to produce a 5th when the “Chairman” phioned and asked why the delay - when asked by me to produce some words for the members the response was not, shall we say, friendly or accomodating.:veryangry
He then told me to not bother anymore and he would get someone else willing to do the magazine. I ask tho what happened - 1 issue in last 6 months!!! (Not getting at you Bob - I know the frustrtaion of getting info!)
IMO the leader of the NZRYA does not comply with the provisions of the published constitution and should resign the post promptly and let someone like Ian HB re-generate and rebuild a foundation for the future.
I hope this thread sees much further input from the Kiwis
Can someone share a timeline as to who was Chairman when? I think it would be interesting to see what years under what Chairman things where getting done, and when things went south, who it was under.
ian
I for one know what type of boat you are in. I too stuck up my hand and tried to improve things. YOU will get shots for this. they will come at you and say we should have talked about this in private. BUT after a few years, you understand that sometimes you need to go public. this Geoff Davis, could use some help. I dont know what you guys are doing down under, but if you want a change. talk to him and say you would like to help. if he turns you down. he atleast has to come up with a reason.
good luck
cougar
I think the current chairman Geoff Davies took the job on in about '98 or '99, some of the rest of the council have been there a lot longer, one of them at least twice that long.
The council has been Auckland based since approx '88 I think.
“but if you want a change. talk to him and say you would like to help” - we did this a couple of years ago, came up with a list of about ten people who were willing to help, since then the council either isn’t meeting or doesn’t advise those willing helpers what is going on.
“I hope this thread sees much further input from the Kiwis” - I do too but I fear that all the Kiwis that are members of this forum have already put their oar in - apart from maybe one from the far south who (probably wisely) has kept well clear of NZRYA for a few years and has happily and successfully gone his own way.
Feel I should say something…(thanks Alan!!)I really don’t know much about NZRYA and they don’t seem to know much about me which must be how they like it.
To me the idea of a national body that only has anything to do with international classes is fundamentally flawwed.Surely all classes should be catered for.There are 3 or 4 classes in this country that are more popular than the International classes yet they are not catered for by NZRYA.It seems to me if our fullsize sailing org only catered for International classes then they to would be in a similar situation.
Surely these “other” classes could be feeders for the IOM or M etc?
Or do the members of NZRYA not want everyone else to play??
