<VV> Let's try this (re membership

[Tim Verthein]

Bob-
I don't think this concept is unrealistic.  However, I *suspect* (and I'm ONLY suspecting, as I certainly do NOT speak for my local club) that we would be one club then leaving Corsa, as we don't do any events that require the Corsa insurance, or most of the other benefits.  Individual members who decide to belong to Corsa, or both, would still have the Corsa benefits as needed when they travel to participate in events, so the net gain would be a loss in the loss of a club and the few who choose to belong to the national would either way. this leave one less club that Corsa can send potential Corvair owners to when they inquire.  If you don't take our club, the nearest one is 200 miles away. I assume Corsa wouldn't associate with, or send interested persons to, a non-chapter club.  This weakens Corsa and the entire Corvair community.

One Edsel club tried this a few years ago. There were, at that time two clubs. Guess which one picked up more members? then the guys who didn't like being forced did exactly what you described, and started a 3rd club.  Eventually, the one club dropped the required membership, the third club died out, and those who cared are back in the original club.  There are a lot fewer Edsels than Corvairs, and if you think it's tough getting younger people to drive a Corvair, try getting them into an EDSEL!  Nothing that is going to cause any loss can be accepted, of course.

I belong(ed) to two different "general" car clubs.  Neither of which has any connection to a larger, national organization.  One sponsors a large show yearly, and other than that has cruises, and general club type events (poker runs, etc) none of which has ever required any sort of club insurance.  the other is a HUGE club, that has a HUGE car show that takes over the entire county fairground, complete with a HUGE swap meet (thousands of vendors) that has food vendors, commercial vendors, etc and they are in no way associated with any national club.  I imagine their group gets some sort of insurance from someplace. I think I'll ask just out of curiosity.  but both manage to operate independently of any "big" club providing any benefits at all.

As for the other benefits of Corsa, I find few that I couldn't get without them (except the participation in sanctioned events, which I do, and enjoy, hence I belong). The commrodarie I found without Corsa. The tech info I found without Corsa. Finding like minded persons is a snap on the internet, as is tech info and parts. 

Most any car "marque" or "club zone" can support two clubs, national or local.  Two Edsel clubs survive side by side. Two car clubs here survive side by side (created because one club shunned people who ever had the nerve to make a vintage car non-stock, while the other club like to hot-rod 'em and cruise, and the other liked to trailer and show). 

There are associations of "car clubs" that provide insurance coverage and nothing else, and depending on what your club does, "car club insurance" is not hard to get or expensive (as long as you don't have an autocross!) for those who want to stand among the "lone wolf" crown, it CAN be done.  The concept that a club is shot down if they're not part of a national group is simply not accurate. 

Just rambling (again)

tim in Bovey

Message: 2
Date: Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:08:15 -0400
From: Robert Marlow <Vairtec at optonline.net>
Subject: <VV> Let's try this (re membership)
To: Virtual Vairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Message-ID: <4AA6735F.5010309 at optonline.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

As was likely obvious from my original reply to Hank's post of several 
days ago, I do not support the immediate implementation of a 100% CORSA 
membership requirement at the local level.  Yet I do support the concept 
of 100% CORSA membership at the local level.  It is how to get there 
from here that is vexing.

If we were simply  to impose the requirement, my belief is that a 
substantial number of local Corvair clubs will choose not to comply, and 
will therefore choose to "secede" from CORSA.  There are any number of 
reasons why a local club might choose this route, and it can be argued 
both ways as to whether such action would be good or bad for the local 
club.  But these reasons and arguments do not alter that fact that a 
real number of local clubs would likely become disassociated with CORSA.

At that point, the Corvair hobby would no longer be cohesive.  Instead 
of having individuals who choose not to join CORSA, we will have entire 
local clubs that choose not to join CORSA.  Some individual members of 
these local clubs will stick with CORSA, and some will not.  In the end, 
my view is that CORSA's membership numbers would be lower, not higher.

I can even foresee several of these local clubs deciding to form their 
own "national" organization, and suddenly, CORSA no longer stands alone.

Simply issuing a wholesale requirement that henceforth CORSA membership 
will be required at the local level will tear the organization apart.  
So what I prefer is to take the first steps to move toward the goal, not 
demand that the goal be attained immediately.  My recommendation:


-Clubs with a 100% CORSA membership requirement in their by-laws or 
other governing documents are granted chapter status and receive 
CORSA-provided insurance and benefits.

-Clubs without a 100% CORSA membership requirement in their by-laws or 
other governing documents are granted chapter status upon payment of a 
$250 annual Insurance & Benefits Fee, and then receive CORSA-provided 
insurance and benefits.

-Clubs that choose not to require CORSA membership and not to pay the 
fee --and there will be some -- simply lose any affiliation with CORSA.


My idea is that the $250 figure is (1) high enough to have a meaningful 
connection to the cost of liability insurance that a small car club 
might otherwise seek, (2) high enough to provide an incentive to move 
toward the 100% membership requirement, (3) high enough to reward CORSA 
for extending benefits, yet (4) low enough that most clubs that choose 
not to add the membership requirement can afford to pay it, thereby 
keeping our hobby under one roof.

I confess, $250 is a number that I grabbed out of thin air, and so I 
have no particular conviction that it must be the number.  The actual 
number must be related to the true cost of providing benefits, be an 
incentive, and be within reach.

The current chapter "filing fee" is both too small and too obscure.  
That's why I want both to raise it and rename it for what it is, an 
insurance and benefits fee.

After a few years, we review the policy to see where we stand.  Based on 
what we see, we adjust the policy accordingly.

Reasoned comments are welcome.  Insults and accusations are not.