Chairman Nadine’s June Message

PRC checks

As advised last year the MSA annual request for PRC cards was sent out earlier this week.

This year’s request is to Examining grades across all disciplines, Flag marshals and a random percentage selected from all other grades.  If you’ve not had a request then you don’t need to do anything.

If however you have been selected please scan and email or photocopy and post the relevant signatures to the MSA as requested.  Don’t send your original PRC in the post!

In order to comply with the current grading scheme, you must attend a training day every two years and marshal on 4 days per year in your graded discipline to maintain your grade.  The current PRC card allows you to collect these signatures on one page (at the back) making it easy to then submit to the MSA.  If you are not upgrading you only need these minimum numbers recorded so you should have space for a few years of continuous dates.

For information – there are approx. 10,000 licensed marshals on the MSA database.  Events/clubs are not required to send sign-on information to the MSA.  The MSA registration card barcode currently is not active and therefore the MSA holds no information on what training or events you have attended.  Hence the requirement to obtain signatures in your PRC.

So why does the MSA do this?

Due to a recent number of high profile inquiries the MSA – as the governing body – needs to ensure that volunteers are acting responsibly in their duties and use agreed training methods and practices.  It is recognised that without us as volunteers the motorsport world would struggle to continue.  However, in order to ensure that everyone gets the same protection, the MSA needs to ensure that standards are maintained.

As such our Examining grade marshals are the gatekeepers of those standards – they pass on their vast knowledge and experience and also sign off upgrades to everyone coming through the system.  It is therefore imperative that they are abreast of any rule changes which marshals need to be aware of (e.g. flag signals) and ensure they keep practising their specialism.  This can only come from attending training days and actively attending events in their duty.  So don’t feel singled out but feel honoured that your experience is valuable and recognised.

This time Examining grades of ALL disciplines have been requested – recognising that the current Rally scheme has been in place a few years now too.

Please note the PRCs will be checked in July by members of the MSA Marshals Working Group of which I am Chair.  Please make our lives easier by providing the information requested.  If you tick the boxes of training and attendance you go straight in the DONE pile – it’s those which don’t comply that take the time to sort through so hopefully there are not too many of those!

The MWG is also reviewing the current grading schemes to enable a few tweaks here and there and to clarify a few anomalies.  We also intend to make the information simpler and easier to find and follow.  Expected changes to be advised later this year.

As always the club is here to help – if you have grading questions please direct to your Regional Grading Officer.  Any other issues or concerns to your local committee.

Our next Council meeting is on Sunday 1 July when we will also be holding Recruitment Officer and Training Team meetings.  Watch this space for updates to follow.

Finally – don’t forget to check if you have won this months Prize Draw by logging on to our website.