# Informal Meets



## 94055

I was speaking to Dave at the York show and we discussed the Meets issues.
He agreed that Meets are important and are something the MHF membership want. The meet is nothing to do with MHF whatsoever, MHF just notifies it's members about future Meets. I mentioned the fact that although the addition of the calendar and other additions were welcomed, the Meets need to be on the front page. It needs to be prominently positioned to have maximum impact.
A Meet can still be held on the same day as another Meet due to the location, it could also be held on the same day as a Rally.
I believe we do not need Meets coordinators, then hopefully many members will hold a Meet, what are your thoughts?
So your comments please:
Do we need coordinators?
Who would like to host a meet?
Who has some thoughts for themes for meets? (A meet can still be held with no theme)
Who would go to a meet but do not want to host one?
Do we need rules & regs for a meet, or do we use the sites?
Any other questions/thoughts you may have.


Steve


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## mangothemadmonk

Hi Steve, 

I think you need someone to take the helm, so to speak, not as a boss but as a "link" person who people could come to for info and to make sure "meeters" are enjoying themselves and getting introduced to others as we all know most of us are shy, retiring people :!: :!: :!: 

I will let you know about hosting a meet after hosting the Southport Rally.

I think the idea of a get together is a great idea but personally I do believe there should be, not rules but some semblance of order (if you know what I mean). Let me clarify.... Not everyone is the same so you should understand other peoples wants and needs. Some people want a chat and a drink and a good social, whilst others like a chat and their own space and an early night with peace and quiet and party animals should respect their wants and needs.

I hate anything "militarian" (is that the right word) saluting the flag and all that. I like relaxing and having a good time but also knowing I can peace and sanctuary if thats what I choose.

Just my thoughts though you did ask :? :? :?

Johnny F


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## moblee

Steve.
I think johnny has summed up the concept of meets admirably.I
think people need a sort of leader figure,rather than the headless
chicken scenario.
IMHO there needs to be a figure of control,as johnny said a
greeter/meeter role.
I personally would love to put faces to the names of people
I talk to.


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## Velvettones

hi chaps - meets should be simple - whilst i'm happy to tell people where i'll be i'm not sure i'd want to be a _figurehead_, although i'd be perfectly happy to give people information about the place to the extent possible, i wouldn't want the job of entertainments manager or big brother for the weekend.

hopefully people on MHF have enough common sense to not get into mischief ("last person to post" acknowledged) and respect others space.

from what i've seen of rallies (total of 1!) everyone i've met seemed perfectly capable of finding people of similar interests, to talk and relate to - and the merry troop all gathered around a single van for their singsong. whilst toni was happily falling over drunk in the van.

the person who posts the meet onsite should be willing to be the designated leader figure, although as we are all there for a holiday they should feel perfectly ok to sit and read a book all weekend if desired, otherwise it would put people off suggesting them (toni is very shy)

i agree that meets can be held on the same day as other meets or rallies - by having multiple meets people can go to the place that takes their fancy - or is close to home, which would benefit us northerners as the majority of rallies appear to be towards the south coast (although nice is a few hundred miles away)

i also agree they should be on the front page - possibly not in the same format as rallies as there may be too many meets to list like that - how about a meets finder - by region and date range? or even a type of holiday (if you know a nice lake then a fishing hol - if theres plenty of walks then walking hol, if mountains then mountain climbing, boating archery orienteering etc etc, there are all kinds of ways to categorise them)

toni doesn't like searching by category - she thinks it's too complicated, and would prefer a simple calendar with meets listed, on the front page

just my 2 cents (or 50p's worth looking at it)

Mark


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## 88781

Mark, moblee and the mad one  I totally agree with how you all see a meet should/should not be run, and would like to see them in a higher profile on the front page.

Regards Dave


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## geraldandannie

Velvettones said:


> toni doesn't like searching by category - she thinks it's too complicated, and would prefer a simple calendar with meets listed, on the front page


Ask, and ye shall be given :: click ::

I actually like the calendar function - I know more about when I'm going away that what sort of thing I'm going to be doing. However, that's just me, and it might not be to everyone's taste.

I agree with most of the points here. I've been on both meets and rallies, and noted the difference between them. It is sort of assumed that if you post a meet (even something along the lines of "I'm going to so-and-so campsite just to get away from it all for a couple of days"), then you will be the 'contact point' for people arriving. There's no pressure on you (the meet proposer) to do anything in particular, other than saying hello. If you don't particularly want to meet other MHF-ers, then don't tell us where you're going :wink:

It's sort of assumed that you'll chat to other members, and maybe share a glass of wine or can of beer, but you don't have to do that either.

