Time for change - one step at a time

[Eon du Plessis]

Good question

Think I'll draft a letter to the minister of sport's office. Don't expect much of a result but if you don't try...

[Dgas]

Who voted them in...?

 

1. The clubs that attended the AGM. There is a history (not sure how far back) but clubs were entitled to votes based on the size of the club.

 

Now it is NOT mandatory to belong to a club, so technically everyone is entitled to their say, but I'm not sure the current crop would agree with that statement.

 

2. Some are self-appointed, when the regions were formed.

 

Question is, if they are voted out, who is voted in and what is their mandate?

 

Today is day 6 since my first mail was sent and as of yet there hasn't been a single reply.

 

Surely there is a national structure which will start with the ministry of sport but then go down to the CSA. Surely the CSA should have to explain how they got to where they are and what their affiliates are doing. Gerald you seem to be our spokesman, try and get hold of CSA?

 

What I find very concerning is that there is a whole structure governing (or getting paid to govern) our sport who seem to be self appointed and we have no way of making them accountable.

 

We do not seem to have any understanding of these structures or how they get appointed and what they are supposed to be doing. I very much doubt that we can change any of this. Not because we do not want to, but because the average cyclist will have no interest.

 

But lets keep on trying.

[gtr1]

I think 1 thing we need to understand is that CSA is the head of cycling, good or bad, and here to stay. Then the regions are here to stay. This is all mandated by SASCOC.

 

We need to change how these structures operate. Getting PPA to replace CGC is not the answer. We are striving for 1 body, not complicating more than it is.

 

If PPA is really interested in changing the sport, get involved in these bodies.

 

I do think CSA need to get involved as well and take some responsibility.

 

Some responsibility needs to be taken by the clubs. This is where it all starts. In the "old regime" clubs were organized with committees. They then voted at provincial level. Also clubs put on club races and were responsible for nurturing cyclists and helping to organize events.

 

Now clubs are just there so a bunch of mates can ride in same kit and get a license. They are not putting back into the sport. Yes, there may be some exceptions.

 

So we need a properly organized club structure that contributes to the regional structure and so we go up the food chain. Not easy to change, but got to start somewhere.

[Frosty]

This is the main reason I have decided to (try) do something.
It is going far too slow for my liking, and while it is frustrating (which I knew it would always be), there's so much that I don't know that happens behind the scenes.

So we need a properly organized club structure that contributes to the regional structure and so we go up the food chain. Not easy to change, but got to start somewhere. + reverse communication and support from the national federation back down through the provinces to the regions and their members.

 

The catalyst to post here (on the Bikehub) came from the shambles that was our provincial champs. However, I have stated before that I had already engaged with our regional committee.

 

Question: How many of the hubbers are members of a club, vs non-members?

 

 

Some history, for those that might not know...

 

My club is run by a committee, although the same faces have been "in power" for a number of years. That alone should indicate that people just want to ride their bike and not get involved in the "politics". It's sad, but that's how we roll - I do what I do because I enjoy it, although I have started to started to encourage other members to take on some added responsibility to take a load off my shoulders.

 

What came as a surprise, this time last year, was that Gauteng was now split into 5 regions. Where was the notification? To this day, I have yet to see anything announced except on the CGC website. Then again - Germiston Wheelers did not appear on the list of clubs in Gauteng so we haven't been receiving any news/information for a long time.

 

In year gone by, before the whole online registration with CSA the provincial fee used to be paid by the clubs, to the provincial affiliate. This was then billed to the members and recovered. Personally, I prefer the new system where everything is done online BUT it puts the power back into the hands of the people administering this (sort of).

 

Anyway, there also used to be a fee payable for clubs, a nominal annual fee - not sure what it was actually used for, but there was this fee. Over time it fell away (or my club wasn't billed because we weren't on their books) - I'd go for the former. Now it has resurfaced under the regional structure - at least for Gauteng East Cycling, as I'm not sure how the other regions are operating.

 

Instead of paying this fee, we (as a club) decided to question it, to get a better understanding of where it is used, how the structure works in the region and so much more. To date, we haven't received much, as I'm sure there isn't anything in place (yet). I won't go into much further detail as my objective is not to rebel against it, but turn a negative vibe into something positive - as is the mandate from the club.

