Hi everyone,
If you've been to a Muster you'll know that organising it is not the easiest job around but it does have its rewards (no, committee members don't get V9X-powered nose hair trimmers or a ZD30 ride-on mower).
However, it should be said at the outset that committee members do enjoy months of planning, discussions, meetings, emailing or calling and running around to sponsors, then being "on the job" for the entire event.
For this year's Muster we hope to introduce workshops, to join the 4WDing, scenic drives and the Navkhana which we hope to expand on and bring back the trophies like we handed out in 2013.
In order to make it happen, the committee have a lot of work to do. We don't get paid for this: the National Navara Muster is a not-for-profit organisation and any funds that are made are donated to the charity of choice.
For the 2015 event, we need to have somebody who can manage and assist in any of the following tasks:
1) Organising a time-trial and driving-challenge event in a small off-road course that doesn't put the vehicle at risk yet provides enough of a challenge to make it interesting.
2) Running a workshop which at the moment may consist of any or all of:
a) Making and mounting working train horns on your car
b) Build your own in-dash winch controls
c) Build your own LED light strips for canopy/underbonnet etc
d) Educational: how to diagnose faults in and rebuild a turbocharger
3) Lead a scenic drive keeping a head count and ensuring that an approximate timetable is kept to
4) Assist in site setup and operations. This may include setting up/taking down flags, signs and bunting, directing people where to camp, spending some time at a specific location to help people and/or answer questions, or other things as needed.
5) Assist with lucky number plate draws, raffles, on the spot prizes, decisions about who might win things like furthest travelled, most lights on vehicle, biggest UHF antenna, most crooked headlight filament, most bush pin stripes or anything else we can dream up
6) Other activities that I've forgotten about because I'm still tired
Committee members will:
A) all carry UHF radios and if a committee decision needs to be made, will be expected to make every attempt to meet the others (of course, if you've brewed a big one and you're in the middle of releasing it, we'll understand).
B) be expected to camp somewhere within reach of where we decide to set up the registration tent or "Muster HQ". This doesn't mean right next to it, but also doesn't mean outside Nindigully Pub either.
C) be expected to seek assistance from some sponsors who may give us items for the raffle or even better still, some cash!
D) be expected to spend at least SOME time manning the HQ. This is where, in 2015, we'll hand out welcome bags, shirts, stickers etc and sell raffle tickets. It will also be where people can ask questions, get help etc and will be the point of contact for the RFS in case of emergency. The full list of attendees will also be kept here.
E) be expected to assist with the operation of the Navkhana. This may be directing cars to a certain location (marshalling), guiding drivers on the course, or helping repair the course.
F) be expected to assist with handling the raffles. This includes writing out names on tickets, scrunching up tickets to place in the container (box, hat, bowl, bucket, whatever is large enough to take them) or helping in the draw
G) be expected to either manage, or film the raffle event itself. We missed a chance for good publicity in 2014 by not having people photographed with their prizes. We'll do better this year - but we need someone with a camera + tripod to take the photo with the winner standing in front of the sponsors' banners.
So there you have it. It isn't easy, but it can be fun. Committee members should all get along fairly well - the process just doesn't work smoothly if there is too much tension.
And with all that out in the open, who has the time to help us now?
If you think that's you, or you think it sounds like fun (which it certainly can be), or it just sounds like something worthwhile to do (and I can't argue - it is) then send me a PM and tell me what part of it you're particularly interested in.
All this hard work isn't really unpaid. For your efforts, your camping fees are paid for and your shirt is free. Cool?
If you've been to a Muster you'll know that organising it is not the easiest job around but it does have its rewards (no, committee members don't get V9X-powered nose hair trimmers or a ZD30 ride-on mower).
However, it should be said at the outset that committee members do enjoy months of planning, discussions, meetings, emailing or calling and running around to sponsors, then being "on the job" for the entire event.
For this year's Muster we hope to introduce workshops, to join the 4WDing, scenic drives and the Navkhana which we hope to expand on and bring back the trophies like we handed out in 2013.
In order to make it happen, the committee have a lot of work to do. We don't get paid for this: the National Navara Muster is a not-for-profit organisation and any funds that are made are donated to the charity of choice.
For the 2015 event, we need to have somebody who can manage and assist in any of the following tasks:
1) Organising a time-trial and driving-challenge event in a small off-road course that doesn't put the vehicle at risk yet provides enough of a challenge to make it interesting.
2) Running a workshop which at the moment may consist of any or all of:
a) Making and mounting working train horns on your car
b) Build your own in-dash winch controls
c) Build your own LED light strips for canopy/underbonnet etc
d) Educational: how to diagnose faults in and rebuild a turbocharger
3) Lead a scenic drive keeping a head count and ensuring that an approximate timetable is kept to
4) Assist in site setup and operations. This may include setting up/taking down flags, signs and bunting, directing people where to camp, spending some time at a specific location to help people and/or answer questions, or other things as needed.
5) Assist with lucky number plate draws, raffles, on the spot prizes, decisions about who might win things like furthest travelled, most lights on vehicle, biggest UHF antenna, most crooked headlight filament, most bush pin stripes or anything else we can dream up
6) Other activities that I've forgotten about because I'm still tired
Committee members will:
A) all carry UHF radios and if a committee decision needs to be made, will be expected to make every attempt to meet the others (of course, if you've brewed a big one and you're in the middle of releasing it, we'll understand).
B) be expected to camp somewhere within reach of where we decide to set up the registration tent or "Muster HQ". This doesn't mean right next to it, but also doesn't mean outside Nindigully Pub either.
C) be expected to seek assistance from some sponsors who may give us items for the raffle or even better still, some cash!
D) be expected to spend at least SOME time manning the HQ. This is where, in 2015, we'll hand out welcome bags, shirts, stickers etc and sell raffle tickets. It will also be where people can ask questions, get help etc and will be the point of contact for the RFS in case of emergency. The full list of attendees will also be kept here.
E) be expected to assist with the operation of the Navkhana. This may be directing cars to a certain location (marshalling), guiding drivers on the course, or helping repair the course.
F) be expected to assist with handling the raffles. This includes writing out names on tickets, scrunching up tickets to place in the container (box, hat, bowl, bucket, whatever is large enough to take them) or helping in the draw
G) be expected to either manage, or film the raffle event itself. We missed a chance for good publicity in 2014 by not having people photographed with their prizes. We'll do better this year - but we need someone with a camera + tripod to take the photo with the winner standing in front of the sponsors' banners.
So there you have it. It isn't easy, but it can be fun. Committee members should all get along fairly well - the process just doesn't work smoothly if there is too much tension.
And with all that out in the open, who has the time to help us now?
If you think that's you, or you think it sounds like fun (which it certainly can be), or it just sounds like something worthwhile to do (and I can't argue - it is) then send me a PM and tell me what part of it you're particularly interested in.
All this hard work isn't really unpaid. For your efforts, your camping fees are paid for and your shirt is free. Cool?