Rallies (for those who've not been on one) are organised by MHF rally staff, who will be on hand when you arrive to say hello and help you to park up (if needed). These are usually based around motorhome shows or other events, and are 'official' MHF events. Quite often, spaces have to be reserved in advance with show organisers, and an agreement from us to attend has therefore to be a bit more formal. However, what you do at a MHF rally is up to you, and you can socialise as much or as little as you wish.

A meet is a few people getting together, and using MHF as a sort of contact medium.

This is what I understand :?

Gerald


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## artona

Hi

Over the last year or so I have attended and organised many meets. Some have just been a get together others have been on a theme - fulltiming / photography etc. 

I know Nuke is considering the meets and hopefully something will happen soon.

stew


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## Velvettones

hi gerald - toni likes that calendar - wouldn't have found it unless we knew it existed though

whilst not wanting to criticise the layout of the site, as it is something i couldn't have done, i feel that MHF has grown to the point at which the front page could use a revamp to make things easier to find, there is now so much on it needs breaking down into manageable chunks...

the left hand side has a wealth of links - some of which could be grouped better - also some areas could be menus that only expand when clicked to keep it smaller (each grouping for example)

the centre seems to be slightly backwards (from my point of view) i come here for the forum, and the rallies etc

in order to get to the rallies on the front page i have to scroll past the large links to things that are also on the left, then some random photos, then the recent forum posts (the last 30), then other resources, then recently added campsites. then finally i arrive at the rallies section, unless i'm holding down page down and miss it right through to the news.

the right hand side has information that - whilst interesting to some, is irrelevant to most (i check it sometimes i must admit) - i like the poll on the right, but then we are back to random photos and sponsored ads...



things like the radio i found out about from the forum - then went looking for...

the stuff across the top i feel is well laid out, simple and concise



hope i haven't offended anyone who has worked on it, just trying to help everyone find what they want

Mark


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## gaspode

Hi Steve

It’s a good time to bring up the subject of meets as I know that Nuke is actively considering the best way for MHF to display forthcoming meets on the site. Currently the calendar is being used to list meets and I expect he would welcome some feedback as to whether it’s a good medium for the job.

I think that all that’s been said so far makes perfect sense, meets should be informal and free from too many constraints. In the past when MHF had “meets coordinators” it seems to have inhibited other members from planning and holding a meet. As a result most meets tended to be held in a restricted geographical area and be frequented by the same group of members. Hopefully now that the coordinator role has gone, more “grass roots” members will come forward to share their weekend plans with other members.

I agree that there need not be any specific rules associated with meets except for those imposed by the campsite where the meet is held. There are however some basic conditions that need to be understood by anyone planning a meet. The question of the difference between a meet and a rally has been raised lots of times and many members are still unsure why some gatherings need to be classed as rallies rather than meets so I’ll try to explain why.

In the UK, land used as a campsite needs to have planning permission and also a license issued by Environmental Health Dept. of the local authority. Where this doesn’t exist (ie: a farmers field, exhibition area, pub car park or even a rally field at a licensed campsite) an exemption certificate issued by DEFRA must be held by the organisation running the event. These certificates allow camping on unlicensed premises for a specific period (5 days I think). All the major camping organisations hold one of these certificates, as does MHF. This means that MHF can legally hold an event on unlicensed premises but understandably where this occurs that event must be under the close control of MHF staff so any such events must be classified as rallies. It follows therefore that informal meets proposed by members (which are by definition not under the control of MHF) must be held on a licensed campsite (or as part of an event controlled by the CC etc.). Also, as meets are not MHF events, members must not make any bookings in the name of MHF so all individuals must book any site reservations etc. under their own names.

If anyone needs advice or assistance in setting up a meet they just need to contact one of the rally staff who will give any advice required.


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## mangothemadmonk

geraldandannie said:


> Rallies (for those who've not been on one) are organised by MHF rally staff, who will be on hand when you arrive to say hello and help you to park up
> Gerald


Cheers Gerald, so thats what I will have to do at Southport? Am I staff now then... I love giving orders, just ask the wife :? :?

