“U3A Wanderers” - Guidelines for Rally Organisers
Please note: These are only guidelines – the personal preferences of the organiser will always take precedence, as this gives us a greater variety of experiences.
Choosing the Date:
We plan to hold about 8 rallies, as well as a lunch in July and a Christmas Break-up/AGM in December. June and January are usually avoided.
Phone or visit the Caravan Park several weeks prior to the rally to ensure availability. It is advisable to do this soon after rally dates and venues have been decided.
Booking the Dinner Venue:
Contact the local pub/restaurant to discuss your requirements.
If possible, contact the local Tourist Information Centre, tell them that you’re planning a Rally to their local area and ask them to mail out to you a selection of brochures on local tourist attractions.
Advise Brigitte of the details of the rally, or any changes to the original details ASAP so that the website can be updated and the group notified in a timely manner – submit form on the website www.u3aknoxwcc.weebly.com or email Brigitte directly on [email protected]. Members will make their bookings directly to the Caravan Park and then fill in the relevant form on the website which will be linked to your personal email address. You will thus be notified of all enrolments via email.
Keep a Record of Enrolments
Note names and contact details as you receive enrolments. The club has agreed on a cap of 40 participants per rally, for reasons of organisation, size of venues for dinner, happy hour, excursions etc, and inclusivity. The rally leader may change this if they think a different number is more appropriate. Please notify Brigitte when the cap is reached so that she can adjust the information on the website.
As soon as possible after the conclusion of the rally provide a report to Brigitte – using the form on the website on www.u3aknoxwcc.weebly.com or email Brigitte directly as above
The Black Satchel
Ensure that you have the “Black Satchel”. This is a bag containing the emergency medical information of all members in individual sealed envelopes, contact details of members and other forms. If the previous rally organisers have not passed it on then please contact either them or Brigitte. This is an essential part of U3A Knox Safety Policy.
Check that there are sufficient blank Medical Forms, envelopes and Incident Forms. If not, please replenish.
At Happy Hour
In the Event of an Incident
HAVE FUN!
- Before the Rally
Please note: These are only guidelines – the personal preferences of the organiser will always take precedence, as this gives us a greater variety of experiences.
Choosing the Date:
We plan to hold about 8 rallies, as well as a lunch in July and a Christmas Break-up/AGM in December. June and January are usually avoided.
- Choose a date which preferably does not clash with the following events:
- School Holidays
- Public holidays
- U3A holidays (This is less important)
- Rallies normally run from Thursday (arrival day without organised activities) to Monday (departure day), unless otherwise stated.
- Where possible, choose a park not more that 400km from Knox that can provide the following facilities:
- Approx 10 powered sites (incl. en-suite sites)
- Approx 5 onsite cabins or motel rooms close to the park.
- A suitable meeting place for approx. 30 people for happy hour e.g.
- Consider pet-friendliness where possible
- Ensure that the rally town has a venue suitable for our “Saturday Night Dinner” for approx. 30 people. If this is not possible, there are possible alternatives eg community bar-b-que on site or group take-away.
Phone or visit the Caravan Park several weeks prior to the rally to ensure availability. It is advisable to do this soon after rally dates and venues have been decided.
- Check on seniors’ discounts and/or special concessions for groups.
- Reserve 10 powered sites and 5 cabins for the “U3A Knox Caravan Club”.
- Request suggestions and details of the local pubs/restaurants etc suitable for dinner for approx. 30 persons.
- Exchange contact details (Contact names and phone numbers)
Booking the Dinner Venue:
Contact the local pub/restaurant to discuss your requirements.
- Have a look at their menu – does it provide sufficient variety?
- Make a provisional booking for 30 persons for the Saturday night – final numbers to be provided closer to the day.
- Exchange contact details (Contact names and phones numbers)
If possible, contact the local Tourist Information Centre, tell them that you’re planning a Rally to their local area and ask them to mail out to you a selection of brochures on local tourist attractions.
- Ask about markets, shows or other activities that may be on during our visit.
- Ask about special group tours in the area.
- Google the town to get extra information.
Advise Brigitte of the details of the rally, or any changes to the original details ASAP so that the website can be updated and the group notified in a timely manner – submit form on the website www.u3aknoxwcc.weebly.com or email Brigitte directly on [email protected]. Members will make their bookings directly to the Caravan Park and then fill in the relevant form on the website which will be linked to your personal email address. You will thus be notified of all enrolments via email.
Keep a Record of Enrolments
Note names and contact details as you receive enrolments. The club has agreed on a cap of 40 participants per rally, for reasons of organisation, size of venues for dinner, happy hour, excursions etc, and inclusivity. The rally leader may change this if they think a different number is more appropriate. Please notify Brigitte when the cap is reached so that she can adjust the information on the website.
As soon as possible after the conclusion of the rally provide a report to Brigitte – using the form on the website on www.u3aknoxwcc.weebly.com or email Brigitte directly as above
The Black Satchel
Ensure that you have the “Black Satchel”. This is a bag containing the emergency medical information of all members in individual sealed envelopes, contact details of members and other forms. If the previous rally organisers have not passed it on then please contact either them or Brigitte. This is an essential part of U3A Knox Safety Policy.
Check that there are sufficient blank Medical Forms, envelopes and Incident Forms. If not, please replenish.
- At The Rally
- Carry the medical forms of attending members and your mobile phone at all times, ensure that all members have your mobile phone number. This will ensure that no matter where individual members are scattered at any particular time, the medical forms are available.
- Acknowledge and welcome members as they arrive.
- Organise a time and place for “Happy Hour”, usually around 5pm, and notify all members of the location.
- Take photos for the report which is published on the website after the rally.
At Happy Hour
- Members usually bring nibbles to share. Some rally organisers have found it helpful to draw up a roster to avoid everybody bringing their contribution of the first night.
- There is usually no Happy Hour on Saturdays, the night of the dinner.
- Distribute any information or brochures of local attractions or potential activities. Note that it is NOT essential or probably even desirable, to entertain the group from arrival to departure.
- Ensure Medical Certificates are updated. If any are missing ask the relevant members to complete one, the blanks are in the black satchel.
- Advise members of your mobile phone number, so that if there is an incident when the group is not all together, the medical information is only a phone call away.
- If organising activities for the following day, organise car-pooling, meeting time and place and that everyone has something to do for the next day.
In the Event of an Incident
- If there is a serious injury, ring an ambulance. This is U3A Knox policy and members have signed up to abide by it when they enrolled. It is not an expectation, nor is it safe, that a rally organiser make a medical decision.
- An Incident Form, which can be found in the black satchel, must be completed and forwarded to [email protected] as soon as practicable.
- After the Rally
- Pass the black satchel on to the next rally organiser or to Brigitte
- Write a rally report and pass it on to Brigitte, together with some photos, if you have them, for publication on the web site.
- Complete your “Volunteer Hours” if you wish to benefit from the U3A volunteer points program (Note that while we are relocated out of our Fairpark building, tutors are asked to submit the volunteer hours directly).
HAVE FUN!