 

After a few lengthy conversations, we agreed to move forward and pay both 2015 and 2016 club affiliation fees, otherwise many of you would have been riding elsewhere on 21 February this year (Carnival City Macsteel National Classic). As an unaffiliated club we weren't allowed to host our event (which is actually a 50-50 partnership with Rotary. Good and bad can be taken from that, as it means unaffiliated clubs can't do their own thing, but bad in that we were held to ransom to pay fees.

 

Long story short - the current setup in the region is made up of volunteers (chair person, secretary, treasurer and a 4th position, plus a newly elected road commissioner - which I hear has happened in most regions), and of course the clubs as the members of the committee. But what about the cyclists that are not members of a club? They also pay a "regional fee" when registering with CSA (CSA Membership). I'd had a few PM's from other hubbers who are involved in other regions (either in their own capacity or family members that help out), so there are a number of hubbers already engaging in this process in one way or another.

 

We asked why they can't get the information from CSA - to which the reply was... "CSA won't share it", so here we have our national federation that wants provinces to comply to a certain set of rules and regulations, as well as collect provincial funds on their behalf, without sharing the list of members in each region/province - looks a little one sided to me, which I'm sure most of you will agree.

 

Day 7, and still no reply to the last email. I guess a Whatsapp message might be a better call, followed by a phone call.

[Dgas]

On the subject of the Gauteng Champs, I came there with a attitude that it was a training ride as the weekend before I rode the CTCT.  The champs were relatively disorganised but overall I had a good day. Mostly because of the shambles in the 50+ category, which resulted in me getting second place in my age category. I also enjoyed riding with guys my age, many of whom I ride with in VC.

 

But why does a cycling organisation pay a events company to organise the race? and it was quite badly organised. Surely Gauteng cycling should be able organise a cycling event? Is that not what they are supposed to do? Was there a transparent tender process followed when awarding the contract, I doubt it. 

 

Why do we have to pay for a licence when riding in events that are organised by private companies? ASG and others. 

 

Why does the event organiser pay CSA a fee. 

 

Gerald you and your club run the Mac Steel Classic, what does CSA do for you that you have to pay them?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Frosty]

I see the F1 Drivers Association are also looking for changes, and their open letter should be seen as an attack but rather a chance for change.

 

Any good writers out there willing to put all our thoughts into a well drafted OPEN letter?

[Frosty]

Just bumping this up the timeline so I can give feedback later today.

[V12man]

On the subject of number collection - why not have downloadable and printable numbers - then you can just print them yourself and use them, or have them printed and collected from commercial print shops like postnet etc

 

Of course - permanent numbers make the most sense to me

[NotSoBigBen]

On the subject of number collection - why not have downloadable and printable numbers - then you can just print them yourself and use them, or have them printed and collected from commercial print shops like postnet etc

 

Of course - permanent numbers make the most sense to me

 

You going to get Spinnekop all de moer in again .......... ok so it is Friday though 

[Frosty]

Hmm, where to start?

 

It’s been a while since any thought and effort went into this campaign, which was prompted by the lack of communication for Gauteng Champs. Last night’s meeting was a good one, in that I have the support of the regional committee, who have committed to take this up a level to the Gauteng Province committee.

 

A lack of communication is a major problem, and was acknowledged by everyone at the meeting. Sadly there were only 2 clubs present at the meeting along with the committee, which pretty much sums up the state of administration at the moment. As much as I dislike meetings, especially ones that have no conclusive decisions made, they can be important/productive if setup correctly.

 

For every point tabled, there was a reason behind it – either why it was done, or how it was done. The good news is that it can be changed for the better.

 

 

Let’s start with communication – as I have suggested ways in which to help improve it. Currently, the list of names on the database is old, as CyclingSA doesn’t want to release the information and they aren’t obliged to (POPI act). Cyclists are required to register online, and pay the CSA membership fee as well as the provincial affiliation fee. Those wanting a licence, it’s another payment required. This is handled by CSA, and the funds are supposed to be paid over by them to the provincial/regional unions.

 

 

What do the regions/provincial offices do with the money they receive?
Good question, and it’s not as simple as paying someone’s salary – Gauteng East is made up of volunteers whereas CGC have employee(s) on their payroll. I can’t speak for the other regions, but I’m sure in time to come I will find out.

 

Back to the communication – the question was asked, “If the database is old, how do we go about getting in touch with everyone?”

