SASCOC & CSA meeting

[Thug]

Any thoughts on the outcome of the above meeting ?

 

 

I for one think that as a result of excluding the media, the tough questions that needed to be answered were simply glossed over and as a result became nothing more than a PR exercise.

 

At least I'll vote with my wallet by not taking out CGC/CSA membership next year.

[Tumbleweed]

I find it odd that CSA claim the accusations are slanderous, but have yet to take any action against those who slandered them.

[Iron]

Ok , am I the only one who wants to know why we have them ? cant a new body start ? they can approach UCI and get this old lot fired and get the new body affiliated ?!

 

Why do we keep letting the same CSA excist !!!!!

 

Get rid of them !!!

Edited November 14, 2011 by Iron

[Wobbles]

Iron, it is not that easy. The due constitutional process has to be followed. I suggest you get on to your Provincial Cycling Body first and then you will have some say as to who gets elected. I presume you are already a committee member of your club?

[The Bike Vendor]

I hate these guys... (CSA)

[Fun rider]

I take it that the people that are making the comments actually took the time to go to the meeting. Can we have some feedback please.

[kosmonooit]

Surely this body which claims to represent us (the cyclists) and which we fund, should practice transparency and accountability.

 

So having a closed meeting with the parent body to try and quell "bad rumours' about them does not bode well.

[Minion]

I take it that the people that are making the comments actually took the time to go to the meeting. Can we have some feedback please.

I was given the distinct impression that this meeting was for CSA and SASCOC representatives only.

[Lucky Luke.]

I've never met or seen anybody from CSA, neither socially nor at a cycling event, except Mr Lemmer who I have no doubt goes to races because he loves the sport and knows the riders.

 

First time I rode in a licensed group at the Argus I looked for a CSA stand at the Expo to clarify something. I asked at the Expo organisers office but they had never heard of CSA.

[Peewee1]

Im pretty new to all this racing licence jargon but do we all have to register with the CSA to race? or is there another party to support?

 

They do sound a bit dodgy from what I have read in the last few weeks.

[mallo]

Simple challenge goes to all who are agrieved with CSA, Let us start at the beginning with you the individual.

Have you signed up with a locl club?

Has your club registered with the local provincial body?

Has this body registered with the national body (CSA)?

 

If yes to all, are you involved with your club admin? does you club attend local prvincial meetings?

Do you mandate your club on issues of local and provincial matters?

When last has your club committee submitted nominations for provincial elections?

 

Does your committee report back to you?

When last have you seen nominations from your provincial body to the clubs requesting a mandate to submit

to the national body?(THIS IS WHERE YOUR CSA BOARD COMES FROM)

 

Now know where these individuals comes from YOU, that particiapted in the process so before going on about this and that get yourself involved and vote for change the proper way.

 

BY THE WAY IN CGC NOTHING WILL CHANGE UNLESS THE VOTING PROCESS REVERTS TO "ONE CLUB ONE VOTE" SITUATION NOT THE CURRENT FARCE WE HAVE. THE THREE BIG CLUBS OUT VOTE THE REST ON ANY MATTER DUE TO THEIR VOTING POWERS. CYCLELAB, MTN100 AND GERMISTION WHEELERS HAVE 5 VOTES EACH BASED ON MEMBERSHIP OF CGC.

 

BELIEVE ME I TRIED THIS ON SOME OCCASSIONS AND LOST SIMPLY BY THEIR VOTE GOING AGAINST YOU.

THINK OF IT THREE CLUBS OUTSTRIPS 15 OTHER CLUBS IF THEY NOT IN AGREEMENT TO YOUR SUGGESTION.

[Danger Dassie]

CSA's faults aside, mostly communication. The way I see it, the biggest problem is a break down in relations between the CSA, affiliates and clubs.

[GLuvsMtb]

Simple challenge goes to all who are agrieved with CSA, Let us start at the beginning with you the individual.

Have you signed up with a locl club?

Has your club registered with the local provincial body?

Has this body registered with the national body (CSA)?

 

If yes to all, are you involved with your club admin? does you club attend local prvincial meetings?

