[Author Index]
[Date Index]
[Thread Index]
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
[ST] TSRA Rallyes
There's been a lot of talk recently about getting rallyes organized on this
list and I am really excited about that. There is really nothing like
putting together a package of your favorite roads and places and inviting
people from across the country to come and get a taste of what you sample
every riding day. I would really like to attend an East Coast rally and a
West Coast rally this year. It does sound like some of you out on the East
Coast are ready for this and I, for one would try to move the world to be
there.
The following explains how you can make this happen:
TSRA Rallyes 2004: Call for Coordinators
New Rules, Same Ol' Fun
Now that the organization has a few rallyes under its belt, we've seen some
areas where we believe we can improve. First and foremost of those areas
for
improvement is in the matter of selecting the rallye locations. In the
past,
we've selected rallye locations by gathering a list of recommended places
to
ride, having a vote, and then trying to find someone in that area who would
be
willing to act as the coordinator. Sometimes we haven't been able to find a
local coordinator, and a volunteer or a member of the Board of Directors
had to
take additional time off from work to scout the area in advance of the
rallye.
To us, that seems a little backwards. The rallye coordinator (RC) is a
vital
position with a lot of work and responsibility behind it, and the
groundwork
that the RC does significantly determines how good the actual rallye is.
Most of
that work is difficult or impossible to do from hundreds or thousands of
miles
away. We believe that it is critical to first identify a local RC who is
willing
to put in the time and effort to organize a great rallye.
With that understanding in mind, for 2004, TSRA members can volunteer to
be
a rallye coordinator by emailing <blake@xxxxxxxx>. There will be a few
pre-qualification
questions that the potential RC needs to answer satisfactorily. Once
that's taken care of,
we'll post the list of potential rallye sites (most with multiple dates for
you
to choose from) and have the membership vote. We will be employing a "rank
order" (or Borda) voting system, where each member ranks each rallye option
in
order of preference. The rallye option with the highest number of points
will
win.
We are going to operate under the assumption that there is enough support
for
both an East coast and a West coast rallye. As such, we will organize
separate
votes for each. Volunteers need to complete the location screening form,
which
includes the location and specific possible dates, by February 17th. Voting
will
start February 24th and end February 28th. This will give rallye
coordinators
and participants approximately three months to make their plans.
So what's an RC in for? The extended Board of Directors is currently
distilling
their combined knowledge and experience from coordinating the previous
rallyes
into an RC Guide that will provide detailed information on planning a
successful
rallye. Until we've completed that document, though, here's a quick list of
an
RC's major responsibilities:
Determine Location. Seems kind of obvious; someplace with twisty roads
and
great views, right? Well, there's a little more to it than that. We all
need a
place to sleep and safely park our bikes, ideally with a group discount
and a
reserved block of rooms. This means that you need to act as the liaison
with
the hotel management. The hotel should also have a meeting room for
pre-ride
briefings, dinner, and socializing. Restaurants should be close by,
ideally
within walking distance.
Determine Routes. You'll need to identify routes that will suit riders of
various skill and endurance levels, then ride those routes and make sure
they're as great as you remember them. (Nothing like finding out your
favorite
road has just been freshly chip sealed with thirty of your favorite
motorcycle
buddies following you!) Talk with the state and local transportation
authorities to make sure the routes won't be subject to maintenance
during the
rallye.
Coordinate with Local Authorities. Yes, some places (like National Parks)
require organized groups to notify the authorities that an organized
group
will be making use of their resources. There are even fees associated
with
some areas that we'll need to know about in advance.
Coordinate with Local Dealers. I'm sure everyone remembers and
appreciates the
fantastic service and raffle items we've received from local Triumph
dealers
in the past. The RC needs to establish that relationship and ensure that
the
dealer feels like a welcome part of our community.
Hire the Caterer. Find someone who can show off some of the local cuisine
for
us on Saturday night.
Marketing. Flyers in the local dealerships and word-of-mouth have brought
us
additional rallye participants and new members. Its also a great way to
involve local riders whose knowledge of the area can be a great asset.
There are additional tasks, like t-shirts and AMA event sanctioning, that
the RC
will need to be aware of, but which the BoD will substantially handle.
So let's get to it?I want to go riding with everyone! Who'll be the first
to
volunteer?
Organizers and attendees will have to be members of the TSRA. To that end,
we have resurrected the web site at www.tsra.net. The membership form is
what you will see there, but we are working on getting more content up
there soon.
So, is anyone game for this? We are asking for proposals by April 1st.
The basic proposal needs to have basic answers to the above questions.
There is a html form that makes this job easier. If you are interested in
doing this, please contact me and I will send you the form as this list
doesn't support html or attachments.
Dan dan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dan Wallander
Albuquerque, New Mexico
www.danwallander.com
Triumph Sprint ST :: BMW R90/6
TSRA-VP, ABC, IBA, AMA,HSTA
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The ST/RS Mailing list is sponsored by Jack Lilley Ltd.
http://www.TriumphNet.com/st/lilley for more info
http://www.TriumphNet.com/st for ST, RS and Mailing List info
=-=-=-= Next Message =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=