It seems to me that all this controversy could be corrected in some small way.
I mean after all with E.T.S.R. up and coming, (that's Elizabeth's Texas
Spridgeteers Roundup for the uninitiated) we can set the rules for judging this
car show on our own!! The listers can choose a few leaders to sift through the
ideas and go from there. We can give everyone a plaque who participates. I work
in a wood shop so I can come up with the wood back and all we need is someone
to engrave a little brass plate to mount on the wood. Even better would be an
engraver on site so we could make up awards as the weekend progresses. I think
my car could win the "Best Lubricated Lower Chassis" plaque! <G> We could have
a "Best Compilation of Used Parts" OR "Most Likely To Fail An Emissions Test"
(from the stories I've heard, it wouldn't be presented to a car). But seriously
people, why complain, if this is gonna happen, and it should, lets do it up the
way the Spridgeteers would want it!! Advice, Ideas, Flames??? Brad
David Ramsey wrote:
> The Chico All British Car Meet is the only show that I have been to in the
>last two years. I have lost to a Monster truck 4X4 Midget and a "green
>frogeye" with about 100 frogs of all types on it. The judging is unfair,
>(same locals always win), the food only fair. I can't complain though as I
>have never voted, and the only reason I go is it happens to be on the other
>side of the Feather River Canyon (which was repaved two years ago). I did go
>to one other show this year (caught the end of the Healey meet at the Marina)
>but then again it was at the end of The Pacific Coast Highway (US1) run that I
>also like. So if you want me to go just put the show at the end of "a long
>and winding road"
> Crash
>
> ----------
> >
> > Fellow Spridgeteers:
> > I tried to carefully read through everyones 2 cents worth up to now before
> > chiming in. I am a member of two very different car clubs that behave in
> > very different ways. Back in the early 80's, the Chico British Car Club
> > actually began as a Sports Car Time and Distance Rally club, with a large
> > event called "The Dam Thing". It was a poker & TD ralley, and peaked at
> > over 150 cars participating. The major sponsor donated a free ($1000 value)
> > paint job to the winning poker hand, and the meet ran from Lake Oroville Dam
> > to Lake Tahoe. Over the years, as less and less daily drivers were on the
> > road, and attendance dropped to somewhere around 35 cars, the club had to
> > metamorphos, and became the British Car Club. This summer, the major event
> > sponsored by the club was the All British Car Meet, and attendance was about
> > 150 cars. So I guess what I am saying is that things change, and club
> > events have to change to attract new members. There are far less drivers
> > than there were 10 years ago, but more clunkers, and more pristine cars.
> > Because of that, even though driving events are probably the most fun, they
> > are the least practical for both of the remaining large group of cars. The
> > owners of pristine cars generally thrive on recognition, so to exclude
> > awards, voting and judging is to exclude those members. Owners of dream
> > cars, (thats how I prefer to look at works in progress, as "I dream of the
> > day when my car is gonna be sooo nice") don't want to shell out the big
> > bucks to enter the gates. So why not have a true meet, where all condition
> > of cars are welcome, but two entry fees. $5 gets the average car in that
> > says I'm not here to win anything. Give him a vote and a free banger. $20
> > gets the guy who wants to win a trophy in, but hey, lets not let him vote!
> > Have hands-on tech sessions. Great way for the "we tight" crowd to get some
> > free labor. Encourage Vender and swap meet participation by not charging
> > them for space! I know I sure don't want to bring down my .50 parts if I
> > gotta pay $20 for a space, plus $20 for my car. And mix things up. If I
> > have parts to sell, I don't want to be 1 mile away from my car. So why not
> > have swap spaces and show spaces and works in progress spaces all
> > intermingled?
> >
> > The other car club I am (was) envolved in is the Falcon Club. The first
> > meet I went to of theirs was one of the most memorable. It was held in a
> > park, there were games for kids and families, and at the end, there was a
> > big pot-luck put on by the host club. Again, over the years that changed,
> > and began being held in parking lots and at hotels with expensive catered
> > dinners at the end. Infighting over where to hold the meet ended up
> > splitting the chapter into two different clubs. All because the "show car"
> > crowd kept pushing the price of the event out of the reach of the "we tight"
> > crowd. Now neither chapter really has enough members to put on any events
> > at all. Quite a shame.
> >
> > The last thing about events I have observed, is that some people get made to
> > feel guilty if they don't help out and do their part, by working the gate,
> > parking cars, planning, etc. etc. As one of those people who at this point
> > in my life and career is too busy to pull my fair weight in the club, I
> > sometimes have second thoughts about attending my clubs events for fear of
> > being roped into something that I just can't do. So, another way to
> > increase participation is to realize that yes, most of the time it will just
> > be the core group planning and working the different functions. But don't
> > rub it in the noses of those who can't help, or they will stop coming to the
> > events.
> >
> > Bottom line, the events have to be fun, or whats the point?
> > David Riker
> > 74 Midget
> > 78 Midget
> > 63 Falcon
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Curtis Carlson <carlson@navtech.com>
> > To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 1999 8:18 AM
> > Subject: Club Apathy (relatively long)
> >
> >
> > > Friends:
> > > Lately, our local AH Club has been suffering from some apathy which is
> > > showing itself in diminishing participation in club activities. Our end
> > of
> > > the year drive resulted in only 6 cars out of a possible 150 members.
> > This
> > > last weekend, we held our last Gymkhana and only 4 cars showed up and two
> > of
> > > them were over an hour late!
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
|