GRA's current mission is to continue its support activities. Since its founding in 1991, our activities have been sustained by the voluntary, self-support of countless individuals, and we believe it is our duty to carry on that legacy.
In "GRA is a Mass of Support," published on the GRA official website, we introduce each of the individuals who have provided support, categorized by type. Please take a look.
We're reporting on some new visitors to Ako City's Traffic Park, where we've been cleaning the roads since last year. They were three people, likely a mother and her child.
This wasn't a road cleaning day, but rather, I spotted them while I was out shopping in town. The mother, who appeared to be visiting for the first time, was walking around the park, looking around. The boy seemed to have just started riding a bicycle, and the younger girl was wandering around the park curiously.
I'm sure they are local residents, but I hope that their two children will continue to use this park so that they can ride their bicycles safely on public roads. To that end, we will continue to clean the park's roads to make them safe, and I believe that this is of great value.
If you were to ask, "What do you need to continue your activities?", many people would probably answer "money," "number of participants," or "good equipment." However, I would answer "people."
Since the company's founding in 1991, I've had little interest in money. We weren't profit-making organizations, nor did we divert our income. We simply deposited our money in a dedicated bank account. However, since 1995, the number of events we held increased, and proper management became necessary. That's when Ms. S and Ms. H from Osaka offered to handle the accounting. Ms. S handled the accounting for two years from 1998, and Ms. H handled the accounting for two years from 2000. Thanks to their help, we've been able to successfully hold over 40 events a year.
And then, from 2002, Mr. O, who now lives in Paraguay, took over the accounting for over 10 years, building an accounting system tailored to GRA's structure. He created an accounting worksheet in Excel for each event, with each event and item categorized, to make it easier to understand the cash receipts and payments for each event and to input data. This detailed system organized by event allowed us to operate with peace of mind, and it remains an important system for us today.
In 2016, Mr. O from Osaka took over the accounting duties. Not only is he skilled in accounting, but he is also a talented and passionate person who continues to support GRA's activities in many ways.
In 1998, when the Internet was gradually becoming popular, Mr. U from Hyogo asked me, "Why don't you make a website?" At the time, websites were still in their infancy, but he built a website for GRA all by himself. Thanks to him, we were able to lay the foundation for expanding our website-based advertising activities.
It was Ms. K from Osaka who helped us turn this fledgling website into a fully functional site, complete with event announcements and various post-event release pages. She was a great contributor, creating numerous pages directly in HTML, without using website creation software, allowing for more precise page layout and color scheme adjustments. Thanks to her work, we were able to create a fully functional website, complete with event schedules, event reports, course maps, and results.
It was Mr. T from Osaka who rebuilt the website into its current format, which allows for even more detailed information to be disseminated. Thanks to his efforts since 2010 to build the website, we have now reached the current size of over 3,000 pages. His contribution to making it possible to provide GRA with diverse content and detailed information is immeasurable. The time he has spent must have amounted to several hundred hours. We are truly grateful for his help.
In 2004, Mr. M from Kanagawa suggested we become an NPO. At the time, we were considering changing from a voluntary association with little social responsibility to a corporate organization with a strong social credibility in order to achieve our goals of raising rider awareness and social recognition. His words were a lifesaver. Mr. M only attended three events, but I believe he wanted to support us in his own way. Just a few months after I agreed to his proposal, I received an envelope from him containing the necessary application documents and a set of application procedure guides for becoming an NPO. As long as there were no problems with the information provided, all that was left to do was stamp the documents and submit them. Thanks to him, we are still able to continue our social contribution activities as an NPO.
Mr. K from Osaka was the one who checked the documents prepared by Mr. M and took it upon himself to handle the legal matters, which I had no experience in. He rarely attended GRA events and was not very noticeable to me, but when he noticed the move to incorporate as an NPO, he offered to handle the legal matters, which he used his experience in, and has since been in charge of important management tasks for the NPO.
