| 2002
Volunteer Letter |
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| Without
volunteers, there are no events.
Simple as that. So, the WCRA truly
appreciates the time and effort, the
skills and abilities that volunteer
workers bring to club activities.
So, you think that you would like to
volunteer, eh? |
| Working
an event is not nearly glamorous, really-just
ask around. There are times when
it can be tedious and boring, uncomfortable
and even dangerous. It is, however,
almost always a great adventure, and
a lot of fun. You meet new and
usually interesting people, learn new
skills, get to hang out with people
with similar interests, and hopefully
are made to feel "loved and wanted"
by event organizers. Competitors
are your true and loyal fans. |
| Workers
come from very different backgrounds
and volunteer for many different reasons.
Some volunteers may have been pressed
into service-they may have just been
too slow to say "no!" Scooped
up by an enthusiastic companion, they
find themselves parked in the dark,
in the middle of February trying to
balance a clip board and timing clock
on their knees, their stomach rumbling,
their bladder full, they're wondering
how they ever got into this position.
If you would like a bit more information
before you commit to work an event---read
on. |
| Some
volunteers are actively involved in
rallying themselves. Rally cars
may be resting in garages awaiting repairs,
or disposable income earmarked for entry
fees has evaporated. Drivers,
co-drivers and service crews take opportunities
to support events that they might otherwise
enter. For other volunteers, working
an event is an opportunity to learn
about rallying from the inside out.
People often start out working an event
before deciding to become more involved
in rallysport. Navigators and
drivers entering a competition are far
better informed about time controls,
and rules and regulations, having worked
an event. There are those volunteers
who are no longer satisfied with spectating.
They want to be closer to the action
and more actively involved.
Some volunteers are simply adventurous
souls looking for a new experience.
I've got some extra time; this looks
interesting---what is this rally stuff
about? Family members and
significant others often show their
support for their favourite rally enthusiast
by volunteering for events.
They may be "along for the ride" but
working truly beats the boredom of waiting
and lets them actively share in the
adventure. |
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The WCRA sponsors and organizes both
TSD (time/speed/distance) and performance/stage
rallies and while there is some overlap,
volunteers for these events are required
to do different things. At both
kinds of events, volunteers do timing,
registration, technical inspection and
scrutineering, however checkpointing
at a TSD rally, Heart of Darkness, for
example, is quite different from working
as a control marshal at a performance
event such as Pacific Forest Rally. |
| Checkpoints
at TSD events are time controls usually
hidden along the side of a road somewhere
along a regularity. (Camouflage
is not necessary) In a TSD rally
the teams aim to drive "perfectly" following
the instructions (which they have not
seen previously) written in tulips,
driving at speeds suggested in the route
book. They aim to pass each checkpoint
exactly at the time designated by their
start position. If a team passes
a checkpoint early or late, they are
assessed time penalty points; in the
end, the team with the fewest penalty
points wins. |
| Checkpoints
consist of a team of driver and co-driver.
At least part of the rally route is
driven as the checkpoints get into their
positions, so, drivers working a checkpoint
should have driving skills adequate
for the conditions, and have their cars
prepared accordingly. Co-drivers
need to be prepared to read maps and
interpret the route book's tulips. |
| In
addition to checkpoints there are also
teams that "open" the event, driving
the regularity ahead of the first car
to make sure that checkpoints are in
place, and teams that follow the last
rally car, "sweeping" the regularity
clear of vehicles that may have gone
off the roads. TSD workers
need to be adventurous, survival-oriented
and self-sufficient. |
| Whereas
at TSD events, the checkpoints are on
the move, leapfrogging ahead of the
rally teams, at performance events,
such as Mt. Trials and the Pacific Forest
Rally, control crews and road marshals
may stay put and or move only short
distances within the course of the event.
Whereas the cars in a TSD pass by a
checkpoint without stopping, at a performance
event, the cars start and end a stage,
stopping at a timing control.
Control marshals count down the cars,
starting them usually at one-minute
intervals and record their times as
they end the stage in a flying finish.
In a performance rally, the teams are
attempting to race against the clock.
The driver drives as fast as possible
along an unfamiliar route as the co-driver
reads out the directions from tulips
in the route book. The fastest
car finishing wins. |
| Marshals
working performance events need to be
adventurous, survival oriented, self-sufficient,
reasonably confident and assertive.
While TSD rallies are held on public
roads and the suggested speeds are usually
below posted speed limits, the roads
used for performance events are usually
private, logging roads that can be effectively
closed off and secured to allow drivers
to drive at top speeds. Safety
is always the priority and volunteers
are charged firstly with keeping spectators
and participants safe. Volunteers
work as control marshals doing starts,
flying finishes and timing. They work
as road closure marshals and as safety
marshals at spectator areas, and in
service areas. They drive sweep
vehicles, so course opening and have
even been seen on "moo" patrols to control
cattle in open range areas. Ham
radio operators are the most desirable
of volunteers in that without an effective
radio net to monitor the course of each
rally car, the event will not occur.
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Come out and learn to checkpoint as
part of the upcoming Novice TSD Events.
Inexperienced volunteers who want to
learn to checkpoint will be paired with
an experienced volunteer at each of
the Novice TSD Events. Spend the
day, learn new skills and have some
fun. See if you like it-get some
experience before volunteering for regional
events such as the Goldigger or Thunderbird
rallies. |
| :
Come out to the Workers' Orientations
for Mt. Trials and the Pacific Forest
rallies. Unfortunately these are
usually held locally, but if you live
in the Lower Mainland, try to attend.
In addition to a general orientation
to performance events, we will show
you how to fill out time cards and run
time controls. A time control
will be set up and you can practice
starts and flying finishes. If
you are not able to attend an orientation,
know that your work assignment will
take into consideration your inexperience
and that you will be provided with written
information/instructions ahead of the
event. Each and every volunteer
is important to an event and work is
carefully assigned. The notion
that your job can be easily filled by
someone else, should you change your
mind and suddenly not show up is not
based in fact. Events revolve
around volunteers as much as around
entrants and rallies can be in jeopardy
without enough workers. |
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