CORSA 2012: Economy Run and more

Wed Mar 9 18:51:06 EST 2011

Great original post and reply Bob M. Also agree a lot with what Ken S. said.

Now I have never been to a convention, but have read a lot of online 
chatter, etc about the past few and it sounds to me like there are a lot of 
unhappy campers out there who would really like to see something different 
done. We are trying to do that.  I'm sure some of the purist will not be 
happy (heck, no matter how it's done, someone will always be unhappy), but 
maybe a lot more will be and isn't that's what we would prefer? Just because 
that's the way it has always been done doesn't mean it is the best way. 
CORSA wants to attract more and younger people to the Corvair world and I 
think our formula for this convention might help accomplish that. If it 
doesn't, at least we tried!

Ron Manwaring
CT Corsa

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Vairtec Corporation" <Vairtec at optonline.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 10:40 AM
To: "EDWARD BOURGONDIEN" <ward at lightningspeed.net>
Cc: <conv-2012 at corvair.org>
Subject: Re: CORSA 2012: Economy Run and more

> My comments interspersed.
>
> WARD BOURGONDIEN wrote:
>
>>I find it interestingv that you and Brian seem to want to change
>>things just to have a different convention.  I like change to make
>>things better but I don't like change just for change,
>
> Can't blame me and Brian for this one.  While I am pleased that the
> econo-run has been dropped, other commitments have prevented me from
> participating in the decision-making process and I have been unable
> to attend any of the planning meetings held since before the bid process.
>
> Brian, of course, is in an influential leadership position but the
> decision was made not by him but by the many club reps at the recent 
> meeting.
>
>
>>You talk about listening to amall group of people and I have found
>>out in the past that we reoally need these small groups..  People
>>spent a lot of money on their Corvairs for the concours and we need
>>to provide them with a showcase and not when the general public that
>>doesn't respect showcars is there running their hands over the Corvairs.
>
> That is the narrowest possible approach -- scheduling and conducting
> an event for the smallest possible subset.  Yes, people spend
> inordinate amounts of time and money on their Corvairs, but these
> people are fewer in number than those who simply keep a nice Corvair
> and enjoy it -- the MAJORITY of our membership.  If the club is to
> not continue to shrink, we have to cater to the broadest
> cross-section, not the narrowest, and we have to improve public 
> visibility.
>
> Somehow, the great car shows, the ones with the Duesenbergs and the
> Bugattis, manage to cope with being high-profile and having members
> of the public in attendance.
>
>
>>  You also talk about a longer rally, in the past  people said two
>> hours is to long to be driving around in the hot weather  trust me
>> it will have record hot weather, we always do.
>
> "Longer" does not necessarily mean longer hours behind the
> wheel.  With a more comfortable time slot for the rally, it can begin
> after breakfast and after the morning traffic has concluded.  It can
> have a mid-route break -- there are many great places to visit in the
> region -- and it can allow time for lunch without having to wolf it
> down to get back on the route.  It can allow for a rally created to
> appeal to the novice and veteran alike.
>
> And, if the concern is too many hours in the car in hot weather, why
> would you want to ask people to do both a rally and a econo-run?
>
>
>>Remember this convention is not in a high population area and we may
>>not see many outsiders so why cater to them instead of all Corvair 
>>menbers.
>
> This convention is being held in the region of the country that has
> the greatest population density and the greatest density of CORSA
> members.  Sturbridge is a jumpin' place in July, it is a very popular
> tourist destination.  But you are perhaps misunderstanding me if you
> think I wish to cater to the general public.  No, I wish to cater to
> the broadest swath of CORSA members, those who can attend the entire
> convention and also those many hundreds who live within a half-day's
> drive of Sturbridge who cannot or will not take time off from work to
> attend before Saturday.
>
> Remember, 102 Corvairs at last year's one-day Saturday show at
> Clark's.  Take that same pool of participants, mix in the singularity
> of the first-ever New England CORSA convention, and you have the very
> real potential for a 200-250 car Corvair show.  That we can do it in
> a more public fashion is a bonus, because more public exposure is one
> of the keys to CORSA's ongoing survival.
>
> And I think CORSA's days are numbered if some different thinking is not 
> tried.
>
>
>>Conventions are for all members reguardless if their interests
>
> Correct, and on this point you and I agree fully.  Where we diverge
> is in how to accommodate these varied interests.  And one of my
> opinions is that we do so by not making every convention a
> carbon-copy of every other convention.  Mix it up, exploit the
> locale, change things.  There will be an econo-run in Denver, but
> there will not be one in Sturbridge.  There will be a "Corvair Fun
> Day" in Sturbridge, but there will not be one in Denver.  A future
> convention might conduct an econo-run but no rally.  Even the
> autocross is optional under the CORSA by-laws.
>
> There is support for a shorter overall convention and the only way
> you shorten it is to pick and choose your events.
> .
>
>>My concern is that if people don't like the changes they may not
>>attend futrure conventions.
>
> This is true only if future conventions are unable to convey what
> they offer, and unable to promote their distinctiveness.
>
>
>>I don't want to see you set yourself up for many complaints
>
> I think we are setting ourselves up for many complaints from a very
> few, and many compliments from the rest.  But let's assume that you
> are correct on all points, and that the 2012 falls totally flat as a
> result of our planning.  If so, we can say that we tried and that we
> were wrong.  We HAVE to try -- CORSA is withering on the vine.
>
>
>>and i think the BOD is going to have alot of concern with some of to
>>proposed changes.
>
> The Board has no leg on which to stand.  All the proposed changes,
> all of the convention plans thus far, are in total compliance with
> the By-Laws provisions for conventions.  I have little sympathy for
> the Board's thinking because the Board wants to stand by and wait for
> local clubs to submit a convention bid, then tear it down.  I have
> tried for YEARS to get the Board to be pro-active, to identify
> potential convention sites, to work hand-in-hand with chapters to
> develop conventions, but the Board wants no part of that.  So the
> Board is entitled to sit down and shut up, in my opinion.
>
> Now, there IS a point on which Board concerns rest correctly:  Risk
> of loss.  CORSA "inoculates" local convention hosts against financial
> loss, and so the Board does rightly have dog in the fight.  But the
> Board suffers badly from what Hal Marcus so smartly termed
> "intransigent orthodoxy" -- we do it that way because that's the way
> we do it.  Concerned about risk of loss?  Well, first you need to
> take some risks!
>
>
>>My thoughts, Ward
>
> And your thoughts are ALWAYS welcomed, Ward!  Best Regards --Bob
>
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