Course 3/76/3
Barely a year after starting training the scheme was expanding rapidly, looking at all areas where improvements could be introduced and increasing the availability of training.
Good thing really as Appendix 1 shows that STEP/Star Rider was beginning to arrive. Ultimately the existance of an alternative training organisation was to prove the nemesis of the RAC/ACU training scheme, but NOT the Leicester Phoenix scheme!
LEICESTER PHOENIX MOTORCYCLE TRAINING SCHEME
Instructors' Meeting. The Cricketers, Grace Road, Leicester, Tuesday 1 February 1977 at 8.00 p.m.
AGENDA
- Election of Chairman
- Apologies for Absence
- Minutes of last meeting
- Matters arising from last meeting
- Report on concluded course
- Plans for next course
- Instructors Expenses
- Scheme Equipment
- Recruitment
- Any Other Business
SPECIAL BUSINESS. DISCUSSION WITH MIKE BARRADELL ON OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF PUPILS
LEICESTER PHOENIX MOTORCYCLE TRAINING SCHEME
MINUTES OF INSTRUCTOR'S MEETING 1 FEB 1977
Meeting opened at 8.15 p.m. at the Cricketers Grace Rd. Leicester.
Present:
| John Wilmot | Maurice Belben |
| Brian Porter | Dave Smith |
| Ken Wells | Wally Bradshaw |
| Margaret Wells | Pete Vines |
| Steve White | Phil Freestone |
| Kevin Brewin | Les Freestone |
| Trevor Evans | Noel Sheehan |
| Mick Gaugham | Ben Crossley |
| Dave Cockerton | |
| Special Guest: | Mike Barradell |
| Chairman: | Les Freestone |
Minutes of meeting held 19 October 1976 had been previously circulated, They were taken as read and accepted as a true record. There were no matters arising from these minutes.
Reports. Wally Bradshaw reported on the concluded course that there was little difference between results of pupils who had one instructor for whole course and pupils who had a number of instructors. It was noted that although the intention was to allocate one instructor to a pupil for the whole course, in practice this did not occur and the majority of pupils had five different instructors. The course results were as follows:-
| Enrolled | 27 |
| Tested | 17 |
| Passed | 15 |
| See details in Appendix 2 | |
Ben Crossley gave a break-down of the questionnaire results which showed that the course was of a consistent pace with previous courses. Most pupils thought the course was too long. Maintenance lectures have improved substantially in popularity and the consensus of opinion no longer favours more instruction. Pupils remarks included a call for clearer diagrams and the examiner remarked on the thoroughness with which the subject had been covered.
On ground Training has improved in popularity and adequacy.
Road Instruction has taken a great drop in popularity, possibly because of seasonal fluctuations but there is still a demand for more instruction. Highway Code has become yet more unpopular while pupils need even more instruction,
There followed a discussion on how to improve the Highway Code instruction and the following suggestions were made.
The individual instructors should include Highway Code instruction each week; it being sufficient to ask one question on the relevant part of the code to ensure that it is learned each week.
The Highway Code could be the subject of a written test at the beginning and/or during the course to give a check on individual progress.
The Questionnaire will be slightly modified in layout and given on the last week of instruction in order to allow pupils more time to fill them in and perhaps make more remarks.
It was observed that basic skills require more attention i.e. clutch, gears, brakes etc.
Mike Barradell reminded us of the importance of a proper pupil/instructor relationship.
Noel Sheehan reported that the Scheme fund stands at £142.57p
The next course will begin on 22 February with the test set for 15 May. This means that to run for 24 hours we need to include Easter Tuesday, 12 April, preferably as the film night.
The next course has approx 24 paid-up pupils. Steve White was appointed Deputy Chief Instructor. Dave Smith will examine progress of pupils and instructors during last week.
Coffee will not be charged for and proper cups will be purchased. Margaret Wells was thanked for making the coffee.
Instructors were asked to vacate the lecture room when coffee has been obtained.
Following extensive discussion the following motions were carried.
| "The training scheme will progress forward and obtain a Scheme Motorcycle" | |
| Proposed: Dave Smith | Seconded: Noel Sheehan |
| "Instructor expenses be paid at the rate of 25p per attendance" | |
| Proposed: Wally Bradshaw | Seconded: Kevin Brewin |
| "The Course Fee to be increased to £7.50" | |
| Proposed: Ben Crossley | Seconded: Wally Bradshaw |
The above motion to be communicated to Maurice Belben in writing so that it can be actioned for the Course beginning 19 July 1977.
The Chair thanked Mike Barradell, Maurice Belben and John Wilmot for their attendance and contributions.
The Meeting closed at 10.45 p.m.
