Save stock outboard - vote no on proposal 6

[Jeff Brewster 59s]

I am told that the clinical definition of insanity is the tenancy to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results.
Stephen F. Lynch

I agree Nic, none of us that love this sport this much should be considered sane.

[61-W]

Elected by the membership to support the membership

For the record i voted for the matter to be defeated and not go on the ballot.............any other Commissioners wish to step up and make there position known????

Being one of Region 7's elected commissioners, I also voted NO to Dean's proposal both of the times it was voted on at the APBA National Meeting. Before the meeting, I polled the wishes of the Region 7 members that I could get in touch with. I asked them for their views of some of the topics up for debate. On this issue, they all suggested I vote against it for many different reasons. As their elected official, I supported their wishes. Now that this has made it to the Stock Outboard Ballot, I ask that EVERYONE please VOTE, whether they are "for" or "against" the proposal.

Jeff Scheffler
Region 7 Commissioner
A-Class Parity committee

[Jeff Brewster 59s]

Being one of Region 7's elected commissioners, I also voted NO to Dean's proposal both of the times it was voted on at the APBA National Meeting. Before the meeting, I polled the wishes of the Region 7 members that I could get in touch with. I asked them for their views of some of the topics up for debate. On this issue, they all suggested I vote against it for many different reasons. As their elected official, I supported their wishes.

Jeff Scheffler
Region 7 Commissioner
A-Class Parity committee

I did the exact same thing Jeff and congratulate you for doing a great job for Region 7. They should be proud of you and Don. Being on the commission is not an easy job.

[Howie Nichols]

any other Commissioners wish to step up and make there position known????[/QUOTE]

I initially voted no on Dean's proposal, then with the changes (oversight committee and 2014 implementation I changed my vote to Yes so that you the member could have a say in the future of the Sport and it would not be decided by the 12 or so of us sitting in the meeting.

It's up to each of us out there now. If you like it vote yes, if you dont vote no.

So stop with the name calling and complaining he did this or that, run for the commission seat yourself, put away the $1500 now and goto Chicago next January so you can do better....

[chicagopaul]

Folks there is no perfect solution. It's pretty cut an dry to me. Vote no and do nothing or vote yes and do something. Results of nothing???? Well, no one seems happy with that. Results of something??? Well no one seems happy with that either. I guess where I am going with this is we have seen the results of doing nothing for a while now and we have a decline. If we do something we will have decline too. The one differance between my point of view and others is that I really don't care if there is a shift from 1 catagory to another as long as our club makes enough money to cover expenses. If 1/2 our club switches from stock to mod I could care less as long as I have enough racers to pay the bills and put on a good show. I am of the opinion that folks that quit were ready to quit anyway and just decided to use this opportunity as an excuse. We as individuals do a pretty good job at adapting. We as a group really suck when it comes to change. And I strongly agree that the most important thing is that you vote for what you believe.

Peace!

ChicagoPaul

[daveracerdsh]

Catch 22

Wow.....this seems like a perfect scenario....a "Catch 22" if you will....****ed if we do and ****ed if we don't. I for one was right on the fence over the issue, and I think putting it before the membership is the right thing to do...as this is a membership driven organization. who was it that told me when everybody is unhappy you have reached parity...maybe it was Mr Hearn at the Stock Commission meeting.....but that sure fits things here.

[blueskyracer]

[QUOTE=chicagopaul;177733]Folks there is no perfect solution. It's pretty cut an dry to me. Vote no and do nothing or vote yes and do something. Results of nothing???? Well, no one seems happy with that. Results of something??? Well no one seems happy with that either. I guess where I am going with this is we have seen the results of doing nothing for a while now and we have a decline. If we do something we will have decline too. The one differance between my point of view and others is that I really don't care if there is a shift from 1 catagory to another as long as our club makes enough money to cover expenses. If 1/2 our club switches from stock to mod I could care less as long as I have enough racers to pay the bills and put on a good show. I am of the opinion that folks that quit were ready to quit anyway and just decided to use this opportunity as an excuse. We as individuals do a pretty good job at adapting. We as a group really suck when it comes to change. And I strongly agree that the most important thing is that you vote for what you believe. End Quote.........