Do you mandate your club on issues of local and provincial matters?

When last has your club committee submitted nominations for provincial elections?

 

Does your committee report back to you?

When last have you seen nominations from your provincial body to the clubs requesting a mandate to submit

to the national body?(THIS IS WHERE YOUR CSA BOARD COMES FROM)

 

Now know where these individuals comes from YOU, that particiapted in the process so before going on about this and that get yourself involved and vote for change the proper way.

 

BY THE WAY IN CGC NOTHING WILL CHANGE UNLESS THE VOTING PROCESS REVERTS TO "ONE CLUB ONE VOTE" SITUATION NOT THE CURRENT FARCE WE HAVE. THE THREE BIG CLUBS OUT VOTE THE REST ON ANY MATTER DUE TO THEIR VOTING POWERS. CYCLELAB, MTN100 AND GERMISTION WHEELERS HAVE 5 VOTES EACH BASED ON MEMBERSHIP OF CGC.

 

BELIEVE ME I TRIED THIS ON SOME OCCASSIONS AND LOST SIMPLY BY THEIR VOTE GOING AGAINST YOU.

THINK OF IT THREE CLUBS OUTSTRIPS 15 OTHER CLUBS IF THEY NOT IN AGREEMENT TO YOUR SUGGESTION.

Lets compare this to any political complaint or concern. You are unhappy about a political decision at Government level. Now you have to become a ward representative and get involved with your local ward's administration. Then you need to somehow get involved with politics on a provincial level to be able to voice your concern about a national decision.

 

All that is required here is a public and transparant forom for cyclists to raise concerns without having to crawl up the club president's bum to do so.

 

It could be as simple as having a public comments spot on their website or having a twitter / facebook page for members to use for queries or complaints.

[Danger Dassie]

It could be as simple as having a public comments spot on their website or having a twitter / facebook page for members to use for queries or complaints.

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cycling-SA/116808945021242

 

https://twitter.com/#!/Cycling_SA

[Eldron]

I actually owe Retief Freysen an apology...

 

I have been a CSA hater for many years and taken many opportunities to slag them off as a useless, non rider oriented, self important bunch of no hopers.

 

BUT...

 

There are pockets if brilliance within the organisation and I would like to point one of them out.

 

Retief Freysen. He is at practically every mtb race I go to and I go to a lot. He is friendly, approachable, open to ideas, rider oriented and good at what he does. He has been a true sewrvant of the sport and deserves more credit than he receives.

 

Herewith ends the Retief appreciation thread

[David Marshall]

I have no idea of what CSA's constitution or mandate is but I have been involved in other sports and I assume that the basics are the same. Members join at club level, clubs are affiliated into regional or provincial bodies and the regional bodies are affiliated into a national body. The National body then sets national policy and represents the country in the international arena. This usually involves heavy affiliation fees for the right to use the international rules and structures. These are unavoidable if you want to participate in the international arena.

 

The other area of activity is the involvement of the national body in the local administration of the sport and local events. This seems to be the area of dissatisfaction, if I interpret the many threads dealing with CSA correctly.

 

What to do about it? My thoughts, which may be a bit simplistic.

 

1) Boycotting CSA or dumping CSA in favor of a different body is no solution. We still need the affiliation with UCI and the structure already exists. No benefit in scrapping and then trying to rebuild.

 

2) Dealing with the dissatisfaction in the local administration. Pressure will have to come from the clubs pressurizing the regional structures who vote in the national body. This will involve members (you and I) attending club agm's, lobbying for votes and pressurizing the administrators elected by us into taking action. Unfortunately this is left to too few interested, unpaid individuals with time constraints. The final job is then left to paid employees and administrators who are somewhat removed from the membership (and reality?) who then earn our ire when they mess up.

 

What will I do about it? Continue to affiliate to CSA and start getting more involved in my clubs administration.

 

What do I expect to get for my buck? Personally nothing.

 

What would I like to get for my buck?

 

a) Number collections consigned to a distant memory. One race number, one timing chip, one national seeding database and one online entry portal. In this day and age even I could sort this one out.

B) Safe, affordable events (and I don’t care who organizes them).