<VV> Membership

Sun Mar 2 20:13:34 EST 2014

You know, I  was working on a reply to this conversation, but James here 
said a lot of what I was going to say a lot more eloquently than I could 
have.

I will add my $0.02 to some other potshots I've seen come across this 
conversation. The CORSA BOD is comprised of volunteers. Unless someone 
here among the membership is independently wealthy and generous, a paid 
CEO isn't likely to happen nor do they typically exist in the framework 
of a car club like ours. Being volunteers, we have jobs, families and 
financial constraints that prohibit us from being as responsive as some 
people would like, but every one on this board does their best to try to 
represent the needs of their district and the organization as a whole. 
Nobody on the current board has come off with their own agenda to try to 
remake CORSA in his or her own image.

I've been a volunteer on boards of several different non profits from 
this club, to my church to a food coop in my community, among other 
things and have been chair of the board of one of those institutions. As 
to the "making sausage" analogy, I have to say that, on occasion, there 
have been some petty power struggles within such organizations that 
sometimes go with the territory. It's not a perfect system, but having a 
representative democracy with term limits is the best system of leading 
these kinds of organizations we've come up with yet. I will also say 
that the current BOD has not had any such power struggles that I've been 
aware of.

But CORSA is the only nationwide (international even) organization 
dedicated to "satisfy the common needs of individuals interested in the 
preservation, restoration and operation of the Corvair." Without a 
healthy and thriving CORSA, everyone's Corvair experience will be 
diminished, whether you choose to participate or not. So it's in the 
interest of everyone who owns or is interested in Corvairs to support it 
regardless of which past or present volunteer leader they have a spat 
with. There have been times in my life where I was appalled at the 
political leadership in our country and times when I strongly 
disapproved of the people elected to lead our country. But I believe in 
the American ideal and the promise of this country and what it stands 
for, and I haven't moved away with my hands in the air yet. Of course 
this is an imperfect analogy, since owning a Corvair and choosing not to 
be a CORSA member is more like living in this country and enjoying the 
services our tax dollars pay for while choosing not to pay taxes, though 
there are probably many people who wish they could do so if only it 
weren't illegal.

Avoiding membership in CORSA isn't hurting any one individual you have 
or had a bone to pick with, or a group of individuals who were on the 
CORSA BOD in 1983 or even me, Paul or anyone else on the current BOD or 
whatever, but it's hurting the Corvair. It's hurting future hobbyists 
who might benefit from a solid, healthy CORSA organization.

Furthermore, while one can get many technical questions answered on 
Facebook or forums, these ephemeral online institutions owe nothing to 
the Corvair or its history See my earlier email about our effort to 
start a national club for Saturn enthusiasts. There is no shortage of 
online help and technical knowledge in repairing and maintaining Saturns 
(at least S-series Saturns). In fact, I have done nearly all the repairs 
and maintenance of my 1993 SW2 for the past several years with the help 
of this available online information and support. Yet that's not enough 
to ensure the preservation of the cars for perpetuity. Likewise, as 
great as Virtual Vairs is (a CORSA sponsored institution) and the 
Corvair Center forum and all that are, a persistent institution is 
needed that has the mission of promotion, preservation and education as 
well as maintaining history.

I could go on, but this email is long enough. Getting off my soapbox for 
tonight.

Karl in Boston
CORSA Eastern Director
Stock Corvair Group
Corvanatics
1966 Monza Convertible 110/PG project car

On 3/2/2014 5:55 PM, ricebugg at comcast.net wrote:
>
> Ned:  I am well aware, probably more than you can imagine, of the grief you and others took when you were on the CORSA/CPF BoD.  Don't ask  how I know.
>   
> I only served one stint on the CORSA/CPF BoD because my wife keep asking me, "You are doing this Why?!" as I fretted and fumed and wrote responses in my head instead of sleeping.  Go review the BoD minutes in the Communiques between 1999 and 2002.  Read between the lines.  It was fixing to be a near blood letting.  Which didn't happen, in part because I was there.  Then I  managed, with the help of some others, to get something fixed.  Cost me at least one friendship within CPF community.  Which saddens me to this day.
>
>
>   
>
>
> You can have an opinion.  I value your opinion.  I just want you - and others - to have those opinions, and to express those opinions, within the CORSA Community.  I put my mouth where my money is, stayed in CORSA after I dropped off the
> BoD, and have helped on a couple occasions for good because I knew stuff.  Don't ask.
>
>   
>
>
> Don't give up on CORSA just because whatever the change you want doesn't happen within the time frame you want to see it happen in.  My perception is, you think the CORSA Convention should be widely open to any Corvair hobbist.  Several different CORSA BoD's, made up of many different people, say no.  Adjust to this reality.  That hobby horse is dead, at least for the near future.   I bet you don't walk away from your employer just because they say no to a position you strongly hold.  Or your community and/or the state where you live.  Or your country.
>
>
>   
>
>
>
> Please reup.  You too, Bob and Hank.  CORSA is worth being a part of, no matter how ugly it seems  - or is - at times, no matter how non-responsive it seems at times.  It is not a perfect organization, because, as I recently noted, it is made up of imperfect people.  Including me.
>
>   
>
> And yes, I can produce a list of former BoD members who are no longer CORAS members because of multiple examples of stupid, vindictive ugly conduct by both CORSA BoD members and "normal" CORSA members.  Also saddens me to this day.  And I'll bet if we both worked at it, my list will be bigger than yours!  Sadly bigger than yours. If you win, I'll buy you one year CORSA Membership.  If you win, you buy me a beer.  OH! Wait!! I don't drink swamp water!!  VBG!!!
>
>
>   
> Historically Yours,
>                        James
>   
> PS:  Hope you are at the PCG Workshop, as I'd like to talk to you about VLJs.
>   
> PSS: And thanks for all of you who corrected what I thought I knew about aircraft museums in the Pacific NW.  Opps!!
>
>   
> Message: 1Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2014 22:34:39 -0500 (EST)From: aeroned at aol.comSubject: Re: <VV> Convention & MembershipTo: virtualvairs at corvair.orgYup, I'm no longer a CORSA member. I dropped my membership after serving on the CORSA board. I saw lots of ugly stuff. What do they say? If you like sausage, you should watch how it's made.
>
>
> So James, I guess I can't have an opinion on what would make CORSA better? If CORSA was willing to make some changes maybe it could increase membership instead of driving it away. How many other former
> BoD members are no longer CORSA members? I can think of a few besides me.
>
> Ned
>
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