Very well said Paul. There is nothing wrong with going Mod. If you don't like the stock rules than switch. I did and now I am having fun again and it still pays the bills for the club. It should always work out to where you get to run. If we have low numbers in you class then you just step up and you still get time to run.

And if this makes a person quit then they were just looking for an excuse to do something they were planning on doing anyway.

Another thing to do to effect change is elect leadership for a longer period of time or have a Czar that can be around more than two years. You cannot stick to or carry out a long term plan with only a possible stint of two years.

[G Stillwill]

And the clubs that cant run open pipes will do what to cover the cost of putting on a race.

[blueskyracer]

And the clubs that cant run open pipes will do what to cover the cost of putting on a race.

Well from the posts it sounds like nobody can survive without the mod classes so I guess they have already folded??

[ram95]

How is any of this going to increase membership? It isn't!
And, would someone please tell me specifically what problem needs fixing? And don't give me some generality BS like 'membership is falling'!!!

For example, is there a problem with AH or AR causing people not to want to run that class? Is there? No? Yes? Okay.... deal with that situation then. Fix 'that' situation.

For example, are there too many classes running which all look alike, all with only 3 or 4 boats? Is there? Is it a local problem? No? Yes? Okay... sort out the facts, maybe it can be best managed locally.

I see far too many shotgun blasts and not enough accuracy in addressing actual issues.

What ARE some of the barriers to increased membership? Here... let me help: How about the price of cutsuit,helmet,jacket??? How's about APBA membership? Hows about entry fees?? A couple props? Local club dues? Add all that up!

Hey you say... that's the cost of racing.... we all pay it... we love it! Well guess what,,, not everybody loves it. Face it. We're a blue-collar sport with a sprinkling of Doctors and Lawyers and Hollywood types. There are a ton of other things to do which are a lot of fun. Our sport, like it or not, involves a lot more work per minute of fun than most. So let's be real careful about how we clean things up, lest we shoot ourselves right in the foot.

Variety....... is the spice of life.

[sam]

I disagree with boat racing being a "blue collar" sport ... any activity with costs in the thousands or tens of thousands per year is not blue collar

[B1PRORACER]

I totally agree with Alex- alot of boat racing is a blue collar sport. There are plenty of people with money in this sport, but you can see plenty of “blue collar” participants at every single race you go to! Look at the individuals and families trying to compete with old boats and old engines…. I see it locally- I see it at the Nationals and I even saw it at the World Championships! Maybe we don’t notice these people because they are invisible compared to the flash of the Benke’s and Cremona’s of racing.

[chicagopaul]

And the clubs that cant run open pipes will do what to cover the cost of putting on a race.

George, There is no perfect answer and you have to vote both big picture and look short term as well. It's tough and for once the SORC did not cram something down everyon's throat. They don't really understand the impact at every local level and that is why you have the freedom to think hard, make an honest assesment and get your club members to vote what you think is best.

Then what ever we end up with we will all have to live with and move forward the best we can. No matter the outcome of the vote our club learned 1 very important lesson last year. You MUST start a drivers school. I do not beleive that survival can exist without recruiting and the Drivers School seems like the best tool we have.

Paul

[csh2z]

Straight Stock program. Pick your top eight classes. Run three days of racing over two. Run some cool Special Event. Good Saturday night PARTY. Bamm--Done Deal---Great Weekend---Plenty of Bang for the Buck---See Ya next week---Good times--------------WE CAN'T BE BEAT!

[chicagopaul]

Clarification please

If this proposal is approved by the general membership, what would it take to "undo" it?

Thanks,

ChciagoPaul