Minutes B.Crossley
Enc: Appendix 1, Appendix 2, Appendix 3.
3.2.77
The course fee increase was to keep the scheme in line with other county charges and was recommended by the County Surveyor. At this time the RAC was advising that all schemes should be charging between £10 and £15 per course.
On some of the voting issues opinions were divided but we cleared the air about issues that were causing concern.
We considered making our own arrangements for providing a training motorcycle. We did not wish to take on trainees without their own machines. The idea was to provide a back-up machine and to give trainees experience of a different motorcycle.
Appendix 1
S P E C I A L B U S I N E S S
John Wilmot addressed the meeting on the following subjects.
ACU TRAINING SCHEME. SOUTH OF COUNTY
It has always been the intention to begin a Training Scheme to fulfill a need in the South of the County and the Phoenix Scheme was begun with that in mind. A site has now been found at Earl Shilton and John Wilmot is looking to the Phoenix to either move location or supply some instructors or help to find instructors among local clubs.
TWO WHEEL TEACH IN
The Schools Traffic Education Programme (STEP) organisation, which is a trade sponsored body, is about to launch a system of instructing novice riders on the control of new machines bought through sponsoring dealers. Following a successful pilot scheme in Birmingham, it is intended to set up a similar scheme in Leicestershire by Easter. New riders will have their machines delivered to an off-road training site (probably a secondary school) on Saturday morning and will share four hours of instruction.
Instructors will take up to four pupils and will be paid £6.00. Instructor qualifications will need to be similar to those for ACU Instructors.
John Wilmot needs to know names of prospective instructors before 24th Feb when there will be meeting of Leicester Motorcycle Traders. The Scheme will be run by John Baldwin, Executive Officer of STEP.
Many of the instructors were settled at the Cattle Market site so we chose to advance an Earl Shilton scheme by providing temporary instructors and encouraging our friends at the Hinckley and District MCC to start an RAC/ACU course in the Hinckley area. They grasped the oppoertunity with enthusiasm and started their own centre very quickly at Westfield School in Hinckley.
The Club AGM was held the following evening and Two Wheel Teach In was discussed. We had eight members express an interest and a further meeting was arranged at Dave Smith's house for Tuesday 8th February.
Some RAC/ACU instructors joined the STEP/Two Wheel Teach In programme that became Star Rider because instructor training was a mandatory part of the organisation. However the initial instructors were taken on as TWTI/Bronze Star on the nod.
Because of this cross over of instructors and even-handed administration through John Wilmot, the county avoided the pettiness that blighted relationships between RAC/ACU and Star Rider in some areas.
Appendix 2
Breakdown of course number 3/76/3
| Name | Final Marks | Instructors | Performance on Course | |
| Joan P | 2s & 3s | Card "lost" | P | |
| Roger Sharp | All 4s | Mostly Les | Excellent | P |
| Keith H | Absent for 9 weeks | |||
| Sarah B | 3s & 4s | 4 instr. | Steady improvement | P |
| Paul Y | Mostly 4s | Mostly Ben | Steady improvement | P |
| Janine N | Absent for 8 weeks | |||
| Raymond M | Absent for 9 weeks | |||
| Paul F | Mostly 2s | 5 instr. | Accellerated improvement | P |
| Phillip T | Mostly 4s | 5 instr. | Steady improvement | P |
| Tim Wicks | 4s, 3s, 2s | 6 instr. | Steady improvement | P |
| Stephen H | Absent for 8 weeks | |||
| Jean H | Mostly 3s | 5 instr. | Steady improvement | F |
| David A | Absent for 9 weeks | |||
| Tom L | All 3s | 5 instr. | Steady improvement | P |
| Bob S | All 4s | Mostly Steve | Steady improvement | P |
| Russel S | Mostly 4s | 7 instr. | Steady improvement | P |
| Michael W | Mostly 4s | 5 instr. | Steady improvement | P |
| Margaret L | 4s & 3s | 4 instr. | Steady improvement | F |
| John P | Absent for 10 weeks never brought a bike at all | |||
| Dennis T | 4s, 3s, 2s | Mostly Ben | Steady improvement | P |
| Debora W | 3s & 4s | 5 instr. | Steady improvement | P |
| Rowland B | Absent for 8 weeks | |||
| Jean S | Absent for 7 weeks | |||
| David N | 3s | Mostly Ken | Improvement towards end | P |
| Leigh K | 4s & 3s | 5 instr. | Steady improvement | P |
Roger Sharp was spotted early on and before long he was trained up as an instructor.
Appendix 3 was the result of a course satisfaction questionnaire
- annoying people with surveys is not new to us!