February 1999

NATIONAL COUNCIL
Please note the next meeting of the National Council has been moved to 8th May, to avoid a clash with the NW 200 Races. Venue remains the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone.

ROAD SAFETY
Safety Officer, Fergus Finn did an interview on the Pat Kenny Show on 25th January 1999. The topic was 'pot holes' in Ireland. MAG was mentioned regarding our efforts to inform and encourage the County Councils/Corporation to take action about the poor state of our roads in this country. A follow up from the interview on the Pat Kenny Show, The Evening Herald requested an interview, again regarding 'Pot Holes' and the danger they pose to Motorcyclists. Again MAG Ireland was mentioned and our continuous efforts to promote road safety.

PRODUCTS & LIAISON OFFICER
As part of my role as Liaison Officer, I endeavour to put on a MAG stand at as many rallies, shows etc as possible. This is a huge commitment for one person. Apart from the obvious benefits to MAG of increasing membership, and proceeds from products, it is also important to raise the profile of MAG at these events. I am appealing for volunteers to help out at MAG stands. Is there a show or rally in your area? Could you help? You don't need to know every MAG policy, a friendly disposition is more important than quoting chapter and verse. If you feel you could donate an hour or two of your time on behalf of MAG please contact me at (01) 457 0634 or through the MAG office.

BARRISTER
MAG have secured the services of a Barrister who is willing to act on behalf of MAG on a voluntary basis. He is also willing to answer member's queries in a regular feature in Roadrunner. So if there are any legal matters regarding any aspect of bikes or biking you would like the answer to, write in to the office.

NEXT ROADRUNNER
Delayed going to print due to pressure of advertising sales which have been slow in coming. Expect it to be in your hands by 15th March. Interestingly, two potential advertisers, one of who has previously advertised in Roadrunner, expressed reservations about taking an advert with an organisation, which had been previously "critical" of them. The General Secretary asked the NEC to endorse his stance that Roadrunner is not the 'Hello' magazine of Irish motorcycling; that all motoring and motorcycling journals are, when justified, critical of shortcomings. In the final analysis an advertiser buys space to present his message. This is not a payment made to influence Editorial content, the independence and integrity of which must be maintained. The Letters Page is open to all and any who feel that their views have not been fairly treated can make use of that page. Were Roadrunner to be a sycophantic journal that could be "bought" by advertisers then our members, rightly, would lose faith in MAG. The NEC supported this "Editorial policy". No prizes for guessing whom one was, the other was an importer.

PORT TUNNEL
The Minister has acknowledged our letter regarding allowing motorcyclist's free access through the Port Tunnel. The enquiry is to be held in April and MAG will be making a submission.

MAG OFFICE

Our new office at 1b Ring Terrace, Dublin 8 has already proved a great success, with people dropping in to renew their memberships
buy products or just for a chat. We are still appealing for a photocopier, and also for volunteers to man the reception, especially for Saturdays - you don't need to have office experience, just common sense and a willingness to commit yourself to one Saturday every four or five weeks.

EURO DEMO
It has been decided by FEMA to no longer have a Euro Demo as it no longer serves a useful purpose. Instead, each member country will in turn host a Rally type event which will take place every year. The UK will be the first host Country, but it is unlikely to take place until next year as they feel there is not enough time this year for the proper organisation of such an event.

EUROPEAN YOUNG RIDER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
This competition is jointly organised by FEMA, FIM and the European M/C Constructors Federation and is sponsored by the European Union with Bob Tomkins of FEMA being the European Co-ordinator. Participants must be under 26 years. First prize for one male and one female rider is a trip to Milan to participate in the final at the Milan Motorcycle Show in September 1999. MAG Ireland is currently investigating the feasibility of participating in this competition which will have road safety awareness as it's primary emphasis.

PUBLIC RELATIONS
Unfortunately, Trevor Baker who was to take over from Tracie Talbot is unable to take up the above position due to business commitments. We are looking for a person to take over this important role, preferably one with previous PR experience. If you know of anyone willing to give it a go, please forward their name and contact number to the office.

Reminder:
All MAG Groups and Clubs affiliated to MAG are actively encouraged to try and hold at least one specific fund-raising event each year for MAG Ireland. We have kept the subscription as low as possible and always will but this means that we RELY on additional support to keep going. MAG is a 100% "volunteer" organisation but as we continue to grow the day is not far off when, to tackle all the work we must do, we will have to employ some paid staff as well.