The following suggestions have been made:

 

• Website – a basic website is required, where information can be listed and updated accordingly. Not my field of expertise, but I have offered to get something up, as a start. If anyone wants to offer their services now is the time to get involved. It has to be a responsive format capable of being viewed on all devices and computers. Anyone should be able to post comment and articles (subject to a review by the administrators);
   
• Social Media – CGC has a Twitter account, but it’s not used. Gauteng East doesn’t have anything, and I will ensure this is setup, and used on a regular basis. I’m not a fan of FB, but it can also be a suitable application to further spread newsworthy information;
   
• Whatsapp – start hierarchy-type chat group where clubs in the region can join. It’s not a free-for-all post anything type of group but rather another channel in which to publish information to be shared with the clubs;
   
• Email Newsletter – opt-in/opt-out format where all cyclists in the region can receive a newsletter (like what CyclingSA does).

 

Gauteng Champs was the catalyst for me to start this whole “change” process, and I can confirm that a decision for the 2017 event will be made in June. It means the region hosting the event will have 6 months to prepare and make it a worthwhile event to take part in. All provincial champs need to be held on the same weekend. Hope this helps!

                                                                        

 

Next up is number collection.

I have been working on a plan for the race I am involved with, BUT… there appears to be a lot of resistance to want to change. The resistance is not from the officials, but from other service providers. I cannot divulge anything at this point, as we (race committee) have not signed any agreement yet with these service providers, and I don’t want to offer something that is not possible (yet).

 

The plan is to have more collection points around Gauteng, for Gauteng races. Any queries and/or late entries can only be done at fixed points (like it is now). The challenge is to get this option setup on the race entry portals where you could select a collection point close to your home/office. Your number will be at this point for 2-3 days, i.e. Thursday – Saturday.

 

 

Permanent numbers

Number collection would fall away if this was implemented. However, to protect the organisers from cyclists taking part without paying, the paper number system and registration was introduced – don’t shoot me, this is what I have been told. There’s nothing stopping someone from using an older number from previous years, or simply saying they left it at home. If someone wants to “cheat” they will find a way.

 

A proposal was made that all affiliated members of Gauteng’s regions should receive a permanent number. By having paid the affiliation fee, part of the cost would cover the cost to print and issue a number. Anyone not affiliating would receive the paper-based number and be forced to collect from designated collection points. This would encourage cyclists to affiliate, and also give the provincial administrators a database of riders (with whom to communicate with).

 

This is a proposal (an idea), and will require some feedback from a number of stakeholders. If you have better solutions… I’m all ears.

 

 

Provincial Seeding Index

If CyclingSA aren’t going to do anything, the province could do something to make it easier for all events. It’s not a difficult task, but does require time to keep it up to date and we know that time costs money.

 

Racetec is widely used at most events, and they have their system. ASG Events have their own events and use their own database for seeding. I won’t go any further with other companies and systems as they are few and far between. The point is that if there is one database with all results, the seeding can be generated using all results for all races.

 

I would imagine this project is a 2-3 year one, and will be a hard one to convince existing timing/race offices to part with information that actually belongs to the cyclists. It’s not personal information, other than a unique ID number for each cyclist, name, surname, race ID, start group and a race time.

 

 

What next?

Anyone affiliated to the Gauteng Central region, should try attend the AGM next month and raise these and other concerns with them. Not asking them to do anything about it, but rather that they hear it. When the provincial committee gets together (next month) it will be a case of two regions bringing the same (and more) concerns to the table - at least I know it will come from one region.

 

 

Back to the “what does my region do for me?” question:

It’s a difficult question to answer, but let’s give an example where some funds could be given back.

 

Germiston Wheelers will be organising two Winter Crit races (26-Jun and 14-Aug), which has to be sanctioned (from a legal point of view – Safety at Sports & Recreational Events Act, as well as from liability/insurance provided by CyclingSA’s blanket insurance). Why haven’t you heard anything yet on social media? You will, within the next week – we’re trying to kick start events for the winter, which can become regular events on the calendar for the years to come.

 

The fee for this will be paid for by the region, because they know they get income from the rider levy at our road race. Entry fees are there to cover compulsory requirements… toilets and an ambulance.

 

Another project is development – and this is a term used often and misunderstood by many. If the region identifies talented youngsters that are good enough to represent their province or country, but lack the funds, the region could assist.

