They walk away, forgotten

Dear Reader

Clubs are democratically organized and, as such, provide a great learning experience for young people—but older people can learn, too. Time and again, I notice that the many “little helpers” working behind the scenes are often almost—or completely—overlooked. It’s only when something goes wrong that an outcry goes through the ranks of those benefiting from the event. Especially in the context of organizing a competition, where trophies, medals, and certificates are awarded, the woman or man working behind the scenes—or serving as a sports official—often receives little recognition. Experienced competition organizers have therefore begun
to award diplomas to at least the officials of a sporting event as well. Our associations are quite generous in reimbursing officials’ expenses. That’s a good thing. But that’s only part of showing appreciation. Depending on the organization, all the colleagues working behind the scenes often come away empty-handed.

In our model flying clubs, almost all roles and tasks are performed on a volunteer basis—unspectacularly, year after year. It is therefore one of the most important tasks of a club’s leadership to show these people respect and appreciation
. This also applies to regional, national, and international associations. A heartfelt “thank you” at the right time has never hurt anyone. I still see a lot of room for improvement in this area within our governing bodies.

Best regards

Emil Ch. Giezendanner

The opinions expressed on this page by the editor—as well as by other authors of this issue—do not necessarily reflect the official position of the SMV. Readers can find official association announcements in the “SMV” section.