Oh and thanks for the link to the calender, you are bloody good you   

Johnny F


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## sallytrafic

geraldandannie said:


> Velvettones said:
> 
> 
> 
> toni doesn't like searching by category - she thinks it's too complicated, and would prefer a simple calendar with meets listed, on the front page
> 
> 
> 
> Ask, and ye shall be given :: click ::
> 
> I actually like the calendar function - I know more about when I'm going away that what sort of thing I'm going to be doing. However, that's just me, and it might not be to everyone's taste.
> 
> I agree with most of the points here. I've been on both meets and rallies, and noted the difference between them. It is sort of assumed that if you post a meet (even something along the lines of "I'm going to so-and-so campsite just to get away from it all for a couple of days"), then you will be the 'contact point' for people arriving. There's no pressure on you (the meet proposer) to do anything in particular, other than saying hello. If you don't particularly want to meet other MHF-ers, then don't tell us where you're going :wink:
> 
> It's sort of assumed that you'll chat to other members, and maybe share a glass of wine or can of beer, but you don't have to do that either.
> 
> Rallies (for those who've not been on one) are organised by MHF rally staff, who will be on hand when you arrive to say hello and help you to park up (if needed). These are usually based around motorhome shows or other events, and are 'official' MHF events. Quite often, spaces have to be reserved in advance with show organisers, and an agreement from us to attend has therefore to be a bit more formal. However, what you do at a MHF rally is up to you, and you can socialise as much or as little as you wish.
> 
> A meet is a few people getting together, and using MHF as a sort of contact medium.
> 
> This is what I understand :?
> 
> Gerald
Click to expand...

Apart from clicking on the link you have given where is the calendar I can't find it


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## 97993

> Apart from clicking on the link you have given where is the calendar I can't find it


When you have hd a little more experiance of the site Frank it will become quite clear, NOT. 
It was never intended to make Informal meets easy to manage, 
the solution is so simple it seems to be beyond the the admins capabilities. a complete U turn is all that is reqd, a blind man could see it
Geo


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## geraldandannie

sallytrafic said:


> Apart from clicking on the link you have given where is the calendar I can't find it


Perhaps on a more positive note - the calendar is on the right hand side of the front page :: here :: - immediately under the forum stats and the survey.

Gerald


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## spykal

sallytrafic said:


> Apart from clicking on the link you have given where is the calendar I can't find it


Hi Frank

Having so much content and so many interesting features can be a problem :wink: ...MHF is just such a comprehensive motorhome resource and so full of really interesting features ( one of our new members said it took him a couple of weeks just exploring the site and he still reckons there is more :lol: ) ...

but if you visit the frontpage you cannot miss the calendar ...just look down the right hand side.

mike


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## LadyJ

Mangothemadmonk quote
Cheers Gerald, so thats what I will have to do at Southport? Am I staff now then... I love giving orders, just ask the wife Confused


You do have a member of the staff attending Southport in the form of RichardandMary so you are covered JohnnyF :lol: but we are always on the look out for more rally staff :wink: 


Jacquie


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## nukeadmin

ok the meets have been discussed and I spoke to quite a few people at York and if you now refresh the front page you will see the meets are listed 

I have made it as simple as possible now for members to hold meets amongst themselves

There will be no meets co-ordinator, the rally staff will keep an eye on them to make sure they are not wandering over the line into Rally territory and needing Defra certification and marshalling etc, but otherwise you are on your own 

To organise a meet simply use the events calendar
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Events&file=submit
or click the "Submit a motorhome event" below the calendar block on the front page on the right hand side.

Any meets listed in the calendar are checked and approved and then show in the front page central rally / meets block in date order

I hope this draws a close to the issue of meets not being held due to being awkward to see / manage


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## 97993

> I hope this draws a close to the issue of meets not being held due to being awkward to see / manage


Indeed it does, well done on the re think
Geo


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## 88781

Now I need one of those widescreen lappys to see it all LOL :lol: :lol:


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## gaspode

MandyandDave said:


> Now I need one of those widescreen lappys to see it all LOL :lol: :lol:


Hi Dave

In order to get the full width of the front page in you'll need to increase your screen resolution to 1152 or greater width. A bit too high for most folk with less than a 19" monitor I suspect. :roll:


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## 88781

It's an old laptop Ken, hopefully when I get the VF modem I will be able to use the desktop again for access.


