Potent357
01-15-2007, 12:53 PM
As Davis said in the other thread, The Banquet was a huge success. The venue, socializing and the food was much better than in the years I have attended.
The videos are also a very nice compliment to the evening. A hearty congratulations to the Board for making sure the event came off so well.
I spent most of December trying to decide if I wanted to commit to the Board and I made my decision too late.
By the time I determined I was willing to do it, the ballots were done and I decided that I would wait for another year.
With that said, I do plan to be an advocate for (and to) the Board this year (or possibly a thorn in their sides). I feel that 2007 will be critical in future stability of our region.
I hope that the Board takes a critical look at their individual responsibilities and "hits the ground running" on some major initiatives.
All too quickly, we are faced with the warming weather and other commitments take shape and then we are at mid-summer before you know it. If the Board wants to get some work done then January through March is the time to do it.
Here are some of the things that have been going through my head:
Riverside
Wal-Mart is going in next door. The area is going to start getting far more attention than at any other time. I would wager that the Principal is going to be under far increased pressure this year. I think it's highly likely that we could be the loser in the scenario.
We must meet with the Principal, make absolutely sure that she knows that our commitment is there for the coming year and we need to step up and finally offer some of the benefits to the school that we all discussed back when we first went there.
Whether it's some sort of a safety seminar to work with the Drivers Ed teachers or maybe a Saturday Student's car show (run by the Region) or even more Benefit events to just put more cash in their hands, we must STAND OUT and make sure we are known as a benefit to the school.
Where would we be without that lot?
Other sites:
Davis proved that it can be done, but we, as a region, go back for decades with hard working members traversing the valley, talking to every owner of flat land. We are simply not in a geographic region conducive to large expanses of flat, paved land.
However, this effort also needs to be re-doubled. There are land owners who might listen to the right combination of personality and professionalism. The Board needs to figure out a way to get in the door of some of the region's property owners and real estate managers. We have nothing to lose and if we put together a professional enough package and something to benefit them, it could happen.
It must go beyond "Can we use your lot?". It must be framed as an opportunity for them. If the property is for sale, we will be bringing a bunch of people there that can see it. If they have a business to promote, we can be their conduit for some free promotion and a way to funnel people to their business.
We have proven time and time again that we can raise $500-$1500 at a Benefit Event and if we have to do a quasi Benefit event to please a land owner then what is the loss. If we can, in a kind way, bribe a land owner by raising money for their pet cause in exchange for future use of their facility then I see no problem with it.
Rich Mixture:
John does a fantastic job with the RM, but every month as I flip through I wonder if anyone out there is reading it. Interesting, member written, content is almost non-existent and at this point it is little more than a damn expensive way to put out an event calendar.
I am a staunch supporter of the RM and believe it should continue in printed form, but it must have some people helping the editor. I have personal experience as a former (and somewhat failed) editor. I brought tons of great stuff to the RM, but I eventually crumbled under the weight. I got no assistance from anyone and I grew tired of begging for everything from event stories to the postage to mail the damn things.
With the profound lack of participation of so many of the members, the Board needs to look at it's single largest expense, the RM. I plan on writing stuff for at least every other issue this year. I know there are other talented contributors in this region and we need to approach them and give the members something fresh and interesting to experience each month in their club magazine.
When I was editor, I remember applying the mailing labels to the issues and laughing that I had never heard of, much less met, most of the people that we mailed them to.
It made me wonder why those people were paying the dues. There must be some good stories there and I see that type of stuff done in other regions and civic groups. We all complain about why the same 10 people show up at meetings and the same people put forth all the effort. Well, we need to wake up the membership and put the spotlight on them.
The Forum:
This wonderful new tool of communication is both an asset and a liability. In the last 6 years internet forums have become de rigeur in almost any hobby or social group. They have brought on a form of instant community that has heretofore been impossible.
Initially, I liked what the forum brought to our region, but lately it seems that many members shun it (I do) because there is little is any content that is relevant to anyone but the people posting.