The "Office Staff" are special people who are different from many other supporters. While other supporters provide support at their own discretion and in their free time, the "Office Staff" come to a designated activity base every week to handle various administrative tasks and work several hours without pay. Among them, Ms. T and Mr. O from Osaka are particularly special.
In 1998, when the number of events increased and the amount of administrative work grew, Ms. T began attending "administrative meetings," which we held once or twice a week to handle administrative tasks. She spent more than three hours a day, almost every week, for approximately 17 years. She has devoted well over 2,000 hours to administrative tasks. What's even more important is her continued belief in GRA's goals and ideals and her commitment to working with us for so long. It's thanks to her contributions that GRA has been able to continue its activities. Without her contributions, GRA would undoubtedly not exist today, and she is an important person for whom we owe our deepest gratitude. Thank you very much. O君も、Tさんと同じく1998年から、週1日以上、毎週欠かさず活動拠点に来てくれて、事務処理を行なう支援を 10年以上してくれました。彼も、GRAの掲げている目標を深く理解してくれて、積極的に参加してくれた方で、他にも 広報や経理などの業務も担当してくれるなど、GRAの活動には欠かせない大切な人です。
Since 1998, Mr. O has come to our base at least once a week without fail, helping with administrative tasks, for over 10 years. He also deeply understands and supports GRA's goals, and is an important person who is indispensable to GRA's activities, taking care of public relations, accounting, and other tasks.
In addition to Ms. T and Mr. O, introduced above, I will not forget the other people who participated in "administrative meetings" and handled a huge variety of tasks. I would like to express my gratitude once again.
For me, the most important thing in our activities is to adhere to the goals and principles we had when we were founded. For that reason, even if there were times when we stopped holding flashy events and our activities seemed to have changed significantly, the people who shared our goals and continued to walk alongside us over the years are our most valuable assets, and they are the biggest reason why GRA has been able to continue its activities for so many years.
In the past, we have changed the format of our activities several times, under the guise of a "de-pick" plan. At times, we stopped holding events for several years, and as a result, many people who had participated in GRA because they admired the flashy running events lost interest in it. In fact, at the beginning of an information session on the "de-pick" plan held in January 2001, someone raised their voice in anger, asking, "Why did the secretariat just stop holding events on their own?" Despite having received a detailed outline of the plan in the mail in advance, he failed to inquire about the administrative workload beyond the event itself. Furthermore, he loudly criticized the administrative office's activities in front of Ms. T and Mr. O, who had made significant contributions as "administrative staff."
At the time, I didn't point out or argue with him because his comments were unexpected, but later I became convinced that his actions made the "Evolving Plan" a necessity. The "Evolving Plan" was necessary precisely because there were people who not only disregarded GRA's stated goals, but also prioritized their own enjoyment by attending events, ignoring the people who provided so much support to continue the organization. Therefore, with each "Evolving Plan," the number of participants in running events decreased. However, we continue to be blessed with people who sympathize with our philosophy and continue to support us to this day. And I believe that as long as we continue our activities with the same philosophy, there will be more people like that around the world.
GRAは、誰でも自由な意思と自由な方法で運営にも参加できるのが最大の特徴です。今回は、企画や機材などの支援で参加された方々を紹介します。 GRA's biggest feature is that anyone can freely participate in its management. This time, we will introduce the people who supported us with planning and equipment.
We have received various proposals from several people regarding the operation plan. The most memorable person among them was Mr. H from Shizuoka. He proposed a well-thought-out plan that he had devised on his own. He put together a proposal document that was several pages long. Furthermore, a few years later, he even offered to give us his motorcycle that he no longer rides. We are deeply grateful for his support in the operation of GRA.
