Specific User Groups and Private Forum's

[Darren]

What has been said so far on this thread emphasises the philosophy behind the site from the start. I didnt really want to change it, it was just a thought and question that came from the IAM forum.

Many people who view this site dont realise there is a "closed forum" which you can only see once you are a member and logged in and that seems to be a concern to people who only want a closed forum. Will have to make that clearer on various pages.

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

<devil's advocate mode>
What is there to hide?
</devil's advocate>

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

RoSPA is strange - I have to pay a sub to my local group but I'm not a member of the overall organisation - is that similar for anyone else?

How come? The standard system for national membership is that your £17.50 per year sub includes the cost of the triennial retests. I should not have thought you could be a current member or take your retests without being paying a national sub.

I don't know. I enquired of my local secretary about joining and taking a test, and the result was an application form and a request for £12. Perhaps they assumed I'd already paid another £17.50. I'll ask ... This is getting expensive

[ScoobyChris]

The group fees for RoSPA vary group to group and will also depend if you're an associate or member (member's fees are usually a few quid cheaper)....

Chris

[stefan einz]

Darren

Always good to ask the open question.

From an HPC standpoint, I would not be supportive of separate fora - HPC members already have their own forum and those of us that frequent this site enjoy, as others have said, the cross-fertilisation of ideas.

Kind regards

Steve

[BillZZR600]

RoSPA is strange - I have to pay a sub to my local group but I'm not a member of the overall organisation - is that similar for anyone else?

How come? The standard system for national membership is that your £17.50per year sub includes the cost of the triennial retests. I should not have thought you could be a current member or take your retests without being paying a national sub.

I don't know. I enquired of my local secretary about joining and taking a test, and the result was an application form and a request for £12. Perhaps they assumed I'd already paid another £17.50. I'll ask ... This is getting expensive

Mr C, your situation is exactly the same as everyone else who comes to their RoSPA test through contact with local groups.
RoADAR National membership
Other than the new (£10) "Associate membership" (which is a NON TEST membership with reduced benefits such as they may be LOL) you Cannot have FULL RoADAR National membership prior to sitting and passing your test at Bronze Level or above.
The Test Fee (Now £48 paid when applying) for your initial RoSPA test includes an amount equivalent to your first years subscriptions, and membership would commence from the date of passing your test. Continued payment of Subsiquent years National Subs (Now £20) entitles you to FREE triennial retests,which must be taken, in order to retain your National Membership.

It is possible to apply for and sit a test independantly of the local groups, but as you would be missing out on the free tutoring, mutual help advice and and assistance, never mind the social side provided by local group membership in following your interests, it is not normally encouraged, or seen as being of benefit.

The £12 subs you have mentioned seems to be your local group membership anual subscription I would imagine, (just like joining a local sports club etc), and is normally paid to cover local costs and expenses etc. For insurance purposes most groups are unable or indeed unwilling to provide group Tutors for people who are not local group members, unsurprisingly.
Just imagine the costs if you were to book and pay for individual, private, one to one professional advanced driving training.

The two anual subscriptions are completely seperate.

As for being Expensive, at £60 (total of £48+£12) I wouldnt really think so.

The costs are broadly similar to purchasing an IAM "Skills For Life" package, once the costs of obtaining your own copies of Roadcraft HC etc, which you may require, are included, although some groups mayl include them in their local arrangements with new members,for higher local membership fees.

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

Thanks Bill, although I have no idea what a Skills for Life Package is. I only meant, that RoSPA membership would have climbed from £12pa to £29.50 - although as you point out, it's actually £32. Now in the context of a single test at £48, £32 per annum adds up to £96 over 3 years, or the cost of TWO tests, so the fact that the triennial retest fee is included, looks a bit less of a bargain.

Add that to £30 something for MGOC membership etc. £12 for annual membershop of a.n.other forum, and you can understand why the wife might start looking askance at the bank statements

[jasonh]

Thanks Bill, although I have no idea what a Skills for Life Package is.

It's the IAM package: test, book, 'tuition', year's membership.

[OILY PAWS]

Thanks Bill, although I have no idea what a Skills for Life Package is. I only meant, that RoSPA membership would have climbed from £12pa to £29.50 - although as you point out, it's actually £32. Now in the context of a single test at £48, £32 per annum adds up to £96 over 3 years, or the cost of TWO tests, so the fact that the triennial retest fee is included, looks a bit less of a bargain.

Add that to £30 something for MGOC membership etc. £12 for annual membershop of a.n.other forum, and you can understand why the wife might start looking askance at the bank statements

you may consider £32 pa expensive, but phone your insurance company and ask what difference being a member of RoADAR will make to your insurance policy, It makes a substantial difference to my workshop policy.

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

Well that's an interesting point. When I hopefully do have a RoSPA test pass to my name, I'll do that. However, I have heard stories of people's premiums going UP, rather than down, so we shall see. Also if the insurance companiies offering discounts (like Flux) are not competitive to start with (which has been my experience with them) the discount may still leave them behind others. Remains to be seen.

[Gromit37]

Surely, if you take in to account the local group subscription, then you have to take in to account the free observed drives? This adds immense value, with access to a lot of experience and advice.

Ian

[manilva15b]

Another point to bear in mind are forum members such as myself who live outside the UK and have no access to IAM etc. boards and will never have since there is no such equivalent in Spain!

Keep up the good work.

PS: Gave my first 'expat driver education' course last week. You should have seen the look on the driver's face when told he was driving illegally here (Texas licence invaild in Spain if resident). His only recourse is to take the test here (in Spanish of course).