It is mostly a bunch of personal conversations between the same 8-10 people. I have had many long time (and newbie) members come up to me and inquire about the relevance of the forum. Lots of people just don't understand and lots just don't feel welcome. Don't you people notice how the great personalities of our region just don't come through on the forum. Presently, the forum seems little more than a high school chat room. It needs to be so much more.
We need the forum, but we also need to make some changes. All the stale posts need to be pruned. The content should be fresh. There needs to be some level of contribution from each member of the board. Personally, I don't think the Board needs a "private room". If you guys want to talk super double secret stuff then it needs to be done in private emails or phone calls and not on a public forum that is supposed to make everyone feel included.
The forum software SUCKS. Part of the reason I stay away is because the software just doesn't work for me. It's a low-rent software package and is frankly an embarrasment.
There is lots of things I would suggest, but I also know that the internet site as a whole (not only the forum) is something that is now handled largely outside of the purview of the board. We currently have one member who goes far above and beyond the call of duty to keep the internet site running. My problems with the site aren't his fault. He has done, and continues to do, a great job, but this is another area where he needs help. Sadly, I think that we now need to have a Board Member who is responsible for, and reports on, the electronic state of the region.
The website, what appears on it and how it is run is something the board should be actively working on. It's no longer just a small part of what we are. To many, the forum is our region's FACE. Well, we need to keep our face more current, more relevant and have appointed members who make an effort to provide content and region-wide discussion in a more inviting format.
Autocross:
We are an autocross region. Just about 100% of everything this region focuses on is Autocross. As many people know, in other regions there is a strong road racing presence, a rallying presence, a tour presence and in the big regions there entire committees that handle only national events.
We have it pretty easy. We have the same structure as the big regions, yet we find it quite a chore to put on eleven autocross events for 100 drivers or less per year.
We have made subtle tweaks to how we run events. Personally, I think things run well. I just hope that with the new year and largely new Board that before any decisions are made about run groups, start times, tech procedures, grid or any other aspect of what our region is comfortable with, that the Board call for intense member discussion on the subjects.
I have many ideas about how we can improve what we do, but trying to fight the same old argument about workers is a losing battle. Every civic organization knows that out of 10 participants in any event, that only about 6 of those people will be "good particpants". Every endeavor has dead weight individuals and instead of catering our events to them and tailoring to them so as to act as a day care center, we should move forth, embrace the people that acutally want to participate, work and help with the process. Eventually, the dead weight idiots will get the message and quit coming.
We should not cater to the lowest common denominator. We have no requirement to let everyone participate. Appoint a grid captain, have a committee that can meet before each event and if there are drivers who are deemed to be dead weight and not "working" then the responsible committee will be in charge of either returning their entry fee or not letting them register in the first place. Send these people away and you will be shocked at how attitudes will change.
My ideas here go far deeper and I can elaborate to the board, but the critical thing that I want to relate is that we are not a run group region and I don't believe we need the structure required by run groups. I don't want a prescribed work period and I don't think many others do either. Sure, it's how they do it in big cities, but who cares.
If run groups is where this board is going and they have the votes to do it, fine, but there are better alternatives. Educating our participants, giving the expectations in the drivers meeting and then enforcing our rules is how we can fix this problem (and many others).
Autocross Committee:
An almost secret society. The power held in the autocross committee is not even partially understood by the membership.
The Autocross Committee is the glue that has held this region together. For a decade (even decades) Jack Sampson and Jim Pryce and others have worked far more hours than any Board Member.
These are the people who settle class disputes, or even disputes about how the events are run. These are also the guys that keep all the class points, take care of classing and bumping questions and generally do all the behind the scenes work.
The funny thing is that until the furor over the scoring at the Airport event, I would wager that many of our newer members didn't have a clue what the Autocross Committee was.
Yes, there are rules for local autocross. We, as a region, have Bylaws, and the Autocross Committee is tasked with enforcing and intrepreting the rules fairly to all competitors. Have you, as a member, ever even read our region bylaws? I didn't think so.
