Why the Sutherland Plan Won't Work

[brian]

The unlucky 13th boat is the problem. I do not race enough stock to care other than it sounds like I will not be invited to race mod at Constantine much longer.

I am not sure I would want to race 9 times a day running 2 classes. That means I am racing or in a patrol boat every set. If my class were to get elims does that increase or decrease my seat time? Now we are back to 6 boat fields.

Here is my advice. You can undo what you have done but give it a chance. I am looking at it this way. Maybe the stocks will not want 3 heat racing and MHRA will offer 750R at Constantine! Or better yet combine us with DSR and have a huge field!

Who am I kidding I do not even have a boat to race anymore.

[B Walker]

I will have to respectfully disagree with you on this one Ed. Why would you not use the one club in the country that still can run a complete stock only program as your model for success.

MHRA should not be the posterboy club for APBA because they only ran 1 race out of 5 events that made money as reported in another thread.

BW

[14-H]

MHRA Poster child

MHRA can implement the Sutherland Plan if it so chooses. There is nothing stopping the club from doing that. Just combine the classes or do like Dana Holt does for his TRORA races: don't put the smaller classes on the schedule.

The ballot issue is, however, whether this will be MANDATORY across the country.

Moreover, I have never gotten an answer to my question about why the proverbial "stick" method is better than the "carrot" one. In other words, why do we force this issue rather than letting the members decide which classes they want to race. The A and C classes are definitely more attractive classes and that is where most people migrate to. Why must they be forced to go their as the Sutherland Proposal mandates?

[B Walker]

Another good point Ed, your on a roll.

APBA rules allow a lot of freedom at the club level to run an event just about any way the club members want to run it.

Innovation only occurs where there is freedom.

BW

A growing membership solves all financial problems in APBA.

[csh12M]

Simple answer

The simple answer.....because it is not working.

I believe that a Category within APBA should be able to hold stand alone races and should be held to producing positive growth within its Category.

I believe that we should be working within the category on the following goals:

1. Other parts of the country build up Stock entries enough to hold a stand alone event.

2. Each class within the S.O. Category has at least 100 Racing members within the class.

3. Every class within the S.O. Category races with full fields at the National Championships.

4. Every Region in the country hosts Racer Schools

5. After we right size the product we show positive membership growth for the next ten years.

I believe these goals ARE attainable, but it wont just happen on its own. We need to set the goal and measure our performance against it. We can't just wish things better. Contracting classes won't fix it all, it is just a piece of the puzzle. However, combining it with Racer Schools and a consistent selling message will drive growth in classes. This has nothing to do with MHRA or club level issues, and I resent the implication from the Chairman that is does. This is about fixing the product at the top so that we can all grow in the same direction. Imagine if the rebirth of Region 1 25SSH would of been in BSH or in CSH? We have a product problem, and the category can fix that if it chooses. The marketing problem is fixed both locally (club level, Racer Schools) and Nationally (APBA investing in technology to make leads avaiable). These things all work together and are intertwined. It has taken us 20 years to dwindle to this point, it wont get fixed in a year. It won't be one motion, or plan, or idea, or Racer School, that undoes 20 years of decline. It has to be all these things working together in conjunction around the country to pull out of this downward spiral.

It will be much much harder to battle back than to just watch it dwindle away. I choose to try and battle back! If no one wants to or agrees, than at least I can dwindle away knowing that I tried.

Now my question to the Chair that has also not been answered? What plans or ideas do you have to try and accomplish any of five listed goals?

Thanks,
Dean Sutherland
12M

MHRA can implement the Sutherland Plan if it so chooses. There is nothing stopping the club from doing that. Just combine the classes or do like Dana Holt does for his TRORA races: don't put the smaller classes on the schedule.

The ballot issue is, however, whether this will be MANDATORY across the country.

Moreover, I have never gotten an answer to my question about why the proverbial "stick" method is better than the "carrot" one. In other words, why do we force this issue rather than letting the members decide which classes they want to race. The A and C classes are definitely more attractive classes and that is where most people migrate to. Why must they be forced to go their as the Sutherland Proposal mandates?

[14-H]

***

A growing membership solves all financial problems in APBA.

Absolutely right. The proposal made to the APBA BOD should take care of that.

[Dave M]

Drama

I am not taking sides here, but I do have a question for Ed Hearn.

Do you feel stock outboard needs serious change to move forward and grow membership ?

I am assuming you agree a problem exists and you are intent on finding a solution. Should you feel there is no problem, we can leave it at that.

Some of you might wonder why I even post in the stock section. Becasue what happens in stock will always make it to Mod.

