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Re: Two half days >= one whole day (speaking of participationlevels)

To: "Glen E. Thompson" <glen.thompson@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Two half days >= one whole day (speaking of participationlevels)
From: Randy Chase <randyc2@home.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 10:13:34 -0700

"Glen E. Thompson" wrote:
> 
> The main problem I've had with this approach is burnout of the people
> running the event.  They get there at 7:00, setup, run the event all day,
> and pick up the course.  Besides the satisfaction of doing a good job,
> what else do they get?

That is what they get, and we still do it. I don't see how this is much
different from any other areas. You will always have some people taking
on more of the work than others. I don't see how not having a mandatory
all day event changes that, UNLESS you don't have enough people to cover
the event as far as workers. We put on an event yesterday. Drivers
covered the worker positions. 

In the other scenario of a mandatory all day event, you can also get
burn out from those folks who spend all day there anyways. If someone is
putting on an event expecting more than the satisfaction of doing a good
job, they need to rethink there motivation, IMHO.


>  Usually someone complaining about the course or
> how the event is being run or some other minor problem. 

Human nature. That does not change based on format.


> The person that
> shows up, runs, works his session adds no value to the event.

Highly disagree. They are the reason for the event. A lot of people fall
into this category. It just sounds very bizarre to me to say they add no
value.

> 
> A number of us view autocrossing as a social event as well as a
> competitive event.  So you don't want to spend all day at an event.  If
> everyone feels that way, there won't be any events.

It is the same old tired arguement. My point is that I have to leave to
coach my daughter's soccer team. I show up early to help set up, and I
am there at the end of the day. During my runs, I give 5 different
people rides and spend the rest of the time helping to instruct newbies.
In between all of this, I spend time talking to folks, including the 10
newbies I invited to come down and run with us. 

But, in the middle of the day, I had to leave to coach a bunch of
children that counted on me. This would have been during my class (CS or
PAX) so I ran in X class instead. Our region's methods provided some
flexibility to allow me to do both the coaching and autocrossing, and I
am grateful for that. 

You can not equate my choice to not spend all day at the event as my not
seeing it as a social event also. Using a mandatory all day attendance,
I just would not have been there yesterday, as my responsibility to 17
families to coach is more important than my personal wants to attend a
social event or have fun autocrossing.

I have yet to see a rational intelligent arguement why the methods used
by San Diego and Los Angeles are flawed with the exception of those who
run in areas that have a much smaller turn out and need more people
there all day to run the show. If that is your area Glen, then please
understand that it is different when you have 200 drivers at an event.

-Out-

Randy Chase
#24601

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