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## geraldandannie

Seems to be fixed on my teeny tiny 12" (1024 X 768) screen  

Gerald


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## gaspode

It also depends on the text size you've selected in the browser Gerald, using Firefox with normal text size selected on a 4:3 aspect ratio monitor I'm now finding that I need to have a resolution set to 1152x864 to fit the front page in (well, almost fit it in) without side-scrolling. Previously I could fit it on a 1024x768 setting. With my eyesight, this is on the limits for comfortable viewing using a 17" LCD screen.

Mind, you use a funny computer don't you? :wink:


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## geraldandannie

gaspode said:


> Mind, you use a funny computer don't you? :wink:


 :lol: :lol: Made me laff, that did. Aye, I'm on t'funny computer at t'moment.

Gerald


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## Spacerunner

Now about these meets. I'd like a joint of topside and a boned leg o' pork please. And do I have to contact Mr Dewhurst myself or get a form from Sainsburys. I'm really getting the hang of Motorhome factories now!!


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## 94055

Dave,
Thank you very much for the alterations you have made. 
It is now down to the members to get the meets organised.
I think we had some very interesting replies to this thread. Could someone please clarify a point for me.
As I understand it a Meet is held using someone else's Defra, the main reason being if a claim is made then it is made against the site's Defra certificate (Car park or whatever) not MHF's? If I am right the the Southport Rally needs to be changed to a Meet. Just a thought.
Thank you once again for the input.

See all you guy's at future Meets. :wink: 

Steve


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## gaspode

Hi Steve

To clarify your point about the DEFRA certificate and meets.

The situation regarding meets is that they cannot use the MHF DEFRA certificate and therefore should only be held on licensed sites. If they are held at a function arranged by another organisation holding a DEFRA exemption (ie: Caravan Club etc.) then that's fine. Liability and claims don't come into the equation, it's simply a legal issue and the need for MHF to protect its status as an exemption certificate holder.
In the case of the Southport rally, my understanding is that initially it wasn't clear whether the local authority or MHF would need to provide the DEFRA exemption so it was listed (with Nukes agreement) as a rally with Richard & Mary as the MHF rally staff attendees.


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## 94055

Hi Ken,
Thank you for the reply. This now clears up the problem for me. 
Has every other query been cleared up for the rest of you?

Steve


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## sersol

Hi,glad to see this is now sorted after a couple of months,BUT how do we see the list of attendee's ?.
Gary


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## 94055

Good point Gary, hopefully Dave will correct this.

Steve


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## geraldandannie

sersol said:


> BUT how do we see the list of attendee's ?.
> Gary


I'm not sure, but making a list of attendees at *rallies*, and being confirmed and all that, is the duty of the rally coordinator.

The idea of *meets* is that it's a more informal affair, and the proposer of the meet (i.e. "I'm going to be here next weekend, anyone fancy meeting up?") has no other responsibilities than to propose it in the first place (and maybe say hello when people come over :wink: ). Having a list of attendees means administrative functions, which the meets facility isn't set up to do.

This is my understanding 

Gerald


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## 94055

Gerald
We have had all the discussions before on the difference. 
What we wanted and Dave agreed is to be able to set up/display a Meet the same as a rally.
You add your name using a button on the page (see a rally page) you receive an email, once received you book and then confirm the email.

Steve


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## sersol

Hi Gerald, I don't see the problem with including a list of attendees.
i may not know the proposer,BUT if I could see who else were attending & say there were people I know that may sway me to going. I'm sure that I am not alone with this veiw.
Are you talking for Dave or is this your understanding ?.
Lets take an example : I booked York show because I new the marshalls & a few other people,I could see who was booked.Ok it was a rally but I don't understand why the same cannot be applied to meets,it used to be.
I,m sure that someone would be prepared to collate the details(without a fancy title).
Gary


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## mangothemadmonk

SandJ said:


> You add your name using a button on the page (see a rally page) you receive an email, once received you book and then confirm the email.Steve


It should be an easy programme to do and I think a good idea to see who is coming not only for the proposer but attendees as well.

Johnny F


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## artona

Hi

We definately need to see who the attendees are. I will pressure Dave


stew


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## 97993

The general Idea was to reinstate the meets function back to how it was, that means exactly how it was ,it is such a simple operation, I can not understand the recluctance to do it, there are very many members here who do not like the large formal rally, and its the small informal meets that they want, and as paying members should be able to get it, if not I know were they can for free!!!
Geo


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## Guest

: but we are always on the look out for more rally staff :wink: 

:roll: its amazing something has simple has meets could be messed up so much by this forum when others do keep it ... oh so simple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:wink: 

fran


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## DABurleigh

Fran,

Welcome to MHF! 