Iwas even more surprised by Ms. Y's initiative from Hyogo. In 1993, he asked us if we could make a collection of impressions, and we simply replied, "Yes, it would be fine." However, he created a collection that far exceeded our expectations. He asked participants of a special event called the "Gymkhana Party," which was held twice a year, to write their impressions, and later received and edited the impressions, added illustrations and photos, and compiled them into a fine collection of impressions, and delivered the printed data to the secretariat. And over the course of seven years, he delivered the joyful voices of the people who participated in the Gymkhana Party a total of 14 times. Thanks to you, many people are still viewing our website.
Furthermore, Ms. O from Kyoto provided us with great support in the area of art. He proposed a plan for an information pamphlet for the Gymkhana Party, and created a pamphlet that looked like a party, even including illustrations that he created himself. He then took it upon himself to create a magnificent banner for the Gymkhana Grand Prix, over 4m wide. He also did a great job as an art designer, creating banners for the sponsoring companies. Thank you very much. I still treasure the banner that he created for us, featuring an illustration of "Gymkhana Boy."
The first person to surprise me with the arrangement of large equipment was Mr. Y from Hyogo. In 1991, when we held the first Gymkhana Party, he arranged and delivered the PA equipment, which is essential for large events. At that time, I did not realize the importance of PA equipment, and just decided to hold a party event, but thanks to him, it became a very exciting event. After that, at the Gymkhana Party, which was held twice a year, Mr. Y continued to arrange PA equipment that was gradually upgraded, and we were always able to fill the event with a fun atmosphere. Thank you very much.
Mr. N from Osaka made and provided special equipment for the Gymkhana Party. In 1992, he delivered and set up the so-called Christmas tree, which is used to display the start signal for races, to the event venue himself. I was surprised because I hadn't expected this, but thanks to you, it helped us to get the event off to a smooth start and liven up the atmosphere. Thank you very much.
また、PC関連機材の提供して下さった方も多くいらっしゃいますが、その中でも、兵庫の N君の事は決して忘れられません。彼は、走行系イベントへの参加回数は 3回と少ないのですが、タイム集計用の PC と プリンターなどの 機器を提供して下さったのです。その際、必要な機材を分かり易く綺麗なパックに収納して、必要な時に誰でも利用し易い状態で 贈呈して下さった事はよく覚えています。その他にも、「公式Webサイトの 啓発コラム用に使って下さい」として、社会問題を題材にした画像を自ら撮影して、それを送付して下さった等、GRAが取り組んでいる社会的な課題にも真摯に向き合いながら、20年以上に亘って支援をして下さっている方です。ありがとうございます。どうぞ、これからも宜しくお願いします。
Iwill never forget Mr. N from Hyogo. Although he has only participated in three running events, he provided us with equipment such as a PC for tallying times and a printer. He has also taken photos of social issues himself and sent them to us, asking us to use them for the awareness column on our official website. He has supported GRA for over 20 years, sincerely addressing the social issues that GRA is working on. Thank you very much. I look forward to your continued support.
And Mr. Y from Tokyo donated a desktop PC he built himself, asking us to use it as a PC for the secretariat. Thank you very much. Although Mr. Y has never participated in an event, he has been supporting GRA's activities for many years, including converting about 200 analog videos into digital format and creating many illustrations required for explanatory articles using a PC. Thank you very much. We look forward to your continued support.
Iwill also never forget that the Aichi Prefecture organizer, TSRA, donated a homemade "start gate" to be placed at the starting point in 1991 to coincide with the first "Gymkhana Party." Although they did not contact us in advance, they decorated it with beautiful colors and livened up the atmosphere of the party, which left a strong impression on me. After that, we used it as an important production equipment for many years. Thank you very much.
And it was Mr. S from Osaka who purchased 40 pylons needed for the event and continued to carry them to the event venue. Thank you very much. We were very grateful for your help.
Mr. M from Shizuoka donated a PA set with a CD changer, and also provided us with a lot of necessary software and information for the PC, which has been a great help to the operation of the secretariat. Thank you very much.
