<VV> Re: That CORSA display & "Corvair Basics"

[Robert Marlow, Vairtec Corp.]

This is a huge post, folks.  If you have no interest in CORSA politics and 
promotion, move on.  Otherwise, please re-read Hank's message, below, 
followed by my response.

Hank wrote:

I wonder how many members would have voted for a multi thousand dollar 
expenditure for the "CORSA Kiosk",  the purpose of which was to bring in 
new members in droves when erected at various events, shipped to such 
places and shipping paid for by local chapters.  I have heard it was has 
been used at the Fan Belt Toss, but other than at the National Conventions 
(where everyone is usually already a member) I have never seen this thing 
at any event. One of the reasons is that to make it durable, it is so heavy 
that shipping it is cost prohibitive.

As it turns out, this was a pet project of a former director, who has not 
been a board member for several years now.  This same director refused 
tooth and nail to approve funding for the Corvair Basics manual, (at the 
time approximately 1500.00) personally citing to me on the phone "his 
fiduciary duty to CORSA".  At the time I had no idea the white elephant 
(IMO) kiosk was his personal idea.

Also, The Corvair Basics Manual ( written, edited, and produced by V V 
members exclusively) went into the black in around 6 months after it was 
printed,  CORSA got their money back, and the profits will be used for 
printing of other CORSA related books in the future.

I once tried to get the director who pushed for  buying the kiosk but long 
refused to vote funding for the CBM to talk to me in person about his stand 
on the issue, but when I approached him he took off like a rabbit. All I 
wanted to ask him was to supply a list of the new members that the CORSA 
kiosk had produced, and what percentage of these new members dues paid for 
this thing.  That was almost 5 years ago, and I still don't think he wants 
to talk about it. Will CORSA ever recoup the money spent on this thing?? 
Damn unlikely.

Bob now replies:

As Hank noted, the purpose of the CORSA display canopy was to bring in new 
members when erected at various events.  What I think is missing in this 
discussion, however, was that the director whose "pet project" this was 
(and Hank and I both know of whom we are speaking here) was recommending 
that this display be used not at CORSA events, but at outside, 
general-interest old-car events such as Hershey, the Charlotte Autofair, 
the Pomona swap meet, etc.  Secondarily, it was to be used at Corvair 
events that were geared to the general public, such as mall shows.

But we in the Corvair community are very insular, and we don't seek out new 
members, we wait for them to find us.  This is where the CORSA display 
canopy fell flat.  We failed and are still failing collectively and as 
individuals to take responsibility for the display canopy and get out there 
and work on behalf of CORSA at general-interest old-car events such as 
Hershey, the Charlotte Autofair, the Pomona swap meet, etc.

The director whose "pet project" this was thought that it was vital that 
CORSA stop gazing at its bellybutton and start raising awareness of the 
Corvair hobby.  You can argue whether or not the display canopy was the 
right tool for the job, but the job needed to be done and still needs to be 
done.  On this point that director was very nearly a lone voice in the 
wilderness.

As for the Corvair Basics book, despite my support for that project I think 
it can be argued whether it too is the right tool for the job of member 
recruitment.  We can't recruit a single person if we don't get that book in 
front of them, and we can't do that without establishing a presence at 
outside events, canopy or not.  CORSA may have recovered the book's costs, 
but we did so by preaching to the choir.

Frankly, if Hank is dissatisfied that he could not pin down the director on 
the point of how many new members the canopy generated, he should be 
similarly dissatisfied by the Basics book.  No one has a hard number on how 
many new members it has generated, either.

Anecdotally, in my local chapter obtained and used the CORSA display canopy 
very effectively at a Saturday night speedway.  See

http://www.corvair.org/chapters/njace/njace_wall_2001_TimCamper.jpg

We sought to obtain it subsequently for a mall show, but it was not 
available to us.  I got the impression at that time that it wasn't 
available to us mostly because no one wanted to be bothered with what it 
would take to ship it to us.  A membership recruitment opportunity lost.

--Bob


Robert W. Marlow
Vairtec at optonline.net