(But a strange introductory post ......)

Dave


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## Velvettones

hmm, attendees - i feel that this is a tricky one - personally for a meet i would like to be able to register my interest - but not need to confirm - if we are in the area we may drop in for a few days or we may not, as we are not setting guest limits for meets there could potentially be 20,000 attendees...

obviously the site must follow the masses - but what do people think to an unconfirmed list as opposed to a confirmed list? then you can at least get a feel for who will be turning up (not that this will sway me one way or another)

Mark


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## geraldandannie

sersol said:


> Are you talking for Dave or is this your understanding ?.


Hi, Gary

As I said, this is my understanding. I may be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. 

I don't talk for Dave - no one talks for Dave; he can talk for himself :wink:

Gerald


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## LadyJ

Could I just put my two penorth in please.

When we originally started doing meets as opposed to rallys which was about 4 years ago the person who suggested the meet kept a list of who was going to attend, the said list was compiled under the heading of the meet i.e.

Venue Tackeroo

Town Cannock Chase

Attendees

LadyJ
M&D
Richard&Mary
Sealady
etc etc

This list was added to by the proposer as folks showed an interest.

So why can it not be done like this now it worked before :lol: so it can work now and as its is just a meet nobody has to confirm they are going but if they are not they could let the proposer know just so they are not looking out for them only manners and then the proposer can cross them of the list.


Jacquie


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## 94055

> Could I just put my two penorth in please.


By all means Jackie.

Ok using Jackie's idea,
Look at the Southport rally. It is not a rally it is a meet, it was only altered to a Rally because of the issues at the time. Now to collate 40 vans as you suggest would not be easy. Or if it is that easy let the Rally team do it that way and let the Meets have the Rally program.
The program is already in place, copy the formula for Rallies and rename the copy Meets.
May I kindly ask that this thread is not used for discussion or opinions, we have already had enough of them. This is the members asking the owner to fulfill their wishes. As simple as that. If Dave does not want to do this then could he please say so. We are then in the clear.

To clarify confirming, you book with the site and when you do then you confirm it. If you do not book then you do not confirm.

Steve


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## DABurleigh

SandJ said:


> May I kindly ask that this thread is not used for discussion or opinions, we have already had enough of them. This is the members asking the owner to fulfill their wishes. As simple as that.


And I thought it was about:
"*So your comments please*: 
Do we need coordinators? 
Who would like to host a meet? 
Who has some thoughts for themes for meets? (A meet can still be held with no theme) 
Who would go to a meet but do not want to host one? 
Do we need rules & regs for a meet, or do we use the sites? 
*Any other questions/thoughts you may have*."

Sorry, Steve! 

But as I'm writing, my two penn'orth, having just had another informal meet, is that I'm against "pressurising" anyone to turn up just because they expressed an interest, which would be they case asking people to confirm. It is informal. I have no difficulty if no-one turns up, or even if they do but keep themselves to themselves. If they make themselves known to someone the news goes around quickly enough even if people aren't co-located.

Jacquie's proposal is fine; the proposer merely has to edit periodically the first post in the thread. If there is a more automatic system, I would prefer it remained at just "expressing an interest", no confirmations. If they wish to say more they can always post in the thread.

Dave


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## 90128

Hi

Jacquie and I and several others who are still subscribers to MHF, attended the first ever 'get together' from this forum. Note I have not called it a 'meet' or a 'rally'. Reason being a member posted that he and his wife frequented a specific campsite and would anyone like to go to said campsite when they were there on a certain weekend.

The said member posted his email address and mobile telephone number and we posted an interest on the forum post. Not a rally or a meet section. If for any reason we had to contact the member we used his email or phone number. As easy and simple as that. Just a group of friends having a get together.

I am at a loss to understand why 'meets' have to be so formal.

Will leave my soapbox for the next member :wink: 

Joyce


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## clianthus

Well all the other rally staff seem to have an opinion so here's mine.

I can understand folks wanting to know roughly who is going to a meet, this could sway me into attending, to meet up with old friends.

But I do not see any reason to confirm. These are informal get-togethers, fair enough I think it is manners to let the proposer know if you change your mind and won't be attending, but some members don't let the rally staff know at pre-booked rallies so what makes anyone think they will bother for meets!!