My thoughts are that the Autocross Committee needs to be less of a stealth body. There should be a vocal presence on the board and a routine report to the membership to inform and update them on the comings and goings on the Autocross Committee.
Do we need new blood on the AC? Maybe. New blood is a good idea, but do we have members willing to put forth the work and commitment necessary to cover what people like Jack Sampson and Jim Pryce have done for decades? I don't know.
At the least, it is something that needs discussed. I think that someone new appointed to the committee to learn from, and question, the established members would be a good start.
Bylaws and Region Rules:
Along with the discussion above, I think it is time that each member is provided with a copy of the Bylaws and a copy of any and all Regional rules. Whether it is a supplemental mailing or an inclusion to Rich Mixture, we cannot have another season of events where rules and bylaws are mentioned by some and never read by others.
The Trailer, Timing & Scoring, Pylons, Misc.:
It's the little things that drive people crazy.
At 5pm on event day that trailer is closed and nobody except very rare Board members give it a thought until the next schmuck has to open the doors at 7am next event day.
Frankly, it's shameful what our event organizers and event workers have to work with. The Board needs to spend some time and money this year, before high season, and get our house in order
The fender on the trailer is now a 4-5 year old problem. It is held on by bubble gum and prayer. Someone hire a professional with a screw gun and get the damn fender (the incorrect fender for the trailer, by the way) and have it affixed in such a way that we don't have to worry about it flying off while on the interstate and decapitating another driver.
The pylons are a mess. I don't even recall the last time we bought a bunch of pylons. As someone that designed at least 3 courses in each of the last 3 years, I have touched those pylons more than most of you. They are a wreck and many won't stand up on their own.
Many members have uses for old pylons and they will buy a few for a reasonable price. The Board needs to investigate buying new pylons. We need a few new of all the sizes. The tiny, the medium and the largest. We should buy 20 of each size, keep the good from our existing stock and sell or trash the rest.
We need to have a Timing & Scoring committee who meets every other month to review the state of our equipment. We have far too many events stopped due to a faulty connection or a crappy wire. These things need to be maintained with direct lines of responsibility. We need to know exactly who to go to when our events come to a screeching halt.
It might even be smart to not keep ANY of the fragile T&S equipment in the hostile, cramped enviornment that is the trailer.
On that note, I hear grumblings from many members that there is far better and more current equipment out there. Who in the membership can compile this information and present it to the board for review?
Towing: It needs to be put in stone and preached from the mountain top. If you tow the trailer, you do the event FREE. As it sits I have heard different opinions on that from different Board Members. It's silly. As far as I know, that has been the "rule" since a Board Meeting I was at almost a decade ago. We have a hard enough time spreading the towing task around. It needs to be clear that if you are helping the region out that we appreciate your effort. Tow vehicles and gasoline isn't cheap.
The trailer needs another one of its routine enemas. We have too much stuff. If we are in a situation where we need all that stuff then the Board needs to have the the motivation to spec out a replacement trailer, find a buyer for our current unit and then hold a couple of "Benefit Events" so we can afford to buy it.
Let's put it this way, the SINGLE WORST PART ABOUT PUTTING ON AN EVENT is having to spend 45 minutes at 7am emptying the trailer from the goons who loaded it at the last event (Thank God for those goons, but it is always a wreck). I have done that 7am ritual more than many of you and it sucks.
Rally or travel tour:
The great new members of this region have lost out on something that I also lost out on. Some of the greatest stories I heard from clubmembers when I joined were tales about the fun to be had on overnight or weekend "tours". It was great fun for couples and friends and everyone seemed to enjoy those club functions.
Getting together away from the stress and pace of an autox event is good to raise the level of comraderie amongst the members. We need this type of togetherness again and I hope that the board appoints someone to get at least one event off the ground this year.
That's it for now.
I said I would be a thorn in the side of the board and I am sure this quasi rant will be viewed poorly by some.
I don't really care because all of this analysis is solely to improve this region. Right now, I am making these suggestions from the sidelines. I hope that the new Board brings some, or all, of this up for discussion at their first meeting.
