----- Original Message -----
From: "Wm. Severin Thompson" <wsthompson@thicko.com>
To: <J.Golanty@research-int.com>
Cc: <team-thicko@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 2:18 PM
Subject: Re: Issues
> IssuesPlease see John Golanty's, VSCDA's President,( and Thickotnes Blues
harp
> player) 2 replies below, pasted below my response here...
>
> Hey John,
>
> Thanks for your response. I appreciate your willingness to "answer the
> questions". There's no evil conspiracy here. Many club members think the
> banquet price is out of line. I have a large number of replies to my
original
> post supporting that position.
>
> My correspondance directed to the Thicko mail list (which anyone is able
to
> join, free) is always intended to start discussion, examine issues, poke
fun,
> or entertain. For the most part, my opinions reflect those of many
members.
> (When my opinion isn't shared, I hear about it.) In fact, my opinion is
> shared by some boardmembers and officers as well... but many are content
to
> not make waves, or fear retribution or face public humiliation for
opinions
> other than "the company line".
>
> Concerning the original issue of my posting regarding the banquet (I will
> forward a copy of it to you in a separate mail), I believe that some have
> missed the point. The price is too high for many members (call us the
"great
> unwashed") to pay for what we get. Your explanation provided by Jack
> references the printing and mailing costs to 800+ members. I'd much rather
> have an invitaiton in the newsletter with a RSVP via post card, phone, or
even
> web site, and have a less expensive dinner. If the costs are that high at
> Maggiano's, then it's time to consider negotiating with another venue.
For
> those that are "well off", the dinner dollar amounts are purely chump
> change... but to some of our racers, retired, on fixed incomes, or with
less
> than 6 figure incomes, or unemployed, the $40/$80 a plate prices are just
too
> steep.
>
> Regarding my mail of November, (which I will also forward to you
separately)
> the original topic was raised about rising costs vs. less track time at
our
> events. The ELVF was discussed as being extremely poor in the $ vs. track
time
> ratio. Also, a recent event at VIR drew great praise from those that had
> attended regarding the way the track treated racers. Another point of
> discussion was the fact that Midwest Council has successfully run events
for
> years at the same tracks as we do, with far less costs associated. When I
> asked a board member about that particular issue, I was told it was
because
> Council did not have insurance for these events. It was these prior
discussion
> that prompted my pre-board meeting remarks. These were made to the Thicko
mail
> list, with full knowledge and understanding that board members were
reading
> directly, or would have the mail forwarded to them.
>
> Regarding Judy's tirade (and subsequent apology) of this AM... that is an
> example of what many of VSCDA's members fear if they're the dissenting
voice.
> I need not address that response further specifically.
>
> In the "bigger picture'... Team Thicko has become this interesting
independant
> factor on its own. There are approximately 400 members worldwide in the
> loosely held organization. (Believe me, if we charged for membership, we
have
> far fewer members...). The team is based on an "inclusive" rather than
> "exclusive" philosophy... come one, come all. We thought vintage racing's
many
> organizations were too stuffy, too self-serving, too exclusive...etc. So,
we
> started our own social gatherings, and in many ways, changed the face of
the
> club's social activities at the track. I suspect the economic realities of
> poorly attended $30 a plate rubber chicken banquet dinners were the cause
of
> the club's move to trackside meals... not because of an embracing of the
> Thicko philosophy. In fact, when asked to participate in the club
sponsored
> events at the track, we have done so... discouraging Thicko members from
their
> own endeavors, and joining the club's function. We've also, on many
occasions,
> played as the ThickTones for the club's entertainment. We've asked nothing
for
> this other than a thank you.
>
> I've been on the inside looking out, and the outside looking in of the
VSCDA.
> (I did volunteer, and produced the newsletter a number of years back, and
quit
> when I was subverted in a less than professional way.) I've volunteered my
> time, my talents, etc. in a number of ways on the club's behalf. In my
mails
> to the Thicko list, I've always maintained that the VSCDA is a far better
club
> than most I've seen or raced with... whether the issue is tracktime,
venue,
> driving abilities, or social atmosphere, the membership is generally
happy.
> But, when there are issues that concern "the great unwashed", far too
often
> we're met with the type of response I received today.
>
> There lurks, under the surface, a great frustration with a larger than
you'd
> think portion of your members. That frustration even exists with
> boardmembers... but, there's always a "collective" mentality that either
> doesn't want to rock the boat, or doesn't have the time to rationalize a
> reasonable opinion to unreasonable people.
>
> WST
> Flounder
> Team Thicko
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: J.Golanty@research-int.com
> To: wsthompson@thicko.com
> Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 11:44 AM
> Subject: Issues
>
>
> Dear Flounder,
>
> Judy's response was inexcusable. Sorry about that.
>
> The board didn't respond directly to your November note because it
wasn't
> addressed to us. Instead, knowing that the message had been sent to a
number
> of club members, we felt that it was appropriate to respond to a broader
group
> through the newsletter. If you had addressed us directly, we would have
> responded directly.
>
> I don't have a copy of your November message. I have asked Judy to send
it
> to me and I will be happy to address the issues directly. Also, I have
called
> Jack Liess to get the per person costs for the dinner that Maggiano's is
> charging us so that you will see the rationale for our charges to the
> members.
>
> I'll get back to you shortly.
>
> John
>
> Jack just got back to me regarding the dinner.
>
> The cost of the room, food (including appetizers) and wine is about
> $50/person. On top of that is a gratuity of about $10/person. Therefore,
> with a $40 fee, this year VSCDA is subsidizing about 1/3 of the total food
> costs. In previous years we subsidized about 50%. In addition, there
are
> other costs associated with putting on the event (printing and mailing of
> invitations to 800+ members, and other misc costs). We set the price of
the
> guests' meals to help defray some of those costs. Since there are
relatively
> few guests, the "over cost" amount of $20/guest does not add a lot in the
> absolute. For example, 20 guests * $20 = $400 to apply to other costs.
>
> Please let me know if you have other questions about the pricing for the
> Annual Dinner.
>
> John
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