MDC meeting Park Hotel

[Klaus]

I have not attended such an uninformative information meeting since years, or may be the speakers volume was the problem.

Next year hopefully better.

Klaus

[Rafat]

I have to agree with Klaus. I thought they just have to give us the little red booklet and forget about us. I had the notion they do not need us.

[Klaus]

absolutely right, thats also the only impression I have. Asolutely arrogant. let them do it without support.
A pitty I liked it last year. After this, I am not shure until now if I will go. Don't whan to take part of a disaster.
Sorry to say this, but everything was so unprofessional as new born.

Good luck MDC.

Still I don't know exactly what I am doing in Fouad's team. No clear information, everything is open.
Hope we will have a meeting vvvvvvvvvvvvery soon, otherwise I am out.

Just don't like unorganized or short notice things.

MDC, - They are desperste of people volontearing??!! I guess - but then be clear and open.

Klaus

[Fouad Berjaoui]

Dear Klaus,

I cannot speak on behalf of the Desert Challenge, I would not either praise them or criticize them. Each one is doing his job over there.

As for being on my team, I beleive I explained in details (and in front of a map) what are the tasks given to us.

If you do not feel comfortable with the MDC altogether, I do not see how you can be comfortable being on my team. if the event (and my team) is not organized enough for your standard, If you would like to pull out, I can understand and respect your decision. No hard feelings.

There will be no further meetings from my side, for my team, we will all meet few days before the event and take it from there. Reason being that the tasks handed over to us are not Operation Desert Storm or the Road Map Problem to the Middle East, our tasks are fairly easy ones, adults and intelligent people of our calibre should be able to handle them pretty easily.

Once Again Klaus, I regret your decision, but I respect your opinion.

Regards.

Fouad

[RonThompson]

I attended the MDC meeting, and bearing in mind that it was the first meeting, and that there will be another meeting for PC Chiefs soon, I thought the meeting was OK.

I came away with a reasonable idea of what I had to do, and with another Chief meeting, I really don't see a problem.

Sorry to disagree, with some of you guys.

[Klaus]

Sorry Ron,

I only compared this meeting with the one we had last year. I don't know if you have been there too (2002).
May be it's more my personal problem, but I almost could volumewise not understand what some of the people said.

KLaus

[Klaus]

Fouad,

I didn't say I am pulling out, of course I will join your team. Only I was a little disappointed from the MDC meeting compared with last year. They not even had booklets for everyone.
Also I did not know that our team will meet before the event. Don't missunderstand me pls.

How can we get these UAE maps before? I am not going to AD this month.

Klaus

[difflock]

I think that whoever wants a map should contact Fouad. As soon as Fouad knows how many maps are needed, he can go and buy them if he comes to Abu Dhabi any way. If not, Fouad should tell me how many maps are needed and I will buy them and get them to Fouad office in Dubai.

Difflock

[Fouad Berjaoui]

I will be coming to Abu Dhabi to see Difflock soon, I can pass by and bulk-buy the maps (no surcharge )

Fouad

[Klaus]

OK, get me one pls.
Need the money before I bring, otherwise pay you when we meet for the team.

Klaus

[Rafat]

Boys,
Lets get this straight. The meeting was not INFORMATIVE to the TEAM. Fouad you might know what is going on because you have been there before. As far as I can recall there were no missions given to our team to accomplish. I was hearing banners, and that’s all. Yet no clear direction of what is the mission we were supposed to accomplish. Now, I am not complaining, I know for a fact, to organize such an event is very demanding and I respect all the people who have anything to do with it. Yet at UAE 4x4we should have clear vision of what we are into, in order to brig ourselves to next year’s event.

[Fouad Berjaoui]

Guys,

The Desert Challenge this year is different than previous years, I know the story but unfortunately I cannot tell the story to everyone as it is not my concern or business to do that. All I can say that previous DCs were organized by one team which has left, and today taken over by a new team.

Even when the management of a company changes we can see irregularities at the start, but then things either improve or go worse, however, the event has not started as yet, and I don't think it is wise of us to criticize or even express our opinions at this stage.

This year, the new team has adopted a new approach for marshals. In the past, DC used to recruit 200 marshals with various schedules, people coming for 2 days, some for only 1 day, and some (like us last year) for the entire event. This year, the marshals recruited are only 50 but, ones who are only comited to the entire event. And the recruitment occured in a true hierarchy. i.e. first the PC chiefs were recruited, then it was left up to the Chiefs to recruit their teams, and wherever there was a gap, the Management steped in to assist and fill the gap.

Hence, you will receive your instructions, not from the officials, but from te PC chiefs themselves, the meeting held recently was only to get to know each other as much as possible, NOT to give you instructions. This year it's the PC Chiefs who play a pivotal role between marshals and DC Officials, not like previous years. So if you have concerns, it should be addressed to your PC chief, not the management officials.

The same occured with me, I was asked to handle a specific task or two, I have recruited the guys I want and everything will be layed out in due time. I have explained the tasks at hand (very simple ones) and the rest is easy, nothing we cant handle on the spot. It's just that I myself dont have the complete details as yet. Nothing was held out from you guys, whatever I knew, you know. For example the number of banners is not yet finalized, first it was 40, then I heard 75, now I hear it's 75+40, so until we have the final numbers, I cannot give you fictive numbers and planning based on a volatile number.

Based on the above, what I am trying to say is : you cannot compare this year's DC to previous ones, it's unjust at this stage, let's see how the new organization works, then we place our comments, IF ASKED.

There are many issues from the change of management that we dont know about, I have been briefed on them, if you knew what happened, beleive me you would praise these guys for what they are doing so far, and the conditions under which they are operating in.

Please dont compare at this stage. Instead do the best we could to help.

Fouad

[Paul]

Hi Fouad,
I totally agree with Fouad, regarding the ppl organizing the mdc. They are totally comitted to what they do, and lets see till the event ends, how weel it was organized. We can't criticize what we don't know. I am working as a marshal at PC4, I was there at park hotel and was there in order to meet the other members of my team. I had met the PC Chief of PC4 and he gave me a clear cut idea of what is to be done. He also added that the PC chiefs would be having another meeting before the event when they would be handed over with all the requirements for the team, the routes, the waypoints, timings, etc. Anyways hope to see u all at the mdc.

Fouad, i had send u mail regarding the membership card delivery in Al-Ain. I could collect the cards from you for Al-Ain and keep it in my shop, and it could then be collected bu the members anytime. Let me know.

Kind regards,
Paul

[Fouad Berjaoui]

I will reply Paul thanks for the offer, I am organizing distribution points at this stage.

Fouad