I don't know if "most" do. Some do, certainly, and SCCA also has a program
to subsidize smaller Regions. But rare is the Region that will back more
than one representative to a convention, and most commonly that rep is the
RE or some other Regional official.
If, in addition, Joe Member wants to go, the cost is out of proportion to
the benefit. That's why mostly you will see the "usual suspects" there,
mostly the old, rich, gray guys. I only meet two of those qualifications.
:-)
There are those for whom $500 is play money. There are those for whom $500
is a significant percentage of a race budget. You will not get the latter at
a convention that costs $550 for husband and wife to attend. And IMHO, the
latter is exactly who SCCA NEEDS there if it is going to reverse the graying
of the club, appeal to the Speed Freakz crowd, and reduce the "Secret CCA"
perception.
The SCCA subsidy maxes out at $300. That'd pay the registration fee and not
quite one night's hotel room. IMHO, it ought to be able to cover the
registration fee and ALL the hotel room, just by way of comparison of the
expense.
Salina Region is not sending anyone this year. We could. We could afford to,
subsidy or no. We do not see it as worth the price. We'd rather spend the
money on a new generator -- something that will enable us to do better
events.
When I was RE of Salina Region the convention was Boston. The region elected
to send me and my wife (who was Treasurer). The total cost was something
like $1200 including travel out, registration fee (which was not quite as
bad) hotel (something like $95/night for a room that listed for about double
that, so a good rate relatively speaking). We spent the same a year earlier
to send a rep to ... Phoenix? (I forget, but somewhere southwest). For small
regions, that is a lot of budget. We got the both of us to Boston for the
same price we flew one to Phoenix mostly by making reservations way early.
Part of my squawk with the current conventions is that Denver is close
enough we could drive out and it really would not cost us that much, but the
cost to walk into the room is not on a par with the benefit of being there.
Not when I can get demonstrably the same benefit at a Divisional convention
for 15% of the cost, or at a National Solo II for 33% of the cost and get an
autocross thrown in.
It costs almost as much just for the Saturday night banquet (without doing
ANY convention sessions) as it did for the entire Solo II Nationals. One
Meal: $70. That's outrageous. I could care less if the room has a crystal
chandelier, fine china and liveried waiters. Just feed me a good chunk of
cow and present the awards.
--Rocky
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Lloyd <Jeff@cyberconceptz.com>
To: rocky@tri.net <rocky@tri.net>
Cc: rjohnson@friendlynet.com <rjohnson@friendlynet.com>;
autox@autox.team.net <autox@autox.team.net>;
evolution-discussions@egroups.com <evolution-discussions@egroups.com>
Date: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 6:39 PM
Subject: Re: Mid-Winter Party (SCCA Convention)
>Rocky, don't most regions have some sort of compensation for those
attending conventions? I mean If you are going to represent your region I
feel it's the least they can do to offset some or all of the cost.
>
>Jeff
>
>
>On Wed, 09 January 2002, "Rocky Entriken" wrote:
>
>> Subject: Re: Mid-Winter Party (SCCA Convention)
>> Sender: owner-autox@autox.team.net
>> To: "Roger Johnson" <rjohnson@friendlynet.com>,
>> "A-Team.Net (Group)"
>> <autox@autox.team.net>
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>> From: "Rocky Entriken" <rocky@tri.net>
>> Cc: "Evo-Discuss (Group)" <evolution-discussions@egroups.com>
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>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Roger Johnson <rjohnson@friendlynet.com>
>> To: A-Team.Net (Group) <autox@autox.team.net>
>> Cc: Evo-Discuss (Group) <evolution-discussions@egroups.com>
>> Date: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 12:36 PM
>> Subject: Mid-Winter Party (SCCA Convention)
>>
>>
>>
>> > The cost for the Denver trip is pretty cheap in comparison to some in
>> >the past (hotel @ $59, for example).
>>
>>
>> An excellent hotel value. Unfortunately, the tariff for self and spouse
to
>> do the **actual convention** is $550, which is WAY beyond realistic and
the
>> sole reason we will not attend (we planned to attend last year, bailed
when
>> we saw the price; this year is even more expensive).
>>
>> For about a quarter of that price last September we got to:
>>
>> >-Meet face-to-face with the SEB and [some of] the Board of Directors, to
>> get direct answers to your burning questions.
>>
>> >-Exchange ideas with folks from all over the country.
>>
>> >-Talk to Howard Duncan, up-front, for-real, in person <g>.
>>
>> >-Meet and talk to the new SCCA President, Steve Johnson.
>>
>> And there was an autocross too!
>>
>> I've been to several conventions. Always enjoyed them. A worthwhile
>> experience. But lately SCCA seems to feel its membership is on a
financial
>> par with the ABA or AMA and has priced its convention beyond the reach of
>> Average Joe. Nobody there but the retired and rich old gray guys.
>>
>> My budget is better spent autocrossing and road racing. D'ya realize what
>> $550 will cover? On a rough tally, Solo II entry fees for a National, a
>> Divisional and about 20 or so local events (a full and busy season). Or
>> three road racing weekends (half a season). It's nearly a full set of
tires.
>> It's a full family membership for seven years. It's a really nice Snell
>> SA2000 helmet, good until 2015 (2010 for racers). It's a full set of
Nomex,
>> good forever. It's a new gearbox, a new diff, or that sexy set of roller
>> rockers for my engine.
>>
>> (And BTW, I've already made my complaint to my area director, who passed
it
>> on to Steve Johnson, who replied to me that he hopes to do something in
the
>> future to reduce that cost -- of course, by the time I squawked this year
it
>> was really too late to do anything about Convention 2001; they were
>> committed. I appreciate Steve's quick response, fully aware that an
equally
>> quick solution just was not a realistic possibility. It's a long-term
>> issue.)
>>
>> --Rocky Entriken
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