The videos are also a very nice compliment to the evening. A hearty congratulations to the Board for making sure the event came off so well.
I spent most of December trying to decide if I wanted to commit to the Board and I made my decision too late.
By the time I determined I was willing to do it, the ballots were done and I decided that I would wait for another year.
With that said, I do plan to be an advocate for (and to) the Board this year (or possibly a thorn in their sides). I feel that 2007 will be critical in future stability of our region.
I hope that the Board takes a critical look at their individual responsibilities and "hits the ground running" on some major initiatives.
All too quickly, we are faced with the warming weather and other commitments take shape and then we are at mid-summer before you know it. If the Board wants to get some work done then January through March is the time to do it.
Here are some of the things that have been going through my head:
Riverside
Wal-Mart is going in next door. The area is going to start getting far more attention than at any other time. I would wager that the Principal is going to be under far increased pressure this year. I think it's highly likely that we could be the loser in the scenario.
We must meet with the Principal, make absolutely sure that she knows that our commitment is there for the coming year and we need to step up and finally offer some of the benefits to the school that we all discussed back when we first went there.
Whether it's some sort of a safety seminar to work with the Drivers Ed teachers or maybe a Saturday Student's car show (run by the Region) or even more Benefit events to just put more cash in their hands, we must STAND OUT and make sure we are known as a benefit to the school.
Where would we be without that lot?
Other sites:
Davis proved that it can be done, but we, as a region, go back for decades with hard working members traversing the valley, talking to every owner of flat land. We are simply not in a geographic region conducive to large expanses of flat, paved land.
However, this effort also needs to be re-doubled. There are land owners who might listen to the right combination of personality and professionalism. The Board needs to figure out a way to get in the door of some of the region's property owners and real estate managers. We have nothing to lose and if we put together a professional enough package and something to benefit them, it could happen.
It must go beyond "Can we use your lot?". It must be framed as an opportunity for them. If the property is for sale, we will be bringing a bunch of people there that can see it. If they have a business to promote, we can be their conduit for some free promotion and a way to funnel people to their business.
We have proven time and time again that we can raise $500-$1500 at a Benefit Event and if we have to do a quasi Benefit event to please a land owner then what is the loss. If we can, in a kind way, bribe a land owner by raising money for their pet cause in exchange for future use of their facility then I see no problem with it.
Rich Mixture:
John does a fantastic job with the RM, but every month as I flip through I wonder if anyone out there is reading it. Interesting, member written, content is almost non-existent and at this point it is little more than a damn expensive way to put out an event calendar.
I am a staunch supporter of the RM and believe it should continue in printed form, but it must have some people helping the editor. I have personal experience as a former (and somewhat failed) editor. I brought tons of great stuff to the RM, but I eventually crumbled under the weight. I got no assistance from anyone and I grew tired of begging for everything from event stories to the postage to mail the damn things.
With the profound lack of participation of so many of the members, the Board needs to look at it's single largest expense, the RM. I plan on writing stuff for at least every other issue this year. I know there are other talented contributors in this region and we need to approach them and give the members something fresh and interesting to experience each month in their club magazine.
When I was editor, I remember applying the mailing labels to the issues and laughing that I had never heard of, much less met, most of the people that we mailed them to.
It made me wonder why those people were paying the dues. There must be some good stories there and I see that type of stuff done in other regions and civic groups. We all complain about why the same 10 people show up at meetings and the same people put forth all the effort. Well, we need to wake up the membership and put the spotlight on them.
The Forum:
This wonderful new tool of communication is both an asset and a liability. In the last 6 years internet forums have become de rigeur in almost any hobby or social group. They have brought on a form of instant community that has heretofore been impossible.
Initially, I liked what the forum brought to our region, but lately it seems that many members shun it (I do) because there is little is any content that is relevant to anyone but the people posting.
