The Motor Caravanners' Club
Avon Group
GUIDENCE NOTES FOR RALLY HOSTS
On behalf of Avon Group Committee, I wish to thank everyone who volunteers to host a rally because without people such as you coming forward, we would not be able to hold rallies which would mean our Group would cease to exist. Anyone new to hosting who would like some advice please feel free to contact a Committee Member who will always be pleased to assist.
Hosts need to arrange to collect the rally boxes, signage & any other equipment required for the forthcoming rally, this may be achieved by contacting the Rally Officer.
It is necessary for Hosts to arrive at the venue in sufficient time to prepare the site in readiness for the arrival of members which often means arriving the day prior to the start of the rally. This needs to be pre-arranged with the venues proprietor / manager.
During the rally, it is the duty of the Hosts to maintain a safe, orderly environment for the enjoyment of attending members.
On sites where pitches are not already identified, it is beneficial to mark out pitches prior to members arrival. Vans must be parked a minimum of 6 metres apart, you may find the attached diagrams helpful.
The rally phone & the SumUp payment card reader need to be fully charged in advance, they can be located in the rally box.
Preparation of the site includes :-
• The placing of Direction signs outside the venue to guide members into the site entrance.
• Placing the signs for Fresh Water, Elsan, 5 MPH & signs relating to Dogs, in the appropriate places.
• A completed risk assessment for every rally is included in the big black rally book to which any additional potential hazard noticed should be added by the Host when on site.
The STOP HERE board needs to be placed near the Hosts station so it can be seen clearly by arriving vans. The Exemption Certificate & Risk Assessment forms, need to be displayed at the Hosts station.
The Whiteboard can be used to advise members information they may find useful during their stay such as time & place of on-site events which may be subject to change due to prevailing weather conditions. Please ensure only the special ‘wipe off ‘ marker pens are used, some of which are provided.
Pre booking is required for most Avon Group rallies & Hosts will receive, from our Secretary, sheets of members details who have booked to attend the rally shortly before it is due to commence.
As each van arrives, a tick should be placed on the left hand side of the booking in sheet next to the vans registration number to show it is on site.
A warm welcome is to be extended to members upon their arrival. The Host should ask to see their membership card & check that it is valid. After asking if they have any close by birthdays / anniversaries & noting the booking in sheet, they should be directed to a Host to be parked up requesting that they return to make payment of rally fees after they have settled in.
Any second or towed vehicle should be parked in a separate designated area.
Details on how to use the SumUp card reader to receive payments can be found in its storage box within the rally box. It is very easy & quick to use. To obtain the best signal, it is recommended that it is used outside the van as many vans have a foil lining between their walls which can block the signal.
Press the power button to switch the device on & enter the User ID & Password which is shown in the user instructions in its storage box. It is now ready for to accept payments. The SumUp app needs to be installed on your phone which will show all payments made.
On receipt of each payment, the booking in sheet is to be noted with the amount paid also the last 4 digits of the code, in the relevant sections.
At the end of each day, the SumUp device will show the total amount received for that day.
At the end of the rally, add up the daily totals shown on the device to give you the total amount of fees paid, this figure is to be entered on the balance sheet.
Hosts also need to enter the financial data defined on the balance sheet.
A cheque needs to be prepared for the amount due to the venue. Multiply the total number of nights pitches were occupied during the rally by the amount charged by the venue for per unit per night [pupn] which is shown on the Rally Information sheet. Do not include the two hosts vans in this sum as Hosts are not required to pay rally fees.
The cheque must be signed by two designated Committee Members & given to the venues proprietor/manager for which a signed receipt needs to be obtained.
The balance sheet together with all other relevant paper work needs to be forwarded to the Groups Treasurer.
Hosts need to complete the appropriate sheet for the ‘ Chairmans Chat ‘ at coffee morning, with the numbers attending from each MCC Group also greeting cards prepared for anyone with a birthday or anniversary. These should be given to the Chairman, or person deputising, prior to coffee morning.
Avon Group normally hold a raffle during rallies for which it is the responsibility of Hosts to purchase the prizes. The cost of same will be reimbursed on submission of receipts.
Hosts are also responsible for the sale of the raffle tickets, books of tickets can be found in the rally box. The number of tickets used for each colour is to be recorded on the appropriate sheet.
Prior to coffee morning, the raffle ticket stubs need to be folded & put in the blue Avon raffle bag ready for the prize draw to take place which is usually at coffee morning. The prizes are to be displayed Minors can only collect a prize if accompanied by an adult.
Avon Group members are eligible to receive a loyalty stamp for every Avon rally they attend. The snail stamp used for this purpose can be found in the rally box & should be taken & applied at coffee morning. Each loyalty stamp needs to be initialled & dated.
Lastly all the equipment is to be packed up ready to be passed to the Host of the next rally.
Sincere thanks to all Hosts for your efforts which are very much appreciated & as a token of thanks two vans are entitled to a fee free rally.
Chairman Avon Group MCC
10th March 2022
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