MOUNT GAMBIER MEAL TICKETS REQUIRED

[leon]

Looking for additional meal tickets at Mount Gambier.
1 adult and 2 children. If anyone unfortunately has to cancel I would be
interested in purchasing your tickets. My contact no is 0418 251 566
Regards Leon.

[MalFE]

Hi Leon,
I offered my spare ticket to someone requiring an additional ticket.
When he rang SA, was told he was too late.
Cheers,
Mal.

[FEHOLDEN]

Giday Leon

I have two kids tickets available. As always happens they are going off to do other things instead of coming with us. So if you want them give us a ring 0428384623 and we can work something out.


Denis

[Hotlips]

Sorry to be a party pooper but THERE IS NO SWAPPING OF MEALS TICKETS - tickets have been made - seating allocated and this is too big a headache to have people dropping out and people "buying" their unused tickets.  If you wish to do this anyway you will probably find that your kids are sitting on another table AND WE WILL TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH CASES.  ENTRY CLOSE OFF DATES ARE FOR A REASON.    HOTLIPS (KATHY - SA NATIONALS DELEGATE AND ORGANISER)

[Johns]

Kathy,

I was going to let all this meal ticket nonsense pass, however as you have decided to start shouting on the forum, I think a response is appropriate.

Firstly, a huge thanks to you and everybody else who has been involved in putting this together, having organised National car club events, I know what is involved.

What is disappointing is the lack of flexibility that is being displayed here. It is inevitable, whether we like it or not, that for all sorts of reasons people will need to change their arrangements. This should be expected and allowed for.

Of all the things that cause an event organiser grief, changing the NUMBER of attendees is the worst. I cannot see how swapping meal tickets needs to cause anyone any difficulty. At best its a minor annoyance.

Surely having a full house is more important than table allocations. Mal Owen pulled out because his wife is very ill. I have a mate who is also very ill, for whom I needed a meal ticket. We agreed that I would buy his ticket, but you won't allow this, because of table allocations or name tags?? So, beacuse I don't wan't to send my mate to the local McDonalds at meal times, I pull out. What has been achieved?

At the end of the day, what is more important table allocations or attendees? I think the point is being missed in all this and I'm sorry to have to write about it.

John

[Hotlips]

  Sorry, but I was just trying to put a point across.  As you stated that it is an "organisers grief" and the "worst" thing to happen but then you state the exact opposite (in the same paragraph) that "it's a minor annoyance".  With just over 2 weeks to go 'swapping and buying' meal tickets is a NO GO.  We have enough to do without this sort of hassle.  Afterall Easter comes about the same time every year - either you know you are coming or not.  Yes circumstances in your life can arise and unfortunately unless cancellations are before the cut off date for entering, it is just bad luck.   Cheers Hotlips

[Johns]

As you stated that it is an "organisers grief" and the "worst" thing to happen but then you state the exact opposite (in the same paragraph) that "it's a minor annoyance"

You have completely missed my point, swapping meal tickets does not change the number of attendees, it simply changes the consumer. As such it should cause no grief to the organisers.

This issue seems clear enough to those trying to sell meal tickets, no one is asking for additional ones.

John

[gp]

I'm sorry John, but I think YOU are missing the point! It is very unfortunate that some people are ill and I'm sorry to hear that.
However, the SA Club is now in the final few weeks of organising the event that they started on well over 2 years ago. They are a very small club (and don't forget that these events are organised mainly after hours by a group of volunteers- in this case quite a small group). You are now expecting them to totally reorganise their seating allocations, name tags & god knows what else just over 2 weeks from the event, when they really don't have time for this.

You may think these things are only minor annoyances to them, but just think if everybody wanted to make changes at this late stage........If they make changes for one, they have to do it for others. All of a sudden a few minor annoyances become a large headache. As Kathleen said, this is the reason for the cutoff date, so they have time to get everything organised for the benefit of us, the entrants.

I've been there, with the Jindabyne Nationals & various Holden Days, and believe me, these last minute changes are much more than minor annoyances, you simply don't have the time to deal with them.

Roll on Mt Gambier,

Cheers,

Graham

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

and that wraps it up, as Kate said the SA Club will not be organising or endorsing any swapping/selling of meal tickets especially this close to the Nationals.

There is no need for any debate, terms and conditions were clearly stated and once the close off date passed that's it.

We are not trying to put anyone out, but people must also remember that the Club is bound by conditions of places we book at too. There are well over 120 entrants plus partners and children to cater for.

As GP said we are a small club with a smaller committee, we all have day jobs and we all have cars to prepare for the Nats.

See you at the Mount.

[RET]

Afterall Easter comes about the same time every year - either you know you are coming or not.  Yes circumstances in your life can arise and unfortunately unless cancellations are before the cut off date for entering, it is just bad luck.   Cheers Hotlips

Now hang on a minute, you can't have it both ways. Entries for the Nationals were closed a month earlier than the date stipulated in the Nationals Constitution that all FE-FC Clubs are signatories to, because Easter falls so much earlier than usual this year. It's outside of regular school holidays (in NSW and Qld at least, probably elsewhere also), which is a late complication for quite a few. The official school holidays weren't published until the New Year, after entries closed.