Jacquies idea sounds perfect to me, if the list is the 1st post in the thread then it can easily be updated by the proposer and anyone interested in attending can see who's supposed to be going.


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## 94055

> Gerald
> We have had all the discussions before on the difference.
> What we wanted and Dave agreed is to be able to set up/display a Meet the same as a rally.
> You add your name using a button on the page (see a rally page) you receive an email, once received you book and then confirm the email.
> 
> Steve


Dave, I agree it was a request for input at the beginning. But as above states and below stated


> Hi Ken,
> Thank you for the reply. This now clears up the problem for me.
> Has every other query been cleared up for the rest of you?
> 
> Steve


We also had


> ok the meets have been discussed and I spoke to quite a few people at York and if you now refresh the front page you will see the meets are listed Smile
> 
> I have made it as simple as possible now for members to hold meets amongst themselves
> 
> There will be no meets co-ordinator, the rally staff will keep an eye on them to make sure they are not wandering over the line into Rally territory and needing Defra certification and marshalling etc, but otherwise you are on your own


Well all the discussion had taken place as far as I could see hence my comments.

As for confirming, As I said If you want to book and confirm then fine. If not then fine also. Now, to explain the reason for confirmation at times. The site (whichever type) have limits and sometimes limit the qty to your meet. If the members fail to confirm then how would you know when full?
A member can still risk attending without booking.

What is the big problem? 
Why does Dave not answer?
I spoke to Dave at York and he knows what comments I made and why i made them.

Oh and as it seems members still want to comment then carry on doing so.

Steve


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## nukeadmin

hi all i have been watching this thread but i too am at a loss as to why the formality required for meets ?

the majority of meets we have held in the past get single figure attendances due to the impromptu nature of them, why all this formality of confirming etc, this was simply a crossover of the old system from show rallies etc where its extremely useful to get fully confirmed attendance figures.

Meets are supposed to be just "I will be here if anyone wants to join me" affairs 

If the majority of members wanted the ability to have attendees listed then i can add it in, but it seems overkill for what a meet is supposed to represent


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## sersol

Totally agree with the last few posts.
I don't see any need to confirm,it's just nice to see who else MAY be attending :wink: .
Nobody I'm sure wants to be tied down to a decision they may make 2/3 months in advance.
So without the "confimation button" who agree's that the old system worked well ?.
Gary


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## Velvettones

cheers steve - i'm sure we will - most ppl appear to be echoing what i've said though about not needing to confirm so i wont get on the soapbox with this post

would be nice to hear from dave on this matter though...

EDIT oops he did - just b4 me EDIT


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## 94055

nukeadmin said:


> Meets are supposed to be just "I will be here if anyone wants to join me" affairs
> 
> If the majority of members wanted the ability to have attendees listed then i can add it in, but it seems overkill for what a meet is supposed to represent


Thank you for the reply Dave

Meets are supposed to be just "I will be here if
Who determines what a meet is? A meet to me is in a sense an *informal* rally as well as, I will be at

As stated we need to know the totals for meets so it is not overbooked.
I am happy enough to not have confirmation, how you would know when full?
Now no matter how anyone looks at it Southport was a Meet. How would Johhny and Bob have known when full? I am certain if mor Meets were organised up North the attendance would be high.

I want to see who is going to a meet. I am sure some would not want to attend if I was going and vise versa.

It does not seem overkill to me.

Steve


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## gaspode

SandJ said:


> Look at the Southport rally. It is not a rally it is a meet, it was only altered to a Rally because of the issues at the time.


Hi Steve

You're jumping to conclusions again. 8)

Last time in this thread you asked for an explanation of the DEFRA certificate and it's pertinence to the Southport rally. Now, as a result of the reply I posted you're saying that because the MHF DEFRA certificate may not be required that it isn't a rally - not necessarily. Meets should be small, informal gatherings, not large events. The Southport rally has 40 attendees which in itself is justification for designating it a rally regardless of the premises on which it is held.

I agree totally with what Jacquie has proposed, she is after all the MHF expert on events and she's been there many times before so she knows what's what.

Nuke has spoken now so you know what needs to be done if you all feel so strongly about having a formal attendees list.

