National Entry Paperwork
- Thread starter Ley253
- Start date
Wow! A step in the right direction but why has it taken this long ? Will it be performed by a totally independent adjudicator or just another fudge ?
One can but hope. The other changes are interesting, but I am far from sure I want to be involved any more.
My hope is that the treatments dished out to Maurice, were the dying throes of an unpopular governing body, and that the changes now implemented herald better things to come. The travel allowance is a welcome move.
Dying throes of an unpopular governing body???
I abhor the use of multiple question or exclamation marks, one is quite sufficient in general ... but after a remark like that Harry then I am lost for words, stood standing here, gob hung open like a hewwers handbag.
Alan jones is gone. Probably to the relief of both sides, he will no longer mislead the members with untruths, never again will he drop the management in a hole of their own collusion.
Surely you read the last paragraph of the departing encumbents letter which came along with the calling papers for the AGM? ... I shall be there as a senior director ...to help and guide.....another done deal before being asked to stay on in an advisory capacity.
Surely you can see that everything bar Alan Jones demise and a few titles is all that's changed.
Surely you can see that by and large the Directors are powerless and ruled by the executive who allegedly work for them.
More importantly nothing seems to have changed with the written minutes, which, similar to last years are not a true and accurate record of the proceedings, doubtless signed off in a similar manner. There are glaring omissions of points raised from the floor - minutes not a true and accurate record, flaws in the voting process, corrupt use of proxy votes, our local friendly neighbourhood ice cream vendor not having been a fit person to second the proposal to oust 5 directors, vested interest or not. How can that have been a true and accurate record? So - nowt's changed on that front. It does however make one wonder who actually wrote the minutes and raises questions as to their veracity, integrity and credibility. Similar applies to those who signed off these illegal documents as being a true and accurate record.
With regard to travel expenses and ploughing both days, I challenge anybody to bring one good reason to the fore as to why this could not have happened before, apart from the scruffy classes being poor relations.
Nowt's changed with the members at grass roots level either. For every departing successful ploughman, another 10 wait eagerly in the wings thinking an easier path to honours.
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I am not in a position or have the knowledge to comment on the detail. One thing is for sure regarding change for the better and that is that every move will be heavily scrutinised owing to the appalling track record and lack of real change at the top. It will take years of genuine effort to restore confidence after poor performances of the past and a complete disregard for openness and democracy.
Not just a disregard Bob - utter and absolute contempt. An insult to the mentality of the members.
I am amazed to learn that world style is only one class now. When I first became intereted in the mid to early eighties it was called class 2 Semi Digger and usually split into four sections of about twenty in each. What happened? What caused the demise?
In my view, cost, coupled with the very steep hill you have to climb to even see the top men, let alone compete with them.In addition, there was,(and still is, to a lesser extent) the fact that if you did win, and so qualify for the World, you had, in fact won an opportunity to bankrupt yourself!
Head of the nail well and truly struck. The next question is, how are the fortunes, which the scruffy classes have played a large part in amassing, going to be fairly redistributed on an equitable basis throughout the membership of the SOP? Two word answers are acceptable.
Why is it so difficult to compete with the top men as you call them. Surely it's not just a case of money, you actually have to have some talent/skill as well. Are you inferring that it's a closed shop?
If you're lucky enough to qualify at world level do SOP not assist with expenses, surely that's what should happen?
tcn ploughman
Member
you must be joking they are now giving everyone who represent England at international level £500 to help with travel cost, with almost £300k in the bank I think they should be paid in full. What else are they going to do with the money ?????
Money has a vast effect, much of it under the surface. First of all, you need a top line plough, and a tractor suitable to operate it. I use the word operate because the amount of hydraulics on state of the art ploughs. Next, you have to travel to as many matches as you can, so a truck is required, then there is the licence to drive it,or if your starting young, a driver to find.Having an or access to an arable farm, with good ploughing land is almost essential, as practise land is very hard to find. A well equipped workshop to allow you to mod parts, and the income to be able to throw them away if the mods dont work is also required.
I dont think there is a deliberate "closed shop" but there can be, in effect at least. This comes about, or did when the judges are in thrall to the ploughmen, then they tend to look at the famous name and take anything he does as the correct way things should be done, even if its not! Mistakes are not pointed down as they feel that there must have been outside influence, a stone or something.
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Thinking about this, I feel that the grant of cash is the wrong way to go, its open to abuse to start with. I would like the SOP to find and contract a haulier willing to take on this work.I dont think they have done wrong with the payment level, even though they have a vast reserve, its not earning any interest, and so could rapidly shrink if not cared for.