In addition, Mr. I from Osaka arranged and provided various equipment that may be needed for events, and Mr. K from Shizuoka donated a converter to extract AC100V from a car battery for the PA equipment. We have received support from so many people that it is impossible to introduce them all here. Once again, we would like to express our gratitude. Thank you very much.
As mentioned above, GRA has continued its activities thanks to the support of people all over Japan. In the next and final installment, we will introduce the most important and indispensable "secretariat staff" who have continued to support GRA's activities from the ground up.
GRA began its activities in the 1990s, the age of analogue. Thanks to the support of many people in digitising the records and materials from that time, we are still able to carry out a wide range of activities today.
『 データ処理 / Data Processing 』
1990年代は、開催された競技イベントで、印字されたリザルトが配布される事は無かった時代でしたが、京都の S君がその常識を大きく変えてくれたのです。1992年、S君はは、独自に制作した集計ソフトと 自身の PC とプリンターを持ち込んで、見事、立派なリザルトを作成してくれて、配布する事が出来たのです。当時、PCと言えば デスクトップ型が殆どで、小型のプリンターも無く、表計算ソフト Excel 3.0 さえ普及が始まったばかりの頃でしたが、S君のお蔭で、イベントの最後は、綺麗なリザルトを参加者全員に配布出来た時は大きな喜びでした。ありがとうございました。あなたの大きな支援のお蔭で、GRAは活動の質を高めていく事が出来ました。
In the 1990s, printed results were never distributed at competitive events, but Mr. S changed that perception. In 1992, Mr. S brought his own calculation software, PC, and printer, and created and distributed beautiful results. At the time, most PCs were desktop computers, there were no small printers, and even spreadsheet software had only just started to become popular, but thanks to Mr. S, we were very happy when we were able to distribute beautiful results to all the participants at the end of the event. Thank you very much. Thanks to your great support, GRA has been able to improve the quality of its activities.
Following in Mr. S's footsteps, Mr. H from Osaka and Mr. K from Hyogo also began to use their own laptops, small printers, and spreadsheet software that they had set up themselves to calculate times. Thanks to them, we were able to distribute handwritten results at most of the events we held, and the quality of the events improved significantly. Thank you very much. They have established a platform that allows anyone to compile times, even without specialist knowledge, and this has undoubtedly enriched the results and encouraged many participants.
In 2010, GRA decided to shift to disseminating information worldwide via the Internet, and the thing we needed the most support from many people was to digitize over 300 "results." Moreover, the results required nearly 10 input items for each participant, such as "name" and "vehicle name," and we had to do this for nearly 100 participants, and then convert it into HTML for posting on the website, which was a huge process. At this time, Mr. T from Kyoto played the most important role. He created a spreadsheet based on a spreadsheet software that allows the inputter to easily input the necessary items with fewer errors, and also incorporated a program to convert the input data into HTML. Thank you very much. Thanks to him, the results of past events can be widely shared with people all over the world.
Nearly 15 people volunteered to manually input over 300 results again. At the time, there were many restrictions on PCs and communication environments, so we mailed the Excel input sheet that Mr. T created to those who volunteered together with the results to be input. Then, we had them return the sheet after inputting the data, which is a time-consuming process that would be unthinkable today, but in a short period of 7 to 8 months, we were able to digitize almost all of the results. Thank you very much. Thanks to him, the most important information about competitive events is being delivered to many people.
In addition, Mr. Y from Tokyo was in charge of data processing of the video data. Since digital video cameras only started to become widespread in the 2000s, the nearly 200 videos shot up until 2010 were in analog format, and they needed to be digitized in order to be made available on the Internet. Mr. Y was the one who handled the data processing alone. Although he had never attended a GRA event, he was a great help to us by taking on this time-consuming task. Thanks to him, we have been able to widely spread awareness of GRA's activities to people all over the world. Thank you very much.