"If the majority of members wanted the ability to have attendees listed then I can add it in"

OK then, so all you need is 9355 members to request it and Nuke is obliged to do it or break his promise. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry, bad joke I know but I just couldn't resist. :wink:


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## artona

Hi

_As stated we need to know the totals for meets so it is not overbooked._

Not sure if I am missing something but surely we know when a meet is full when someone phones the campsite to book themselves on and the campsite say they are full

stew


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## sersol

Hi Ken,sorry I just can't my head around some of the replies here.
For my part I would like to see a list of attendee's so that i could make a decision as whether I would like to go myself.
Although living in central England, distance is not really an issue if say I wanted to travel north for a warm welcome (not to say its not sometimes in the south).
I'm not sure that the whole "Meets/Rallies" situation has not become a political "hot potato".
I'm sure that you & many others here have heard the old saying"if it ain't bust don't fix it".
I & many other did not consider the old system bust. Has Dave backed himself into a corner,of course I would not presume to tell him how to run his site,but surely he should listen.
Gary


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## nukeadmin

lol i have listened Gary, did u read what i put above, if it is too awkward for the person who is suggesting the meet to collate names posted in a thread for some reason then i can code it back up as before without confirmation etc


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## artona

Hi Dave

That would be great, thanks. I think then we have a perfect set up


stew


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## 94055

> f it is too awkward for the person who is suggesting the meet to collate names posted in a thread for some reason then i can code it back up as before without confirmation etc


Thank you very much for that Dave. I am more than happy with that and look forward to the Meets page listing Attendees.

I see no need for me to post on here any further, I apologise if I failed to reply to some of your comments.

I now look forward to the Southport meet, I hope to attend more through the cold period as well.

Steve


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## 88870

Thank God for that.


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## Velvettones

i agree this post appears to hav drawn to a close


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## mangothemadmonk

Oh it has, has it :!: Well what about.................................

Johnny F


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## sallytrafic

Well I have read through this thread 3 times now and I still for the life of me cannot see why you would need confirmation for the vast majority of meets.

I am a great believer in a meet being only 'I am going to be at xy or z.'

Forgetting for a moment about DEFRA certificates for me a meet is all about NO COMMITMENT not even from the person suggesting it. By that I mean that I don't expect anything at all from the person suggesting it not even their own attendance certainly they shouldn't have to maintain lists, mother hen, worry about non arrivals organise a pub visit, etc etc.

I accept that in a few cases where a small number of people gather to do something specific based in a campsite it would be nice for the organiser to know about numbers. 

What I would hate to see is for someone who is unfamiliar with how this website works to be put off suggesting meeting fellow members by such complications, after all what we would like to see is more meets not less. These changes seems to have been driven by a very few members. We will have to wait and see what the effect is.


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## geraldandannie

Good points, Frank. I remember Stew (artona) organising a meet for the Christmas fair at Canterbury. Then someone suggested getting together to go for a meal at the pub. All well and good. 

"How many people want to go to the pub?"

"How are all going to get there?"

"Who's going to bring their cars and drive?"

"Shouldn't we pre-order our food?"

"What's the menu?"

"Who hasn't replied yet?"

... and so it went on.

I'm not saying it isn't nice to do these things, but I'm concerned about the level of involvement required from the proposer, and people might shy away from suggesting a meet if they thought this might be expected of them.

Gerald


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## nukeadmin

right I think i have something in place now that should work 

the meets are shown on the front page block at the bottom

You can add a meet in the organiser or via clicking the link at the bottom of the block to Add one

It will have list of attendees, and people can put their name down to attend, it wont require confirmation or do any of the reminder process that it does for rallies

I hope that keeps everyone happy !

No doubt there will be bugs as there is a lot of cross referencing between the event calendar and my organiser so let me know as and when you find any


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## 94055

Dave

Thank you very much for the addition,


Steve


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## 104236

Three cheers for SandJ you have worked tirelessly to achieve the goal. Well done!


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## nukeadmin

lol what about me Suzy


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## mangothemadmonk

Well done to all concerned. :thumbleft: :thumbright: 

Johnny F


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## sersol

Well done Dave,that was all I wanted.
Now when I see any of the non believer's name's from this thread I'll know NOT to attend. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: .
Gary


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## mangothemadmonk

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:    

Johnny F


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## 104236

nukeadmin said:


> lol what about me Suzy


Goes without saying!


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## nukeadmin

I dunno, i did all the work to get this instigated and no-one has added any meets since lol


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## artona

Hi

:lol: :lol: I noticed that last night but I have been thinking of a few


stew


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## LadyJ

Rome wasn't built in a day :lol: 

There will be plenty added I hope soon :roll: but please try not to conflict with any rallies :lol: 



Jacquie


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