It is mostly a bunch of personal conversations between the same 8-10 people. I have had many long time (and newbie) members come up to me and inquire about the relevance of the forum. Lots of people just don't understand and lots just don't feel welcome. Don't you people notice how the great personalities of our region just don't come through on the forum. Presently, the forum seems little more than a high school chat room. It needs to be so much more.
We need the forum, but we also need to make some changes. All the stale posts need to be pruned. The content should be fresh. There needs to be some level of contribution from each member of the board. Personally, I don't think the Board needs a "private room". If you guys want to talk super double secret stuff then it needs to be done in private emails or phone calls and not on a public forum that is supposed to make everyone feel included.
The forum software SUCKS. Part of the reason I stay away is because the software just doesn't work for me. It's a low-rent software package and is frankly an embarrasment.
There is lots of things I would suggest, but I also know that the internet site as a whole (not only the forum) is something that is now handled largely outside of the purview of the board. We currently have one member who goes far above and beyond the call of duty to keep the internet site running. My problems with the site aren't his fault. He has done, and continues to do, a great job, but this is another area where he needs help. Sadly, I think that we now need to have a Board Member who is responsible for, and reports on, the electronic state of the region.
The website, what appears on it and how it is run is something the board should be actively working on. It's no longer just a small part of what we are. To many, the forum is our region's FACE. Well, we need to keep our face more current, more relevant and have appointed members who make an effort to provide content and region-wide discussion in a more inviting format.
Autocross:
We are an autocross region. Just about 100% of everything this region focuses on is Autocross. As many people know, in other regions there is a strong road racing presence, a rallying presence, a tour presence and in the big regions there entire committees that handle only national events.
We have it pretty easy. We have the same structure as the big regions, yet we find it quite a chore to put on eleven autocross events for 100 drivers or less per year.
We have made subtle tweaks to how we run events. Personally, I think things run well. I just hope that with the new year and largely new Board that before any decisions are made about run groups, start times, tech procedures, grid or any other aspect of what our region is comfortable with, that the Board call for intense member discussion on the subjects.
I have many ideas about how we can improve what we do, but trying to fight the same old argument about workers is a losing battle. Every civic organization knows that out of 10 participants in any event, that only about 6 of those people will be "good particpants". Every endeavor has dead weight individuals and instead of catering our events to them and tailoring to them so as to act as a day care center, we should move forth, embrace the people that acutally want to participate, work and help with the process. Eventually, the dead weight idiots will get the message and quit coming.
We should not cater to the lowest common denominator. We have no requirement to let everyone participate. Appoint a grid captain, have a committee that can meet before each event and if there are drivers who are deemed to be dead weight and not "working" then the responsible committee will be in charge of either returning their entry fee or not letting them register in the first place. Send these people away and you will be shocked at how attitudes will change.
My ideas here go far deeper and I can elaborate to the board, but the critical thing that I want to relate is that we are not a run group region and I don't believe we need the structure required by run groups. I don't want a prescribed work period and I don't think many others do either. Sure, it's how they do it in big cities, but who cares.
If run groups is where this board is going and they have the votes to do it, fine, but there are better alternatives. Educating our participants, giving the expectations in the drivers meeting and then enforcing our rules is how we can fix this problem (and many others).
Autocross Committee:
An almost secret society. The power held in the autocross committee is not even partially understood by the membership.
The Autocross Committee is the glue that has held this region together. For a decade (even decades) Jack Sampson and Jim Pryce and others have worked far more hours than any Board Member.
These are the people who settle class disputes, or even disputes about how the events are run. These are also the guys that keep all the class points, take care of classing and bumping questions and generally do all the behind the scenes work.
The funny thing is that until the furor over the scoring at the Airport event, I would wager that many of our newer members didn't have a clue what the Autocross Committee was.
Yes, there are rules for local autocross. We, as a region, have Bylaws, and the Autocross Committee is tasked with enforcing and intrepreting the rules fairly to all competitors. Have you, as a member, ever even read our region bylaws? I didn't think so.
