News 2010 World Championship Qualification System (Laser.org)

I find it interesting how my impression of the appropriate duties of our paid staff differ from the written qualification system.

I would want the paid employees to make efforts to seek out those who qualify (especially in category 1) and remind those sailors of upcoming application dates and to encourage our finest to represent us in teh event.
I would EXPECT our employees to maintain a database with the results of the metntioned events and to pretty much know by name and personal contact anyone who would qualify under group one.
Instead

The Masters qualification system basically says, "You cannot play unless you perform very specific tasks including justifying to our paid employee your claim to be allowed to play."

Summary:
I believe the Association is a tool we created to enhance our laser sailing experience by making the Laser game more available to more sailors.
The Association has morphed into a self proclaimed gatekeeper whose function is to exclude those who fail to comply.
 
I think you missing the point Fred, its another way to help sort the lists. Sailors who are truly motivated to attend the event are going to make sure the i's are dotted and t's crossed, those less motivated will then end up a bit further down the list.

Personally, since I think Master sailors are big kids capable of looking out for themselves (and as one myself), I don't see this to be an overly onerous hoop to jump through.

And, finally, it didn't seem to be much of a problem for the top group entering for Halifax.
 
Many years ago some of us realized the saiors would not self motivate to organize sailing and we decided to hire somebody whose job would be to make certain everything got done.

Those of us who did the hiring of a paid manager generally told that manager "You are responsible for everything. If you can find a volunteer to help, GREAT!! But if you fail to find a volunteer, you are the person who has to take care of the task."

Managent policies since 2002 that assume sailors will personally motivate and personally take care of the business of Laser sailing has now caused what was a growing recovering game with 35 months of consecutive increases in membership to shrink and then wallow at its lowest activity level since 1974.


I am truly sorry no one in any current management position at any level of the North American Laser Sailing game understands the difference between managing the Laser game and assuming those who care enough to come play will organize themselves to make the game happen.
 
I waited a day before responding in order to further reflect on Gouvernail's post. But I still can't see why the North American Class Office has to send diapers to 'protect' sailors who haven't mastered certain elementary skills....

IMHO, the initiative to participate in an event should start with the sailor, not the Laser Office. It just isn't efficient for the Class Office to run after sailors who might not even be interested in participating in high-level events for one reason or another. And who is to decide who needs diapering?

 
It is really quite simple. I have been involved in sailing fleets as an organizer since the sixties. When I spend time to regularly pester sailors and beg them to come play, I have plenty opf playmates and the racing is tremendous. In years when I don't bother the attendance slips and the racing suffers.



You can proudly sit on your tushy demanding the rest of the sailors get off theirs and show up while the game dies...or you can expend the effort drag out the sailors and have a great game.
Many years ago, The builders of the Laser and some of the sailors realized it was wise to pay somebo0dy to do the pestering and begging. As long as we had a person who was actually reletlessly doing that job the fleet grew and prospered. In the years when we have not thought it "should be necessary to mommy the fleet" the sailing has suffered.


It is really quite simple, if you do not desire to constantly drag Laser sailors out to play...You are not qualified to be an officer and especially you are unfit to perform the job as our paid manager.

You can disagree with whether we SHOULD drag the sailors out to play all, you want but I can tell you with 100% certainty, If we do not drag them they will not play.
 

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