I'd like to use this page to express my own, and our members' ideas for MAVT. I'll use it to keep you informed about possible changes so you can express your thoughts as well. You can write your confidential comments or thoughts in the box below and submit it to me if you like.
Looking back to look forward: The 2009 series was the best attended in MAVT history. We had a record number of new members, now at thirty for the year. We also had the most events that we've ever had, sixteen. What that tells me is that there are a lot of you out there willing to put forth a lot of effort, often without much if any thanks, in order for the rest of us to come and do what we love, ride trials. So I'd like to take this opportunity to say, "Thank you!" to all of the club members and also the non-club members who donated their time and sometimes even their cash to help us have the best season yet.
Inevitably, with this many events on the schedule, there are bound to be a few glitches along the way. And so we had a few "learning experiences". Perhaps my own awakening is that our rules could be better defined to help our clubs in difficult situations. So that is my goal for the off-season. I'm working on, not so much, more rules, but better defined ones.
We've had a few members voice that the schedule was too full this season. Any rider trying to compete in D-6 and MAVT found very few weekends without events. This is great if trials is your life. With so many events, most of us begin to choose events to attend and ones to let go. This has hurt attendance at our far north and far south events. My attitude has been that this will work itself out. However, when we lose an event due to poor attendance I wonder about my attitude. This coming season (as far as I know) we will not have events from either Old School Vintage or MORE, clubs who both put on very good events. Perhaps this is the year we'll rethink the number of events for each season and consider a limit. As the schedule stands now we will have twelve MAVT events for 2010. If it remains at twelve, I may turn Taylorsville into a two day, with a Saturday afternoon event (2pm?) and a Sunday noon event. But its early yet.
With competitors at MAVT events who also ride other series, my plan of having all riders use colored plates to match the line they ride, as well as show by their number how they placed the season before, is basically dead. Perhaps its just my own ego that tells me our riders should "all" have MAVT plates. In my dreams our riders all have colored plates with individualized, tastefully done artwork that tells our checkers what line they ride and what place they were last season. But... back to reality, perhaps we can just offer new plates that at least let our checkers know what line is ridden.
That's all for now. I felt guilty leaving the page blank for a while. As we get closer to the annual meeting I'll let you know what is likely to be on the agenda.
