Driver Dinner?

[Gary Burch]

I was reading the Board Minutes from last month,when a couple of things caught my eye..

1. A budget of $2400 for the progressive dinner was approved. That is just about the budget of the last Driver Dinner we had.

2. There's over 2800 people in the San Diego Porsche Club. So let's say that, probably, 200 are active in the club's driving programs. Less than 10% of club membership. Yet, An autocross in September was canceled because it would interfere with the Zone 8 conours on the same day. When is the last time you saw 2,000 people at an autocross? If anything it would have helped the concours, by directing the people that did come by the ax to checkout the concours.

In the same vein, how could a dinner for the 10% that drive, and also contribute the majority of the clubs funds, interfere with the Installation Dinner. With a pool of over 2500 people to pull from you should be able to pack the house. Driver Dinner or not.

If you guys want a separate dinner and awards ceremony for the drivers and the volunteers that help put on the events you need to let the board know. I have been voted down every year since the last and only driver dinner. So now it's up to you.

board@pcasdr.org

[mrondeau]

There's over 2800 people in the San Diego Porsche Club. So let's say that, probably, 200 are active in the club's driving programs. Less than 10% of club membership. Yet, An autocross in September was canceled because it would interfere with the Zone 8 conours on the same day.

I feel that the 10% of us that are involved in the club's driving program deserve a drivers dinner and should be allowed to have one. I have only been AXing since the spring PDS, but I have to say that one of the reasons this region stands so far above the others is the drivers. Everyone pulls together, helps each other out and supports each other at each and every event. It it wasn't for this regions volunteers (especially those of us in the parking lot all afternoon) and experience doing AX's at the parade, there is no way we could have pulled off a two day event in one day like we did with the Parade AX.

The idea that an Autocross and Concours can't be run concurrently is also flawed. I don't know how many of us AXers polish and clean the cone marks off our cars and show them, but I suspect the number is quite low. I would rather drive my car than walk around looking at them.


Of course, that's just one mans humble opinion.

BTW, when can I purchase those cool Gary Burch limited edition t-shirts? I believe that there are now two designs available.

[harnishclan]

I like your points and they make sense. Maybe the logic against is the 2800 members with 10% doing all the events is the "interference."

My thought (and it likely too late this year) on the Sept AX is to co-locate an AX and concours on the same date. That will minimize interference and show working Porsches with those other ones. And it would look pretty cool and give us something to do between runs and corner working.

For the dinner, what does there need to be a budget for? If everybody is paying for their meal, all that's needed is awards and incidentals. 1500-2K tops, just add $10 to each attendee and we go with it. And it does seem like spots for the installation dinner fill up kind of fast, so why not have a driver dinner and shorten the program for the installation event and keep the spotlight on the new board members.

Maybe even co-locate the driver and installation dinners, one in the ballroom and the other in the cafeteria!

[mrondeau]

I like the cafeteria idea. Can we get the mystery lasagna and the peach cobbler surprise for dessert?
I'd be more than happy to pay a little extra for a drivers dinner that included awards and incidentals. I'm sure that others feel the same way.

BTW - What exactly is a "Progressive Dinner"?

[Jackie C]

I've been Gary's female counterpart on the driver dinner since the beginning. At two of last year's board meetings, we were hushed by promises that 2007 would be the year that our one simple request would be respected. SDR AX folks are a tight knit, self suffient, hard working, consistent group of volunteers that generate a large portion of the Club's income. There are several board members including the President who are drivers at these events and certainly must be aware of the general discontent amongst us. Options appear to be either running for the Board, as Dave Gardner has pointed out in his bio, or have a dinner on our own. I will attend the installation dinner and get my award, where it's so busy I can barely hear my own name, less alone my friends', but I'd rather hang with all my driver buddies and talk trash in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and get my award. So we've identified the problems, what are the real solutions, and can this year be salvaged? Inquiring minds want to know.

[ronaldtrotter]

Maybe not this year for a drivers dinner. But, I will definitely make sure a budget request is put in for next year.

[mrondeau]

I've sent my email to the board supporting this idea and I suggest that everyone who agrees does the same. Rally the troops and show them who really supports this club.

[Ted Myrus]

Before this gets too far along the rank and file need to know the truth. They need to know the history and they need to know the process.

First, Gary Burch is a skilled artist. However, he has drawn an offensive cartoon. Aside from not being a very flattering characterization it is inaccurate. It alleges I'm sitting on the purse strings of a vast sum of money and claiming there is none for a driver's dinner. The fact is the income,if any, of the Parade is unknown at this time.

I,as President, do not control the distribution of funds. My role is to chair the Board meetings and I have one vote. It is the duly elected Board of Directors who decide what and how much is spent on activites.

At the June Board meeting there was a discussion item regarding the second half of the year schedule.
Event chair persons, Charity, Concours, Driving, Social, etc. Made their presentations and budget requests. As a point of information, the chairperson of each upcoming event submits a budget request to the Board before each event for approval. It was I, the person some people love to hate, asked where is the Driver's Award Event? This lead to a discussion about timing (too late in the year to schedule or obtain a facility), the distraction from either the driver event or the 50th Anniversary by having them in close proximity and the potential financial impact on either event.

Last year this very same thing occured. Those responsible never presented a proposal or a budget request. It was suggested at the time that the alloted money be carried over into this year's budget and an Awards Dinner occur in the Spring. Last year's Board did not appove that proposal. As a consequence the the awards were recognized and given at the Annual Dinner.