Iwill also never forget the support that Mr. K gave us in the participant data management system. Since we started our activities in 1991, we had continued to manage the data using a relational data system that we had set up ourselves, but in 2010, there was a high possibility that we would not be able to keep up with changes in the OS, so we tried to switch to a system using ACCESS. At that time, Mr. K from Shizuoka reconfigured the system for ACCESS. Thank you very much.
We are grateful for the support from people across Japan, which has enabled GRA to widely share a vast amount of information and continue our awareness activities. In the next issue, we plan to introduce two people who strongly supported our transition to an NPO.
GRA has held events in many places. We have held events at over 50 venues throughout Japan, many of which were made available through the "support" of individuals, which has made it possible for us to hold over 40 events a year.
The person who provided the greatest support was Mr. O. Not only did he arrange for the venue that gave us the impetus to continue our activities in 1991 when GRA was founded, but he also continued to support many of the events we held in the 1990s, arranging important venues that served as the base of our activities, making him one of the important people who supported GRA's activities.
Another big supporter was Mr. S from Honda. He works at Honda Motorcycle Japan, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. He contacted us in 1994 and agreed to lend us the practice venue for Honda motorcycles in Osaka on exceptional terms. After that, he entrusted us with hosting events at the gymkhana course at Suzuka Circuit and managing events in Nara Prefecture, providing great support to GRA in expanding the scope of its activities.
Mr. I was also a very important supporter. In the early 2000s, he said to us, "I know this venue. Would you like me to negotiate for you?" and we actually made the event a reality. In the same way, he found and arranged many other venues and parking lots, mainly in Osaka Prefecture, which allowed us to continue holding events. He is a very reliable person.
And the Gymkhana Grand Prix, which we started in 1995, was also a success thanks to supporters from all over the country. This is a series of races held all around the country, competing for points earned throughout the year, and in addition to the cooperation of local clubs with experience in hosting events, there was also a lot of valuable support from inexperienced individuals who secured venues and planned the event. The first person I would like to introduce is Mr. U. He applied to manage the Kagawa GP in 1995, and not only did he negotiate and secure the venue for the first time, but he also singlehandedly handled everything from planning to running the event, and has continued to accomplish this admirably. Thank you very much. I am always impressed by your vitality.
For the Nagano GP, just like Mr. U from Kagawa, Mr. T from Nagano has been in charge of planning and running the event by himself since 1995, negotiating and securing the venue, arranging the equipment, and designing the course. He has a strong passion and determination that you would never imagine from his quiet and reserved demeanor. Thank you very much. Thanks to him, this event has become the one that attracts people from the most regions of the series.
Another person I will never forget is Mr. A from Okinawa. He personally negotiated and arranged for the venue for the Okinawa GP, and it has been held every year since. When the previous venue became unavailable, he searched for a new venue and negotiated for it by himself. There is no doubt that gymkhana has taken root in Okinawa thanks to Mr. A's efforts.
The Hokkaido GP was also a success thanks to the strong support of Mr. N. He used to work in the motorcycle industry, but this was his first time hosting a gymkhana event, and he provided detailed support from arranging the venue to announcing the event, writing releases, and planning the events on the day of the event.
The most unforgettable supporter was Mr. K, who planned and organized the Kanto GP in 1999. Despite having absolutely no experience in planning and management, he planned and managed the event with all his heart, from arranging the venue in Ibaraki Prefecture, to planning the event and writing the release text. Thank you very much. Having met someone with such strong passion as Mr. K is a great asset for us.
And Mr. Q also strongly supported GRA. Mr. Q had more passion and talent than most people, and not only did he work hard alone to hold the Kyushu GP in 2001, he also arranged the venue for the meeting in Tokyo and offered to hold the first GRA event with "trial cars", which enabled us to gather enthusiastic participants and hold the event since 2009. Thank you very much. He is a person that GRA should never forget.
I will never forget how, at the Kanto GP held in 2000, Mr. N was in charge of everything from arranging the venue in Saitama Prefecture to planning and writing the release text. Thanks to him, we have been able to continue holding the Kanto GP every year. Thank you very much. He used to live in the Kansai region and participated in many GRA events, but we are grateful for his support since he moved far away.