My thoughts are that the Autocross Committee needs to be less of a stealth body. There should be a vocal presence on the board and a routine report to the membership to inform and update them on the comings and goings on the Autocross Committee.
Do we need new blood on the AC? Maybe. New blood is a good idea, but do we have members willing to put forth the work and commitment necessary to cover what people like Jack Sampson and Jim Pryce have done for decades? I don't know.
At the least, it is something that needs discussed. I think that someone new appointed to the committee to learn from, and question, the established members would be a good start.
Bylaws and Region Rules:
Along with the discussion above, I think it is time that each member is provided with a copy of the Bylaws and a copy of any and all Regional rules. Whether it is a supplemental mailing or an inclusion to Rich Mixture, we cannot have another season of events where rules and bylaws are mentioned by some and never read by others.
The Trailer, Timing & Scoring, Pylons, Misc.:
It's the little things that drive people crazy.
At 5pm on event day that trailer is closed and nobody except very rare Board members give it a thought until the next schmuck has to open the doors at 7am next event day.
Frankly, it's shameful what our event organizers and event workers have to work with. The Board needs to spend some time and money this year, before high season, and get our house in order
The fender on the trailer is now a 4-5 year old problem. It is held on by bubble gum and prayer. Someone hire a professional with a screw gun and get the damn fender (the incorrect fender for the trailer, by the way) and have it affixed in such a way that we don't have to worry about it flying off while on the interstate and decapitating another driver.
The pylons are a mess. I don't even recall the last time we bought a bunch of pylons. As someone that designed at least 3 courses in each of the last 3 years, I have touched those pylons more than most of you. They are a wreck and many won't stand up on their own.
Many members have uses for old pylons and they will buy a few for a reasonable price. The Board needs to investigate buying new pylons. We need a few new of all the sizes. The tiny, the medium and the largest. We should buy 20 of each size, keep the good from our existing stock and sell or trash the rest.
We need to have a Timing & Scoring committee who meets every other month to review the state of our equipment. We have far too many events stopped due to a faulty connection or a crappy wire. These things need to be maintained with direct lines of responsibility. We need to know exactly who to go to when our events come to a screeching halt.
It might even be smart to not keep ANY of the fragile T&S equipment in the hostile, cramped enviornment that is the trailer.
On that note, I hear grumblings from many members that there is far better and more current equipment out there. Who in the membership can compile this information and present it to the board for review?
Towing: It needs to be put in stone and preached from the mountain top. If you tow the trailer, you do the event FREE. As it sits I have heard different opinions on that from different Board Members. It's silly. As far as I know, that has been the "rule" since a Board Meeting I was at almost a decade ago. We have a hard enough time spreading the towing task around. It needs to be clear that if you are helping the region out that we appreciate your effort. Tow vehicles and gasoline isn't cheap.
The trailer needs another one of its routine enemas. We have too much stuff. If we are in a situation where we need all that stuff then the Board needs to have the the motivation to spec out a replacement trailer, find a buyer for our current unit and then hold a couple of "Benefit Events" so we can afford to buy it.
Let's put it this way, the SINGLE WORST PART ABOUT PUTTING ON AN EVENT is having to spend 45 minutes at 7am emptying the trailer from the goons who loaded it at the last event (Thank God for those goons, but it is always a wreck). I have done that 7am ritual more than many of you and it sucks.
Rally or travel tour:
The great new members of this region have lost out on something that I also lost out on. Some of the greatest stories I heard from clubmembers when I joined were tales about the fun to be had on overnight or weekend "tours". It was great fun for couples and friends and everyone seemed to enjoy those club functions.
Getting together away from the stress and pace of an autox event is good to raise the level of comraderie amongst the members. We need this type of togetherness again and I hope that the board appoints someone to get at least one event off the ground this year.
That's it for now.
I said I would be a thorn in the side of the board and I am sure this quasi rant will be viewed poorly by some.
I don't really care because all of this analysis is solely to improve this region. Right now, I am making these suggestions from the sidelines. I hope that the new Board brings some, or all, of this up for discussion at their first meeting.