The current plan is to do something similar at the 50th Anniversay.

If a seperate event is desired, then those responsible need to step up early in the year with a proposal and a budget request for the Board of Directors to act upon. Pointing blame at individuals, the Board of Directors, or the membership as a whole is not the method to achive your goal.

[Gary Burch]

First, let me thank you for complementing my skills as an artist. The degree of offense would depend on the point of view.

Last year this very same thing occured. Those responsible never presented a proposal or a budget request. It was suggested at the time that the alloted money be carried over into this year's budget and an Awards Dinner occur in the Spring. Last year's Board did not appove that proposal. As a consequence the the awards were recognized and given at the Annual Dinner.

The current plan is to do something similar at the 50th Anniversay.

As Jackie said this is a back-handed way to show appreciation for the amount of commitment and support the drivers give this club. The amount of money needed to put on a driver's dinner wouldn't buy the center pieces or flowers at the installation dinner. And, anyway it's not about the money, it's about the recognition, the ridicule, the abuse, and the friendship that develops from driving and competing together. What better way to end a season?

Like I said earlier it's up to you, the drivers.

[Jackie C]

So who is responsible for putting in the request for a driver's dinner? Would that be the AX or DE chairs or CDIs? How do the rank and file convey their general consensus?

[ronaldtrotter]

It is my understanding that it is the activity chairs responsibility to bring this up. Being a new Co-chair new this year I did not do so. I didn't even know one was wanted by the drivers. Until I had a discussion with other drivers at an AX. I did bring a Drivers Awards Dinner up at the last board meeting and was asked by the board to present a request for the budget next year. I am under the impression that the board was/is receptive to a drivers event. Also, please understand that I have not discussed this with the DE or TT Chairs and as of yet do not know their wishes. I may have in this case put the cart before the horse. At this time, I am researching places, costs, etc for a dinner next year and plan to present it to the other chairs and with their approval make a request in Oct/Nov for 2008. My hope is that we will honor the 2008 drivers with an awards dinner that is casual, fun and rewarding and not to expensive.

If you have any ideas about a place to have a casual gathering that is fun and not to expensive and can handle about 200 people please let me know.

[bibbetson]

I don't attend all the board meetings, but guess what, I hear a lot about them from my wife! From what I have heard (again this is not my personal recollection - you can read Ted's for that) the board has been supportive of the drivers dinner idea for the past two years. This event had to go through the same wringer as all other events (proposal, budget, planning, fight for calendar space, etc). What the board got was too little, too late.

PLEASE DON'T GET ME WRONG - I do not blame the AX crew. I'm not a party planner. If I was one of the AX crew, you wouldn't be having a dinner either. I think they do a great job at what they do - AX events! If we want a drivers dinner, WE should put together a committee for it at the beginning of the year so that some people who are party planners can put together an event.

I'd be happy to attend, but I'm not a party planner so I'm not complaining.

[harnishclan]

First off I am not in the dispensing blame business, but in the how can we pull this off without waiting another year business. That said, how?

1. If everyone attending kicks down some money to cover expenses, then budget is a moot point.

2. If Jackie wants jeans and trash talk (which I fully concur) then hotel ballrooms are also moot if the majority also feel that way.

3. There are 133 days left in the year, there are 40 event days on our calendar. That leaves 93 days to pick from, take out holidays and give a month lead time, still leaves 58 days to pick a date.

4. Board says no one is being proactive, and if no one made the proposal in the right time frame, agreed.

So the conclusion? Sounds like a driver funded BBQ on Crown Point or Fiesta Island sometime early October with Jackie and Gary as the event chairs (and of course I can be the third event chair). Holds easily 200+, jeans are welcome, budget is small to reasonable, booking dates are easy. That way the problem is solved and puts the solution directly into the hands of the people that are most likely to bring the solution to fruition.

Of the people, by the people, for the people!

[Jackie C]

I realized that opening my mouth would get me on a committee if one was being formed. I can't speak for Gary, but I'd be happy to help with suggestions and foot work, which I did last year, if that doesn't conflict with any rules or regs. We won't be having another AX for awhile, but won't all the instructors be at the Nat'l cert testing Sept 8th? Can we have some form of discussion there? I'm not sure how many people read the forum...I might even consider casual catering by myself as I did for the PDS breakfast a few years ago. That way we cut the overhead and profit margin to zero. Fiesta Island is close and casual, but no electricity. We can always BBQ, but we won't have final results til Nov. Weather could play a factor. The dinner on the museum/boat was fun, classy and casual. Is that venue still available. Why not keep up with a good thing.

[Irksome]

First, thanks everyone for the efforts you make to improve the San Diego Region Porsche Club. I've only been an owner since March, but I've been very impressed with the enthusiasm shown by everyone. I haven't attended every type of event, but I've done a number (last Tuesday, tech, PDS, A/S) and every one of them has been great.

I think it is a Japanese saying, translated, and poorly quoted, 'it is better to fix the problem than to fix the blame.' It sounds like we have interest in fixing this problem both long and short term - let's git'r'done!

Having not been in the club very long, I had naively assumed that there would be a season ending dinner/party/gathering for awards and socializing. I would love to have such a thing. And I agree, a less formal event is preferred, but in an indoor environment with the ability to have award presentations. I'm perfectly willing to pay my way so the club does not have to scramble to find budget.

I probably will not be able to attend the DE school, so hopefully this post will represent me if a discussion does occur there. =)

Tom Meissner
aka 1414