I've stayed out of this fracas up until now, despite being well aware of the situation w.r.t. Mal, JohnS, Leon and others (beyond what's been published here). And John probably should have booked his mate a ticket in the first place. Obviously cancelling a ticket is less hassle than trying to buy one at this late stage. But having said that:

1. The entry form did not require the names of anyone other than the entrant.
2. There has never been any correspondence to the effect that meals aren't transferable.
3. Since the December close-off, meals have not been refundable, so seeking to transfer them is not unreasonable.
4. Transferral of meals is not unheard of.

If someone has paid for a ticket they can't use, and someone else wants to attend in their place, and is prepared to accept they'll have to "be" the first guy for the night, then what's the big deal? It's just a name-tag, or place-card, or whatever.

To put it another way, if Mal were still coming, but just turned up with his mate rather than his wife, would the mate be refused entry to the dinner, and pointed towards the nearest McDonalds?

I can't help but think our priorities need revisiting if it's less hassle to lose a vehicle from the show than have a bloke called John sit at a place set for Mal.

RET

PS: Sorry, Glenn, I see you've said that was the final word, but I'd spent too long picking my words carefully not to post my reply.

[Geoff_K]

I believe that there should be some flexibility and humanity in this.
The organisers have no obligation to do anything, but as with any problem, there should be a back door to fix things where ever possible.
If the problem is too hard at this point to change anything, from an organisational point of view don't do anything, ignore the problem.
However, ticket holders equally have the right (as it appears it is not specifically banned) to caucus between themselves and turn up with a valid ticket and be provided with the service.  Yes, in this instance they may be at an inconvenient table away from their mates, but at least they are there (I equally with my tickets could be placed at a table to my disliking and be disappointed at not being with all my friends, it has happened before, and I saw no guarantee in the offer of being seated with my friends)
From past experience, there will be plenty of time to informally sort things while we que for the event.  It is up to ticket swappers to sort it out for themselves (dress in drag if necessary and be called "Sue").
RET has the rest of my comments covered.
Regards,
Geoff_K

[Hewart]

dress in drag if necessary and be called "Sue"

I didn't go that far, but I did attend the PI Nationals as Mrs RET

Simple ticket swap a week before the event... I wouldn't have been there otherwise

[RET]

but I did attend the PI Nationals as Mrs RET

Never again - snores like a bastard and hogs the blankets. Be warned

[FEHOLDEN]

Dear oh dear oh dear

What a melestrom Leon and I seem to have created. As it currently stands Leon's kids will have to eat at Mcdonalds with all that entails and I stand to do $110 cold.

I would like to state here quite clearly that my wife and I have absolutely no problem with Leon's kids sitting with us at meal times for the entire weekend so there would be no logistical hassle with having to reorganise seating arrangements. My babysitting skills are legendary .

The other thing I would point out is, if I were Leon, I would rather have my kids on another table at the same venue than down the road somewhere else. His alternative would be to have his meals elsewhere also thereby wasting his own ticket and missing the social aspect.

In writing this I fully acknowledge the arguments put forward by the SA club but wonder if ,in this case, we can't work something out.


Denis

[leon]

GDay.
Thanks Dennis my thoughts exactly.
I didn't realise we were going to be allocated our seats.
If only Dennis we had been able to organise this personally
no one would have known. I'm sorry it has turned out this way,
I thought it would be a simple thing to do.
In my experiences in life I have come to the conclusion most things are not impossible.
I'm sorry to hear the problems  that some people have as to why
they cannot attend with their family members and friends because of ill health
so really when I think of my problems I really don't have any.
I wish your wife a speedy recovery Mal, and John's mate.
Thank you for all those in support.
Looking forward to the Nationals and meeting up with you all.
Regards Leon

[Hewart]

Never again - snores like a bastard and hogs the blankets.

Awww Sweetheart?

[GREGD]

Hi to all

those members that have got meal packages that they are not using have got till midnight 05/03/08 to make their arrangements and supply us on this fourm thread ALL details [entrant # from who to who] etc.

This offer is only applicable to club members and their families.

This will be the final chance after midnight no other arrangements will be considered

Cheers
Greg Drinkwater
Nationals Director

[FEHOLDEN]

Thanks Greg

I have spoken to Leon and the details of the transaction are as follows:

Two children's tickets in the names of Alexander & David Toogood are being swapped from entrant no.117

to entrant no.37 in the names of Jack & Thomas Merrett.

Hope this suffices. If not let us know and I will fix.

See you at the nats


Denis

[NascoHunter]

I thought the Nats was only open to club members?

Tony.

[HAD 708]

An interesting situation! But not worth all the yelling and highlighting that is going on in this thread. As far as i am aware the allocation of named settings  is a fairly new thing in the history of nationals. It is only a few years ago you all turned up to a venue grabbed a seat and enjoyed your night /function,who you were or sat next too was not an issue. As for the tickets not being transferable or able to be changed? Who or where does it state that they are unable to altered? I would think that being told of it 2-3 weeks out from the event is better that on the night! Entrants that have paid for a ticket that are unable to get a refund should with reasonable notice be fully able to transfer a meal ticket to an attendee, without being yelled at! And really out of 250-300 people shouldn't organisers expect a handful of changes. I am fully aware of changes made at both jindabyne and Phillip island close to and at the event. And please can we please give the small club thing a break,its been done to death. ACT club ran A1 nationals in 2005 with a very small group. To lose both active forum and state FE FC members from the nationals due to inflexibility is in my view and the FE FC Vic committee view very regretable.
Cheers
Brett Gillard
Nationals delegate and FE FC CC of Vic Committee member.