Mr. T has been a great supporter of the Gifu GP. Thanks to Mr. T, who confirmed the local venue and negotiated with us, we were able to hold the Gifu GP for the first time in 2001. Since then, he has confirmed and arranged new venues, so not only have we been able to hold the Gifu GP every year, but we have also been able to hold various events in Gifu.
Ise GP would never have been held in Mie Prefecture without the support of Mr. A and Mr. I. Although the two had participated in several events held by GRA before, arranging the venue and planning the event requires a completely different level of passion and determination. Thanks to their support, we were able to hold not only Ise GP, but various other events in Ise.
I will never forget Mr. U, who arranged for us to use a very special venue, a vehicle manufacturer's test course. Although this course is supposed to be off-limits to outsiders, thanks to Mr. U's efforts we were able to hold the Shizuoka GP in 2002. From then on, we were able to borrow this valuable venue every year until the Gymkhana Grand Prix ended in 2004. Thanks to him, we were able to establish a similar series, the GRA Tour, which began in 2006, as a venue to be held in Shizuoka.
In 2004, the last year of the Gymkhana Grand Prix, we were blessed with a new person who arranged the venue. Mr. H arranged the venue for the Biwako GP in Shiga Prefecture. Thanks to him, the last year of the series was a fulfilling one.
In 2006, we started a new series, the GRA Tour, in place of the Gymkhana Grand Prix, and we received valuable support from new people. They were Mr. M, who arranged the venue for Shizuoka Rd in 2007, and Mr. O, who arranged the venue for Hyotanjima Rd, held on Awaji Island in 2009. Thanks to them, the GRA Tour was able to fully achieve its original purpose.
Although it was not a series race, Mr. K from Tottori Prefecture was responsible for the planning and making arrangements for the venue and other planning work required to hold the event in a completely new area. Mr. K negotiated with various parties, including the local government, to secure the venue and ensure the success of the event. As a result, not only were many local riders able to participate and their families also attend, but the event also featured an exemplary run by police motorcycle officers, and he cooperated in planning and running the event in a way that was hard to believe was the first time. Thanks to his help, we have been able to hold several more events since then.
I have mainly introduced the people who led the event to success, even though they were trying to arrange the venue and plan the event almost by themselves for the first time. However, I must not forget the cooperation of clubs all over Japan who have experience and a track record of hosting events. These are TSRA at the Aichi GP, Hiroshima Gymkhana Club at the Hiroshima GP, and Team Cosmos at the Kyushu GP. Thank you very much. Thanks to them, we were able to hold a stable Gymkhana Grand Prix.
The other day, we introduced the people who supported us in the "Public Relations" section, but we forgot to include one person, Mr. O, so we have added him to the introduction.
He has been producing releases for sponsoring companies and the media for many years. Mr. O has also played a major role in other forms of support, so we plan to introduce him again, so please look forward to that opportunity.
GRA has been actively engaged in public relations activities, attracting attention from many motorcycle magazines and receiving support from global companies, and has held many diverse events. This time, I would like to introduce the people who have been actively supporting GRA's public relations activities since its establishment and have taught me the importance of public relations.
He is good at creating release materials and pamphlets to announce events. From the beginning, he inserted illustrations he drew himself, arranged for illustrations to be drawn by illustrators, thought up documents and catchphrases, and created the GRA logo and "Gymkhana Boy" (nickname). Thanks to him, we were able to obtain sponsorship from companies such as Dunlop, and we were able to get the opportunity to manage events at various venues including the Suzuka Circuit from Honda. Over the last 10 years, he has created nearly 200 pamphlets, helping to spread the existence and philosophy of GRA throughout society. Thank you very much.
Mr. T and Ms. S took over the role of designer and copywriter after Mr. K. Mr. T created the title images and copy for the columns on the official website, and Ms. S created various title designs for the columns, as well as the current GRA logo. Thank you very much. We will treasure the content they created.
