More BOF Clashes

[Stodgetta]

Id be up for 8th 9th

[graeme]

Just to clarify my original comment...

I did not mean that ex-elite orienteers make excellent coaches. Quite the opposite in fact - I mean that such people would be a great asset to the coaching structure if a qualification existed to allow them to coach within their limited range of expertise (i.e. other elites). It makes a mockery of the "formal" coaching system if large numbers of elite athletes choose unqualified coaches.

Yes, it would be nice if everyone had infinite time to become expert in everything. But we dont.

Graeme

[harry]

Re: cost of calling from Sverige
Not much. you can buy a telia pay as you go sim for 250 sek and they give you 350 sek of credit for that if you have a personnummer (cashback!) the call and text rates are VERY cheap compared to the UK for calls/texts made from sweden (texts are like 60 ore or something) swedish call charges make me mad about how much they charge in the UK.

As for BOF being a rubbish governing body.. it's all relative. Mharky on what experience of other governing bodies are you basing this? What is their big crime here? Should they check Becky's schedule next time before they arrange any event she might be interested in?

But don't worry I have a new BOF gripe: They want members but they don't make it easy to join. Joining SAL for a race was done in 2 minutes over the phone with credit card the day before. Not for BOF. Not everyone has internet, printer, a pen, stamps, envelopes, chequebook for account containing money to hand. Granted most middle class families have these to hand. Which I guess most BOF members are..

it's terrible

[mharky]

Harry, see you (and many others) think that I know nothing about the organisation of sport and NGB's. It just so happens that I have studied the role and structure of NGB's at university, so probably know more than you think...

Regarding what you said about ease of joining... A while ago I posted on nopepsort about having an online entry/membership system (which I think is a really good idea).

I got the following reply from John Morris:

We're all happy to receive positive suggestions, particularly when the sender can (a) furnish some ideas on how his/her idea might be implemented (and at what cost) and (b) volunteer practical support for the implementation process. The more you can do for us, the more we can do for you...

So it sounds like if we would like BOF to have an online entry system, then we will have to make it ourselfs...

[Kitch]

So it sounds like if we would like BOF to have an online entry system, then we will have to make it ourselfs...

This is the way of the world.
There are no people sitting around waiting to act on the next good idea, everyone is busy.

unless one happens to be an entrepreneur

[David]

But don't worry I have a new BOF gripe: They want members but they don't make it easy to join. Joining SAL for a race was done in 2 minutes over the phone with credit card the day before. Not for BOF. Not everyone has internet, printer, a pen, stamps, envelopes, chequebook for account containing money to hand. Granted most middle class families have these to hand. Which I guess most BOF members are..

I had to change my membership type this year, but without calling BOF office I couldn't find out what the different fee levels were.

1. I think that it makes the membership fees seem less than transparent.

2. It makes it unnecessarily harder to join BOF.
I was late renewing this year because it took me a while to bother finding out, if they had been on the website then I would have returned the renewal form the day it arrived.

Would it be that hard to have the fees listed on the website?

[J.Tullster]

Yeah, I had exactly the same problem when someone in EUOC emailed me about membership fees. Couldn't find them anywhere!

[Kitch]

I had to change my membership type this year, but without calling BOF office I couldn't find out what the different fee levels were.

Would it be that hard to have the fees listed on the website?

So did you suggest it to BOF David ?
If you did, then well done.
If you didn't
"would it be that hard" to e-mail them with your very constructive suggestion ?

certainly no harder than simply moaning on Nopesport.

[J.Tullster]

I'm pretty sure I suggested it in the email I sent.

[Gross]

Something going on Kitch is being nice to all things Matlock:)

[David]

I had to change my membership type this year, but without calling BOF office I couldn't find out what the different fee levels were.

Would it be that hard to have the fees listed on the website?

So did you suggest it to BOF David ?
If you did, then well done.
If you didn't
"would it be that hard" to e-mail them with your very constructive suggestion ?

certainly no harder than simply moaning on Nopesport.

Since I don't have a track record of moaning I think you've been rather zealous jumping on me.

On a side, before slagging each other of, maybe everyone should consider that not every post necessarily tells the whole story of which it is just an abstract.

Either way what you suggested was in the pipeline and this was just a way of checking that:
1. I wasn't a lone voice
2. I wasn't just being inept in finding the information, thus potentially wasting valuable BOF time.

[PorkyFatBoy]

So it sounds like if we would like BOF to have an online entry system, then we will have to make it ourselfs...

I think we have, haven't we? (That's we as in Pyrat). It's called oentries.com.

Check it out, it's good.

[mharky]

Sorry, I was referring more to BOF membership online...

[harry]

Harry, see you (and many others) think that I know nothing about the organisation of sport and NGB's. It just so happens that I have studied the role and structure of NGB's at university, so probably know more than you think...

Actually when i saw your post and the fact you had referred to NGBs i first thought, oh look mharky has obviously just been studying about NGBs in his course. was it interesting?

the membership fee thing is weird. you have to call bof cos it depends on what club you are in. eg. to be in noc/emoa/bof its £6/£20 and for clyde/soa/bof it's £8/£28. but noc doesn't have membership fees and emoa charges less than soa. i guess. but "score" is a better read than "emews". "the bag" formerly known as "the black and green word machine" beats "clydoscope" hands down though. ooo please someone start a thread on club and regional newletter titles... !