Words from the Chair
Chairman Jane provides an overview of MAG's progress
Welcome again from a very warm and sunny West Yorkshire.
In fact it's been some years since I can remember such a weather friendly time up here. My front door is situated at the end of a road which comes from Glossop and joins the A616 to Holmfirth/Huddersfield. It's the first comfortable stop after the Red Lion pub. The number of bikers enjoying the pleasure of the twisties is well up this year already and if I'm in I often jump out and offer them a brew. Don't be shy now - the yellow 'MAG Members Welcome Here' sticker marks the spot.
This year the MAG Annual General Conference was held in Horncastle. Thanks to the Eastern Region and Mid Lincs MAG for being such excellent hosts.
We received positive feedback from many members, some who said it was the best AGC they had attended for years - a reflection of all the hard work put in. Thanks to all. The conference was a mixture of formality, information and debate, but also felt very much like a celebration and a pat on the back for all the team work done by all over the past year. From members, local reps, regional officers, national officers to board members, paid employees and contractors, who really have worked above and beyond the call of duty. Much socialising and bonding took place afterwards at the Horncastle Golf Club, an excellent hostelry suited to the event.
The icing on the cake was having the day steered by a Chairman well known for his column in The Road. This man has given his life twice over to MAG. He worked in the early 80's as Club's Officer and on recruitment - as he does again for us now. He survived times when there was gunfire outside the AGM venue and a Region turned up with a rope and noose to hang their Regional Rep. This man is a great character, raises the morale of those around him and adds unique charisma to events. That zany, exceptional man, epitomizes the essence of the insanity of MAG. Ladies and gentlemen please raise your glasses in a toast to Mr. Fergus O'Connell!
My travels out and about took me to this year's Dead Duk Rally, formerly the Duk Dik rally put on by Gloucester MAG and members of the Western Region. The site is in a fabulous part of the country, on the edge of the Forest of Dean, overlooking the river Severn. The excellent facilities and entertainment are attracting increasing numbers each year. The real ales and Scrumpy cider are second to none, with the likes of 'Old Spot,' 'Jouster,' and 'Tournament'. For the record, I would like it to be known that I did not single-handedly drink all the Scrumpy cider on the Friday night. It has also been noticed that each year I attend the rally, the sun shines throughout the weekend, so I have willingly been booked to attend for the next decade.
'Into the Valley', the first of the Yorkshire Rallies this season, in the grounds of the Stately Sledmere House in North Yorkshire, also went down very well. The pre-book figures were up by 400 and the total number of attendees just over 2,500. MAG membership taken at the events was up by 300%. With fantastic bands and entertainment, the event operated like a well-oiled piece of machinery, even down to the quality of the toilet paper. The bands and entertainment were further enhanced by the addition of a comedy tent on Saturday afternoon, compèred by the man of comedy himself, Mr. Rick Hulse, Chairman of NABD.
Organisation for this year's Farmyard Party (the 21st!), is well underway and you will have the chance to see there the new MAG Website logo - yes we got there in the end. It took us about 4 years to get sorted, but we feel it reflects the progression within our organisation and where we are now in 2007.
MAG survives and functions thanks to its sub-paying membership, but also from the funds raised at events. With your involvement and contribution, we have been able to increase the action which is MAG's middle name and raise our profile politically. We have recently been invited to have face-to-face meetings with the government, via the Transport Select Committee - as high powered a forum as any pressure group is likely to take part in. We are now being asked for our input as the experts in the field of motorcycling.
In communications with the biking press we have never had such a positive relationship and earlier this year we received more column space in MCN than Valentino Rossi. In addition to this, the National newspapers are asking for our comments on relevant issues.
We have expanded our ranks by employing by employing ex-Chief Superintendent David Short as our Campaigns Manager in the UK. He stands side by side with Trevor Baird, who keeps his eye on European Developments and Commercial Management.
At the same time, motorcyclists have never been so under threat from legislation piloted by the safety zealots. Despite the 2 million signatures on the petition against Road Pricing, the government has already spent £500 million on preparing for its implementation. Still ongoing are developments taking place with Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) tracking techniques - electronically fitted devices that monitor when, where and how we ride. Speed limiters, and the ill-thought-out Private Members Bill on Off Road Vehicle Registration are all live issues.
If you wish to continue enjoying motorcycling, you will need to have MAG not only defending biking against threats, but operating proactively by promoting motorcycling to keep our detractors on the back foot, through firmly establishing our place within integrated transport plans.
We cannot expand our plans without your help. You can be involved as little or as much as you wish as a MAG member, but if you have an interest in protecting your riding life time and ensuring the future for others, now is the time to sign up or renew as a MAG member. Remember, if you do so at The Farmyard Party weekend you receive considerable member discount. As Blue said in her column in BSH, there has never been a more needy time for you to sign up to riders rights.
Are you passionate enough to take the step?
Jane Chisholm
Chair MAG UK
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