<VV> Planning for the Future

Fri Apr 16 00:57:10 EDT 2010

Re: Robby's reply
OUCH!

I believe that Jamie's heart is in  the right place, and he's trying to do 
the right things.

I had many of the same impressions as Robby, but didn't want to be the first 
to say anything, considering my prior postings over the last year.

If CORSA still had nearly 6000 members as they did when I joined in 89, we 
might still be having the same discussion.  Many more chapters were not 100% 
CORSA, including Tidewater Corvair which I was a member at the time---(is 
now 100% CORSA chapter).

The lower the numbers go, the harder it's going to get, as just about 
everyone now can see.

I've spent the last 3 years as a District Vice Commandant for the Marine 
Corps League in NC. The 2 major functions of the job is boiled down to 
"Recruitment and Retention".  The heart of the MCL is its local detachments, 
just as the heart of CORSA is the local chapters.

One might argue that there are a lot more Marines out there, so recruitment 
would be much easier.   Don't lay your money out there too fast.  Finding 
Marines who want to do the work for a detachment are much fewer and far 
between.  All Marines are proud of their service, but that doesn't mean 
they're ready to take on what amounts to a part-time job doing parades, 
funerals, Toys for Tots and the like, and pay an average 35.00 a year for 
the privilige. Corollaries can be drawn to the work it takes to running a 
CORSA chapter.

Example---The Camp Lejuene, NC area has tens of thousands of active and 
retired Marines in residence---yet fewer than 500 are MCL members in the 4 
local detachments.  They should have 10,000 members in that area.

Getting back to CORSA. How does a specialty car club chapter promote itself? 
Does it promote itself at all?   Do they enter parades, offer convertibles 
to carry dignitaries?  Do they get local feature news editors to do articles 
on the car with pictures and descriptions of club events?
Work with local Chevy dealers to do inside and outside displays?   Plenty of 
people remember the cars, and if they're out there, interest could be ginned 
up.  CORSA has spent money for pamphlets that give all the info.  Stress the 
cars still readily available, high parts availability percentage, local tech 
help from club members, features of CORSA.

Sure, some chapters do it, to varying degrees. I would wager most don't do 
it at all.  If yours does, cool. If not, shame on ya!

Retention is obviously a problem as our members age and pass on.  But when 
they do, there's a car for sale. Usually more than one, in nice shape with 
plenty of parts  Instead of the chapter member buzzards circling the 
member's home and the widow trying to buy the cars and parts (as I've seen 
happen), why not use that opportunity to get the car(s) into the hands of 
new and younger members?  As I see it, it's the only way to bring new 
enthusiasts into the fold.   I know of several members who have over a dozen 
show quality Corvairs, and are close to if not 70 years old.   How many can 
you drive at once? Nobody's gonna live forever, or be able to drive into 
their 80's and 90's, though some of members have done so.   Let's get those 
cars out where new, younger enthusiasts can buy and enjoy them---do these 
guys really enjoy looking out into their huge garages and see 7 cars with 
dust covers on them, with trophies on top catching dust?    You can see that 
more times than you can imagine if you look around.

If you're looking to join a car club, a "slick" website shouldn't mean that 
much to a motorhead. Sure makes no difference to me. There were no 
"Websites" in 1989.

I do miss my Communique, but not enough to pay 45.00 for it, or more as it 
soon appears to be.

Just a few musings from a former member who couldn't see paying dues while 
others don't.   Come get me if you desire.  Cancer treatment has me too sick 
to give a damn most days.

Hank

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robby" <vintagevwbeetles at gmail.com>
To: "Jamie & Tanya Reinhart" <jtreinhart at omnitelcom.com>
Cc: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 10:28 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> Planning for the Future

>I took the time to read this and here is my summary in a few bullets -
> correct me if I read it wrong.
>
> - Forced 100% CORSA membership for chapter members - see how many members
> the Chapters lose then.  Since those who aren't members see no value in
> joining, I seriously doubt they will join and will just leave the 
> chapters.
> Who suffers? The chapters.
>
>>
> - Very little real value in the PR tools you mention.  Truth is, IMO, you
> will not bring in more members by simply building a nicer website.  So 
> what
> if you get them to the site but then there is very little perceived value
> for them.
>
> Having been in business for myself for most of my adult life, I have found
> that two things are essential for survival.  one - maintain your current
> customer base.  reducing services that you current provide works in
> opposition to that.  Secondly, build a new customer base.  Requires MUCH
> more than a nice pretty website.  I make around 20-30 car shows a year.  I
> admit many of those shows are with something other than a Corvair but even
> when I take a Corvair I am usually the only one there.  You can't grow
> interest in a product by hiding it in your store front and hope folks 
> might
> come by and see it.  Until Corvair owners are willing to go to 
> shows/events
> other than Corvair only activities, you will never get others interested.
> Sadly this has been the case for the 20 plus years I have been showing 
> cars.
>
> While I applaude your desire to help CORSA, I don't believe you offered
> anything that will make CORSA  a viable growing entity.  CORSA can't 
> survive
> with it's current membership database.  Growth is absolutely essential.
> most of your synopsis was on reducing what CORSA provides it;s current
> members and very little on how to reach out to potential members.
>
> Robby
>
> On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 7:14 AM, Jamie & Tanya Reinhart <
> jtreinhart at omnitelcom.com> wrote:
>
>> All, A few weeks ago I promised you I would explain CORSA's problems and
>>  my plans for it's future in a document I was writing. The paper is
>> finished. Here is how you veiw it.
>> Go to corvair.org, click on the forms and event rules link either on the
>> bottom of the front page or under the events and calendar info drop down
>> menu, and read the story entitled Planning for the Future. It takes about 
>> 25
>> minutes to read, but isn't CORSA's future worth that small amount of your
>> time time?
>>
>>
>>
>> Jamie Reinhart
>>
>> CORSA Central Director
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