<VV> Providing Answers

[Bill Hubbell]

Actually, I was the one burned by the young lady who needed the cylinder 
head swap - I did all the work for her (Hank Horton provided the engine but 
I pulled all the parts, and did all the work in my driveway, etc).  All I 
asked of her was an article for the club magazine and I never got it.  She 
left the club shortly after I got her car running - sold it without even 
telling us.

I have also been burned by several others - they start off saying they want 
to learn, but sooner or later they get upset when something goes wrong with 
the car and they sell it without ever even asking for help.  they usually 
are people who do not attend meetings regularly or participate in any of the 
events.  We have given several tech sessions over the years and the people 
who drop out are the ones who never come to the Tech sessions , then 
complain that we don't "help" them.  Seems all they really want is for us to 
become their private mechanics.

Yes, I have given parts, time, service to many who did not give anything 
back and in the end they left the club anyway.  It does sort of make you 
bitter over time.

As for me, I did learn a lot from our tech sessions - I had never rebuilt a 
Powerglide before we had a tech session on it, and now I have done it six or 
seven times.  But then, I was always a quick study.  For me the motto, "See 
one, Do one, Teach one" works.  Unfortunately, for far too many others, 
their motto is "Do it for me"

Bill Hubbell


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <mhicks130 at cox.net>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 7:06 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> Providing Answers


> 95% Smitty?  I can't believe that.  If that's true and not an exageration, 
> then that says something very, very sad about our Corvair community as 
> well as people in general.
>
> I do wonder though, if the general consensus of the knowledgible members 
> is to not mentor or help the less educated of us, then what is the reason 
> we join the clubs?  I know I didn't join just to go to IHOP once a month 
> (although that IS nice).  I joined to be among other people with a similar 
> interest as mine for shared knowledge and resources.  I know I don't know 
> everything about how to work on this car or where best to get parts or 
> which parts are recommended and I'm hoping some more experienced members 
> will know what I don't know.
>
> We say we want to attract new members but what do we offer in return? 
> You're on your own dude, I've been burned in the past?  I don't mean you 
> should give parts away or give up your personal time for one person who 
> hasn't shown their commitment to the car or our club but we should offer 
> things like our upcoming tech session.  Anyone who wants to learn 
> something can come and learn. Those that don't, won't.  I understand it's 
> difficult to balance helping people and being taken advantage of but I 
> don't think it's either/or, black or white.  We can still help people 
> without giving away the farm.
>
> Oh well, there's always IHOP.  Mmmmm, pancakes.
>
> mike
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Smitty Says:     For a good 15-20 years after I got interested in
> Corvairs I went all out to help people.
>
> <snip>
>
> After a while I realized that I was simply fooling myself.  The people I
> was helping were simply using my services to get their heap fixed up and
> running so they could sell it.  Easily over 95% were cultivating me just
> for that purpose.
>
> <snip>
>
> ------------------------------
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