Kneel-down Crew Membership Stinks!

[14-H]

Stock Outboard is the second largest APBA Category in numbers of racing members (Inboard is the largest). But when it comes to Crew Memberships, Stock Outboard, along with Mod and Pro, stinks! So far this year, SO has only 25 crew members. This is approximately only 20% of Inboards' 142 crew members and 15% of Offshore's 187! Even OPC, which has less than 1/2 of the racing members that Stock has, reports 31 crew members: 6 more than SO. Pro and Mod report a dismal 9 and 8, respectively.

To quote Cal Naughton, Jr.: This is embarassin'! Everyone should have their crew members join at least as an Associate member ($25). Racers ought to buy it for them. It's the least you can do for the help you get.

The kneel-downers look both cheap and disorganized compared to the other categories!

If nothing else, membership qualifies you for medical payments coverage if you're hurt at an APBA event. If you're not an APBA member, you don't get it. Eddie.

[PETEG]

Eddie
I Am An Owner And Crew Chief, But I Have Joined As An Official Because Occaisionally I Will Perform Official Duties At A Regatta. Perhaps There Are Other Members That Do The Same. That Would Make The Statistics Look Better. Is It Worth Looking At "official" Membership?

[modhydro]

Ed,

I was going to ask the same thing. In the Roskowski camp we have two racers and one scorer. That is 75% of our household and if spring testing goes well, Brian will be racing J as well. That would bring us to 100%!

Knowing how many of the grass-roots categories have multiple family members racing and officiating, I'm willing to bet that we aren't as bad off as one may think.

Statistics can be a pretty misleading thing. Ask a democrat!

Steve Roskowski

[26V]

LOL Dang if I could just find a CREW I would be happy to sign them up!
OOH I'd sign up Steve Warnock but he's already a racing member.
Thanks for the help at Okoee Steve!

[Brian10s]

What Crew??

What crew are you refering to? 99% of SO & MO racers rely on the guy pitted next to them to "crew" for them. That and the drivers family.
Are you suggesting that every driver should also sign up their wife and kids as associate members so that numbers, that are already very suspect to begin with (that a super membership only counts towards 1 category regardless of what category you race the majority in), would increase?

And besides bragging rites for our elected officials, what does being the largest category in APBA actually do to help the average SO racer? Does being the largest category get discounts on membership, sanctions, insurance, anything?

I need some help understanding the outrage, Ed.

[14-H]

***
I need some help understanding the outrage, Ed.

Brian: First, it's not outrage, it's embarassment; there's a big difference.

Second, it's not bragging rights: Participating members are entitled to vote; now that does not include Associate members, but it does include anyone who is a "participating" one, which includes crew.

Third: it is not correct that 99% of us don't have a regular person come to the races with us to help pit.

[dholt]

Seriously, Ed. There are bigger matters at hand.

Can you tell me why it costs $400 to process a sanction?

As for the stats...who cares. Inboard teams show up with 10 people who get stoked because they get to sponge off the sponsons and wax the transom, hold the driver's life jacket, etc....

Kneeldowns might have a wife or mom picking boats up out of the water...if we're lucky.

And we ain't got the budget to blow on "Associate" memberships. Most of our crew is full blown drivers already.

[14-H]

Eddie
***Is It Worth Looking At "official" Membership?

Our 'participating members' numbers who are officials is much better but still way behind that of Inboard.

Add to answer to 10-S's question: Forth: membership numbers give the APBA leverage in negotiating important things like insurance rates, too (loss ratios are still the biggest factor, though).

[14-H]

Seriously, Ed. **
And we ain't got the budget to blow on "Associate" memberships. ***.

This is BS, Dana!

[14-H]

Seriously, Ed. ***.

Can you tell me why it costs $400 to process a sanction?

***

It doesn't, Dana.

But the website is free, the rule books are free, the inquiries to Cindy are free, the assistance from Pat in filling out the application is free, the access to the computer system that tabulates points online, is free; the year-end reports used to calculate awards are free, the office that houses all of this stuff, including our historical awards, is free, the processing of conducting the yearly elections is free....

Shall I go on? How do you suppose all of that "stuff" is paid for?

[Brian10s]

Brian: First, it's not outrage, it's embarassment; there's a big difference.

Second, it's not bragging rights: Participating members are entitled to vote; now that does not include Associate members, but it does include anyone who is a "participating" one, which includes crew.

Third: it is not correct that 99% of us don't have a regular person come to the races with us to help pit.

Add to answer to 10-S's question: Forth: membership numbers give the APBA leverage in negotiating important things like insurance rates, too (loss ratios are still the biggest factor, though).

1st Sorry - embarassment then. Sure read like outrage though.

2nd - So how does APBA tell the difference between an Assoc - Participating and an Assoc - Non Participating? The difference is a Participating touches a boat, right? Who verify this touch?

3rd - What I said was 99% did not bring anyone that was not family with them. However, if you have statistics that prove that percentage inaccurate, please produce them and I will gladly conceed the point.

4th - So each category negociates it's own rates and by being larger this will decrease those rates? I thought that APBA negociated this for the group? Am I to believe that SO had lower insurance rates in the past than other categories because they were the largest category numbers wise? If this is correct, then I understand your outrage/embarassment.

[pops67g]

What crew?

My wife helps as much as she can. I guess my two dogs are slackers though. My son helps when he's not racing the same class as I am. Bottom line is if it weren't for other drivers helping I would be sitting on the bank. Thanks to all the "unofficial" crew members for helping an old geezer get on the water.

[jeff55v]

My Crew

I can't think of anyone who laid a hand on my boat to help me last year who is not already a racing member.(100% solo at home)
Thanks ladies and gents for the help at the races.
Ed, maybe you should start a poll. Find out how many racers bring "normal" people with them to races to lend a hand.

[PopPop]

I can't think of anyone who laid a hand on my boat to help me last year who is not already a racing member.(100% solo at home)
Thanks ladies and gents for the help at the races.
Ed, maybe you should start a poll. Find out how many racers bring "normal" people with them to races to lend a hand.

Ed ain't a "normal" people. Just kidding ! Ed does a lot for this sport!

[RichardKCMo]

Jeff!!!

Jeff, i'm not trying to embarass by any means , but i think you the boss, if only everyone would join NBRA , no need for that other stinkig org.
RichardKCMo