[dholt]

"A growing membership solves all financial problems in APBA."

This is true...but the membership is not growing...it's declining.

So I ask...for the 1,000,000th time...why are we clinging to a model/system that is not working?

As Dean stated a few posts above...our goal should be full fields at EVERY Nationals. At least 100 members in each class and the ability to conduct a stand alone race without losing money. I'll add we should have full fields at every weekend race as well.

On a different thread a new racer asked Region 10 members if there were going to be any DMH or FEH to race against? That right there shows a MAJOR problem. No one should have to ask if there are enough boats to race against in an entire region. Doesn't matter what the class is. If the class exists...there should be plenty of them.

[reed28n]

A couple observations

1) The SORC voted to send "Dean's plan" to ballot. This plan has some features that this same SORC was threatened by when it was called "The Steering Committee" and a "5 year plan"

2) I find it disturbing that the only time the chairman has an opinion is when the commission does not produce the outcome that he wants. Ed, you have lobbied your position. Now it is time to defend what you commission has passed. That is the function of your position. Agree or disagree you have to come out in support of your commission. The commissioners that cast their vote for you with the expectation that you would promote their passed votes.

I cannot applaud you for not exercising your right to cast a vote in this matter and then being the first one to criticize the outcome. Looks like another political manuver, not a solution.

Seems you enjoy the Judicial arm more than the legislative. Maybe you should have been a Judge.

[14-H]

*** but I do have a question for Ed Hearn.

Do you feel stock outboard needs serious change to move forward and grow membership ?

***.

I am not as doom-and-gloom as many. We have a decline in membership/participation recently due to the economy. If you look at the history of all of APBA over the last 30 years, our numbers track the overall economic climate. Stock Outboard, however, has a very bright future with current-production engines now being available in all classes. Thus, to answer your question: Do I feel SO needs a serious change? No. Do I think it needs changes? Yes.

What I would change is the way we do business, however, to attract people to our sport. I supported that change by taking a presentation to the APBA BOD to change the way we do business, the way we communicate with our members and the way we communicate with the public interested in what we do. I would NOT force the existing members to change which is what the Sutherland plan does. First, I don't believe that coersion is the way to go about it. I favor attracting people to the bigger classes and letting them do the choosing. Second, I don't think it will work as I have stated before. It will simply help the Mod Category and nothing will change at the local races.

[14-H]

***On a different thread a new racer asked Region 10 members if there were going to be any DMH or FEH to race against? That right there shows a MAJOR problem. No one should have to ask if there are enough boats to race against in an entire region. Doesn't matter what the class is. If the class exists...there should be plenty of them.

That right there shows I am right: the racers will just race a Mod class instead of a Stock one if this plan passes.

[14-H]

1) ***& Ed, you have lobbied your position. Now it is time to defend what you commission has passed. That is the function of your position. ***.

Scott: If you were me, you would have voted, made the tie and caused the motion to go the way you wanted it to go. In fact, that is EXACTLY what you did on the Mercury A matter. That is not the way I do things and, since there is still a first amendment, I believe I am not only entitled to my opinion, but to express it. Thank-you for your input.

[dholt]

Ed,

Are you joking with that response? You don't know who this new driver is or what equipment he currently has.

He could have a Tohatsu 'D'. He could have a 'D' stock Merc. He could have a full blown 'D' Mod or FE. None of which are affected by Dean's plan.

I will bet you my house he doesn't have a Hot Rod BSH.

In a country of over 300,000,000 it is a failure that only 3 DSR's scored points in an APBA closed course race in 2010.

That is the issue. How do we measure success and failure. Is 3 boats in DSR a success or failure? I know what I call it.

[14-H]

Ed,

Are you joking with that response? ***He could have a Tohatsu 'D'. He could have a 'D' stock Merc. He could have a full blown 'D' Mod or FE. None of which are affected by Dean's plan.

***.

Dana: Where would he be going if he owned a Hot Rod or a Mercury 25XS? Answer: MOD. That is the problem with the plan's premise. I'm not joking.

[Dave M]

Thanks

What I would change is the way we do business, however, to attract people to our sport. I supported that change by taking a presentation to the APBA BOD to change the way we do business, the way we communicate with our members and the way we communicate with the public interested in what we do.

Thanks for clarifying, at least it is a baby step toward recognizing there is a problem, and forming a solution. I agree with you that communication is lacking in a terrible way with APBA and the membership. The membership should not have to call the leadership and ask what is going on. This only creates the chaos of feeling deceived. And that is how many have expressed they feel.

Good luck in with the SO category. Hopefully things can turn around and grow. If not, it will be one category before long. Which is not such a bad thing either.