Bob its about time all ploughmen recognised the fact that they are all ploughmen, and the "scruffy classes" should get rid of the log on their shoulder.You complain that your hard done by, but, go back a few years, and there were no vintage classes, we had to beg societies to put one in, and many refused. When the SOP recognised the vintage people, the door opened much further.(I was ploughing vintage trailed back then). The world match profit resulted from every ones efforts. The amount of subscription income may well vary between classes, some being more popular than others.Thats a fact of life, and changes with the interest of competitors.
Classes other than world style have their own qualifiers for example, who organises them and finds societies willing to add one to their match?
One other thing, why do are the non world style classes popular? Because (1) they are much cheaper (2) competition is not so cut throat,( classic is proof of this, having a large contingent of retired world style ploughmen) and the rules keep a firm grip on development of ploughs.
Its one pot, all ploughmen put in the same, or, would you like to see a licence system where every ploughman purchased a licence, the cost of which varied according to the class he ploughed in? On the surface, a feasible idea, but within a few years, everyone would gravitate to the cheapest class, and all the others would die.
kverneland es 80
Member
- Location
- clonakilty , co cork
over here all travel expenses are covered for the world, european, 5 nations and our representatives in the northern ireland match, also each county team gets a travel sub for our national match
I know that you have said in the past that you have not thrown shed loads of money at this but perhaps to a degree this is why you have not quite reached the level that you wished for. Though I don`t move in these circles I understand that there are more than one or two who have brought themselves to the brink of financial disaster chasing these dreams. You have to realise that if you can`t stand the heat it is better to stay out of the fire because it becomes like an obsession or perhaps an addiction for some.
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
I think that if they were to offer full payment of all costs, then this would be open to abuse, some would be claiming for 5 star travel and putting in all sorts of claims saying it was to do with the travel expenses, so a set limit of the £500 is a lot better than that was on offer before,
as for the nearly £300k in the bank, if you just keep giving it away, then there would be nothing left
We have to examine carefully how all sporting events have evolved and try to avoid the obvious pitfalls. Ploughing is not a spectator sport nor does it have a large commercial attraction to sponsorship any more because it is a commercial activity of lesser importance. Hopefully this may change.. The participants are amateurs, some having many times more private means than others. Most sports enjoy far more spectator appeal but not all. In my younger days I represented Great Britain at rifle shooting as an amateur sportsman. I had a well paid job but managed to bring up a young family and finance my participation 100%. I doubt that this could happen today. Most sportsmen train many hours a week, travel all over the world and many can transport the tools of the trade in personal airline luggage. They get grants as well as appearance money.
What chance has World ploughing of living under these conditions, where practice is beyond the reach of most, transport of machinery is prohibitively costly and sponsorship is virtually non existent and falling.
The days are numbered unless you think you can count on the input of the masses to support the tiny elite minority. It must be recognised that this is a humble rural pastime and if you try to promote it beyond that you are expecting the impossible. £300K would be better spent promoting the grass roots of this pastime which is sustainable and forget the delusions of grandeur, chasing dreams and lining the pockets of a few.
What chance has World ploughing of living under these conditions, where practice is beyond the reach of most, transport of machinery is prohibitively costly and sponsorship is virtually non existent and falling.
The days are numbered unless you think you can count on the input of the masses to support the tiny elite minority. It must be recognised that this is a humble rural pastime and if you try to promote it beyond that you are expecting the impossible. £300K would be better spent promoting the grass roots of this pastime which is sustainable and forget the delusions of grandeur, chasing dreams and lining the pockets of a few.
Agreed, on all points! To be honest, I would much prefer to be using my standard ford with an RND bodied trailer plough. But I have to give in to time, and, go hydraulic. I could try classic, but if anything, the competition is more cut throat there, and, I would have to do without my power assisted controls, which would soon see me off I think!
Am I obsessed? Probably, obsessed with doing something to a high standard, certainly, and ploughing offers the best hope. I could step away, but then, its a fact of my life that I would be left with nothing of any interest, and I dont think I could put up with viewing the same four walls every day!
If you remove the world championship, the grass roots will die, look at the age of the vintage and classic competitors, youth is at a premium. I think we need to maintain the world championship, but the road to it needs smoothing, if that were done I think more young people would be interested, it being the modern competition, and so more suited to their mindset.
For a start, there needs to be much more spectator information available, and perhaps a retired ploughman to explain things, they become much more interesting when you know why X or Y is being done.