It was Mr. H who taught me the importance of photography (images). He had been participating in events since 1992, and one day he gave me a set of the film he had taken at the event and the photos (prints) he had taken, saying, "You can use these if you like."
Thanks to him, we were able to use them in reports to sponsoring companies and releases to the media. Since then, for over 10 years, I have been requesting him to take photos at events he participated in. Thank you very much. Thanks to him, he has been featured in many specialist magazines, we have been blessed with many sponsors, and even now we are able to convey to many people the state of the event activities at that time.
Since around 2004, when digital cameras started to become popular, many people have provided us with image data from events we held. Thank you very much. Even now, we are saving all of that data and using it to expand GRA's activities, such as on our official website. I will not introduce all of those people, but I would like to thank them once again.
Since GRA was established in 1991, most of the equipment needed to hold events was not stored by the secretariat. It was only thanks to the "support" of the participants that we were able to hold more than 40 events a year.
The storage and delivery of the large amount of equipment used at events is usually done by the management office. However, GRA did not do this, and instead relied on a "shared equipment take-home system" in which people who participated in the event voluntarily shared the equipment, took it home, stored it, and brought it to the next time they participated. We continued to be supported by support that asked for nothing in return. And what I regret most is that I never kept track of the names of the many people who supported us. Thank you very much. I am still deeply grateful.
The thing that remains in my heart the most is the "bib number". The 150 bibs were packed into three container cases, and when everyone gathered at the end of the event, we asked, "Is there anyone who would like to take them home?" and those who were planning to participate in the next event took them home on their motorcycles. But there was even more wonderful support. And that was washing them. Whenever they got dirty from sweat or rain, someone always washed them, dried them, and ironed them. They also repaired broken strings and put a "message" in the container cases for the next person who would be washing them. This is by no means an easy thing to do. Thank you very much. Thanks to you, we have been able to hold many events steadily.
■ 救急医療セット / Emargency Medical Kits ■
運営事務局としては恥ずかしい話ですが、転倒などによる怪我の応急措置に必要な「救急医療セット」はいつからあったのか把握していません。知らない内に、誰かが、必要な機材を購入して、イベント会場に搬入してくれて、そして誰かが自発的に持ち帰り、時には、不足している処置材などを追加で購入補充してくれて、徐々に立派な救急セットになりました。 ゼッケン用のコンテナケースと同様に、購入した備品の領収書の清算は イベント開催時の「会計係」が行なうシステムになっていたとはいえ、緊急搬送が必要な事態に備えて、開催会場ごとに最寄の病院名や連絡先を書きとめたファイルも同封されていました。そんな人達の心遣いのお蔭で、転倒負傷者に速やかな対応が出来ました。ありがとうございました。 I don't know when the "emergency medical kit" started, but someone would buy the necessary equipment, bring it to the event venue, and then someone would take it home on their own accord, and sometimes they would buy and replenish the treatment materials that were in short supply, and it gradually became a fine emergency kit. In addition, a file with the name and contact information of the nearest hospital for each venue was even enclosed. Thanks to the thoughtfulness of such people, we were able to respond quickly to those who fell and were injured. Thank you very much.
For the "reception equipment set," someone also arranged for the necessary equipment and packed it in a container case, and many people loaded it on their motorcycles to take it home and bring it back to the next event. Thanks to them, we were always able to start the event with peace of mind.