 

 

In conclusion

I hope my explanation makes sense, and there is hope for the future for cycling in our province. A lot of what I have said may not be implemented, but with the support of the cyclists in our province, especially the existing clubs, we can help bring about the change that is required.

[Natural Defender]

Thanks Gerald. That was pretty comprehensive. Many years ago I was a member of Germiston Wheelers and really enjoyed the club. Moved out of the area is the reason for no longer being a member.

 

Looking forward to the crit races. Keep up the great work you are doing.  

[City Cycling Athletic Club]

Little steps - one at a time. here in the Western Province (Cape Town) we revived the 'road' about 4 years ago by organising crits and circuit races. it has now grown into a 22 race series. 

we heard over 4 years ago that the 'sporting' country was going to be reduced to the 9 geographical provinces so Western Cape Cycling was formed in 2013 of which WP is one of the regions - we just make sure that in the WP all clubs in our area are affiliated to WP- cyclist that want to race will benefit from a discount if they are a club member and have a valid CSA license ie entry fees are R200 but you received a R50 discount if you are licensed and belong to a WP affiliated club. our online entry system checks so you cant lie. race numbers are issued and kept for the series - lose it you pay for another one. we use Mobii timing - i believe Mobii will be rolled out to all the provinces next year so all CSA fully licensed members will be seeded nationally - dont hold me to this, i have just heard the rumour.

[Spinnekop]

Little steps - one at a time. here in the Western Province (Cape Town) we revived the 'road' about 4 years ago by organising crits and circuit races. it has now grown into a 22 race series. 

we heard over 4 years ago that the 'sporting' country was going to be reduced to the 9 geographical provinces so Western Cape Cycling was formed in 2013 of which WP is one of the regions - we just make sure that in the WP all clubs in our area are affiliated to WP- cyclist that want to race will benefit from a discount if they are a club member and have a valid CSA license ie entry fees are R200 but you received a R50 discount if you are licensed and belong to a WP affiliated club. our online entry system checks so you cant lie. race numbers are issued and kept for the series - lose it you pay for another one. we use Mobii timing - i believe Mobii will be rolled out to all the provinces next year so all CSA fully licensed members will be seeded nationally - dont hold me to this, i have just heard the rumour.

Sounds very promising.

I think there is a huge market gap in Gauteng to create a series with its own seeding system and one race number in which one can compete in. 

[Christie]

From a mtber:

Imo road stage racing have declined, and needs attention.

Very few races/stages have got mountain top finishes.

Road TTs are almost nonexistent.

 

All the above is needed to groom young talent for Europe. The current recipe (short 100km races, flat profiles) heavily favours sprinters.

[mallo]

To all the cyclists wanting change within CGC why not attend the AGM and see for yourself what happens at the meeting and how a select few clubs manipulate the meeting and any proposal they not happy with to suit their club needs

 

CGC can only be as strong as you the member want it to be as your involvement(You and your club) is vital to it's existence.

 

EG. The three big clubs in CGC outvotes all the other clubs put together with their voting powers. ( X amount of paid up members gives you X votes) hence they will always out vote any proposal they not happy about.

 

They is a few persons on the board trying their best for the sake of the sport

Remember any club hosting an event must have finances to put it together and have manpower to ensure it is a success and herein lies the problem where  "event organizers" come along offer the club a guaranteed fee to host the event in their name  walk away after the event smiling. Just look at 94.7 cycle challenge with origins was with MCC I doubt they get close to half a million from the event compared to what the event organizer walks away with for hosting the event. At the end of the day MCC is happy with what they receive for minimal effort and the event organizer is happy with their share as well as a few charities benefitting from the event. Hoe sustainable is the CSI effort coupled to this event? who knows.

Looking at PPA and the events they run one notices an immediate difference from start to finish especially  with the CTCT event and the charities as well as the CSI programs they been running for years.   

[Frosty]

I think things have to change in line with the new regional setup.

 

CGC is a region within Gauteng and no longer a standalone province like it was before the start of 2015. If other Gauteng regions vote in favour of a change that forces CGC to implement something these so-called big clubs don't like, there's very little they can can do about it.

 

As I have highlighted in a prior post, there is a lot I didn't know about what happens behind the scenes. The only difference is that I belong to a club and region willing to help drive change.