■ 光電管セット / Mesuring Equipment Set ■
イベントでタイム計測する際は、1/1000秒まで計測できる機器、通称「光電管セット」を使用します。ジュラルミン製のケースに納められていて、重量も軽くはないので、オートバイでの搬送・持ち帰りは無理がありますので、オートバイを車に積んで参加する方々の支援を受けていました。画像の通り、2セット所有しているので、きっと、持ち帰って保管している方達の間で都合を図りながら、イベント開催時には必ず搬入される様になっていたと思います。ありがとうございました。お蔭様で、いつも正確な計測を行なえました。 At the event, we use equipment that can measure to 1/1000th of a second. It is stored in a case made of duralumin and is not light, so we received support from people who loaded their motorcycles into their cars to participate. Since we have two sets, I'm sure that the people who took them home and stored them were able to arrange it so that they would always be brought in when the event was held. Thank you very much. Thanks to you, we were able to always take accurate measurements.
Pylons are essential for creating a course to run on. At the beginning, we sometimes used pylons that were installed at the venue, but we decided that the event would be more stable if the secretariat arranged them, so we decided to purchase them. And here too, we were blessed with people who supported us. Participants who brought their motorcycles by car took them home in groups of 10 or 20 and stored them. Then, as we began to hold many events all over the country, we changed to purchasing even more pylons and having more people store them, and eventually we ended up asking for storage of more than 200 pylons in total all over the country. Thank you very much. We are grateful that you continued to store them properly despite their bulkiness.
A "computer set" is essential for compiling the measurement results in a table and distributing them to all participants at the end of the event, but the management office has never arranged or managed this at all. Volunteers brought in and used their own computer sets (including printers and mice), and then used the donated items. And thanks to the people who participated in the event voluntarily taking these computer sets home and storing them, and bringing them back the next time, we were able to achieve a great result. Thank you very much.
In addition to the equipment introduced above, we used a variety of other equipment during the event. We will also not forget that people took home and stored things like hand microphones, walkie-talkies, and simple assembly tables on the back seats of motorcycles or in their cars. Thanks to this, we were able to keep the burden on the secretariat to a minimum, even though we held a large number of events. I did not keep track of the names of the many people who provided such support, so I cannot introduce them all, but I would like to express my gratitude once again. Thank you very much.
GRA was founded with the determination that "If we want to have fun, we need to create the event with our own hands." Based on this, from the first year of the event in 1991, we introduced a system in which all participants in the event share the staff positions necessary for the event's operation [All staff, all participants participate].
In other words, all participants share the entire event operation, from setting up the reception desk to cleaning up the venue, and everyone also participates in lessons and time trials. A major feature of this system is that there are no full-time staff members who are solely responsible for operation, as is the case in other events.
Therefore, participants who requested or were entrusted with staff positions such as reception and accounting performed reception-related tasks immediately after entering the event venue, while other participants set up the headquarters seat and created the course.
Naturally, there were some people who were participating for the first time, and some who were new to the staff positions they were in charge of. Furthermore, the staff positions were not fixed, and there were no meetings before the event, so everything was "Off the CUt" on the day of the event. However, everyone shared what they knew and did their best to get the job done. In particular, at first no one knew how to set up and use the time measurement equipment, but everyone was proactive in helping out, and many of those who had participated in several events were able to use it.
Thanks to the people who were so proactive in their staff roles, talking to people they met for the first time, and full of enthusiasm to create the event together, all the events were held without any major accidents. I am also grateful that even the staff were willing to join in and have fun. This is an outcome that exceeded our expectations when GRA was launched.
Because of this, the time trial tent was always full of smiles. In particular, the smiles and shouts of the MCs who were in charge of live commentary echoed throughout the venue.
It was like a festival. Even though they were working with new staff and people, the headquarters tent was always lively. It was not only the staff in the tent, but also the other people who paid attention to other participants' time trials, especially those of first-time participants, and sent enthusiastic cheers, which was a great joy and something I am proud of.
Nowadays, we do not hold events of this scale. For this reason, we won't have the opportunity to feel the same excitement as we did with the "All Staff Participation System," but we will never forget that everyone understood the purpose of the "All Staff Participation System," actively cooperated, and gave us a wonderful experience. We also hope that it will remain a fond memory for the people who helped create the event. With this feeling in mind, GRA is moving forward on a new path.
最近のコメント