"It's all about the money!"

[Michael S.]

I received my "Driveline" late this week and finally made time to sit down and read this latest issue. As usual, everything I need was sold. Fortunately the parts side of the business is still booming as supply is falling and prices are up. "It's all about the Money!"

I find the articles at the front of the "Driveline" to be intersting. One, was more than interesting this month, "I" think this article defines what our club, our cars and our hobby has become. The article of which is speak is on page 5-6 and is "NCRS Chapter, Regional & National Registration Guidelines".

I realize that money is what makes our wonderful world move and shake. In reading this article, the further I read, the more disinterested in our club and hobby I became. The article has 16 paragraphs, 13 of which discuss some method or rule designed to extract money from someone. Some of the more interesting "guidelines" are:

"Doors/gates should be monitored and a day fee collected by the host
chapter"

"Installation of temporary fencing should be evaluated for outside judging areas and large swap meets in order to restrict admission to paying attendees"

"All vendors should be NCRS members, pay the event registration fee IN ADDITION TO any swap meet space or vendor fee charged"

"Complimentary passes should be issued on a case by case basis. These persons should not be allowed to attend ANY NCRS functions unless they are NCRS members and have paid their registration fee."

"Each event registrant is entitled to bring one guest provided the guest is not an NCRS member. There should be a guest fee charged"

"An NCRS member bringing their son and his family will pay one and one half times the registration fee. An NCRS member bringing their son and daughter with both families will pay two times the registration fee."

Is this what our club has become? Pages 91-107 of this month's Driveline are exclusively full of STUFF for sale by our club. Books, trinkets and trash. Guys, that's 18 of the 109 total pages of this months Driveline alone. That does not include all the chapter ads for events, membership or anything else. I realize this is the function of the Driveline, advertising! I have also seen the commercialization of the club in the major effort made by the club to sell product and get new members at the Corvette meets NCRS attends with the big tent and all the Corvette STUFF!

I understand this IS first and foremost a business that provides a living for the club principles. I am proud for each of them and hope they make a hell of a lot of money for their efforts as they took the ball and ran with it years ago to start this wonderful organization. I wish I had thought of it!

As someone who enjoys the Corvette hobby and who does sell the occasional Corvette, I thank you and all the Corvette vendors for making our cars worth more today than they were yesterday. I guess it just hit me wrong in reading this issue because I always think of this club as the sum of its wonderfull members when it is really a business.

It's just hard to get away from the reality that everything in our world today including our hobbies and/or passions really are "ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!

Mike Strinich
#11202

[Al Corelli]

Re: "It's all about the money!"

It will be interesting to see how long Mike's post will last.
AC

[Terry D.]

Re: "It's all about the money!"

Why shouldn't it last? There is a lot of truth to what he says, unfortunately that's the way it is. The days of strickly in it for the fun are ALMOST over. I can understand his side, but as a business owner I also understand the club's position. If ya don't make any money ya don't stick around long.

I have found one thing that he forgets to mention. In this club most of the people treat their fellow members quite well. Several people have sold me parts much cheaper than I would of paid for them at a swap meet or from any other vendor. As someone who has spent most of his life restoring something, cars, boats, houses, motorcycles, I can tell you there is not another club where so much valuable information is so easily obtained. The NCRS website is one of the best around, and gee that last time I had a website up and running, it wasn't free. Just my two cents worth.

Terry #11486

[Wayne M.]

Sixty bucks to stroll the grounds.....

Was seriously considering driving the coupe to the upcoming NW Regional; it's only a 600-mile run from here. But that registration fee is 2 weeks groceries where I'm from. So staying home, playing eBay poker, spinning a few wrenches. NCRS is quickly becoming merely a website and periodicals for us of modest means.

[Dennis C.]

Re: Sixty bucks to stroll the grounds.....

So, for $30.00 you can buy an NCRS Judging Guide or attend an NCRS judged event and, if you're in the frame of mind to learn, can easily save yourself $30,000 by not purchasing a bogus car. Even though I don't have a grip on the technical nature of the previous posts, I am aware of the issues and emotions. For the most part in life there ain't no free lunch, and there is no reason why NCRS should be the exception. I just try to enjoy the (NCRS)hobby and have done so since 1984. Dennis

[Mike M.]

Re: "It's all about the money!"

if it weren't for the profits the mortimers generate by selling club merchandise, our dues would be two to three times what they are today. NCRS is still the best old car hobby( and i'd like to emphasize HOBBY)organization on mother earth. my 1 cents worth. mike

[G B.]

I disagree

I believe the NCRS has always had a very high rate of participation (at all levels) just for the enjoyment. Yep, money is how we handle the buying and selling of everything involved. But a whole lot of the old members in this club were participating when mid-years were just used cars and parts weren't so expensive.

Now, you take embalming, garbage collection, and horse rendering. Those are all about the money. Just ask the participants. None of them got into it initially for the fun.

[Ed Jennings]

Re: I disagree

I've been in horse rendering. It certainly ain't fun. It did pay well enough to finance a couple of vintage Vettes, however.

[Reba Whittington]

Re: "It's all about the money!"

I have already had a discussion about this article with one fellow chapter member. We have a meet this weekend, and I am sure it will come up in the discussions there.

I have been a part of planning chapter and regional events and one national convention. Costs are not insignificant if the host puts on the type meet everyone enjoys. At Regionals, we must provide meals for the judges, and most hotels/convention centers charge about $15 for a sandwich, chips, cookie, and piece of fruit. (There are 10 judges per class, so figure that one.) If a judging school or tech sessions are held, a room must be rented by the host chapter. And there are many incidental costs no one ever thinks of.

As others have said, "There is no free lunch." Why should members who
register and wear their badges as we are supposed to pay for those who attend, or try to, for nothing?

Just my two (or three) cents.

[Chuck S.]

For A Moment There...

I thought I heard the Rev speaking.

Mike, NCRS is like everything else in life...it's all about the motive of the heart. Each of us has our different reasons for being in the club, and even our personal reasons will probably evolve over the years.

Some of us are here because NCRS is the greatest corporate collection of knowledge about Corvettes in the world, and we want to get some of that knowledge. Some of us are here because we enjoy meeting, being around, and having fun with other folks who are interested in Corvettes. Some of us are here because we figure to benefit monetarily from being around all these people who are crazy about Corvettes.

The bottom line is...each of us is free to take away what we want from this organization as long as the required price is reasonable for us. If we don't like the way things are done, we can try to work through our representation to change club policies. What we should never do, in my opinion, is adopt the idea of "ownership"; i.e. that "NCRS is MY club, and it should be run this way", because it is NOT...NCRS belongs to tens of thousands of members, and a few with more stroke than others.

That is not a big deal for me; I do what I like to do in NCRS, and if I have a problem with certain activities or the way they are run, I don't do them anymore. I figure if the collective market forces become great enough, those responsible for the success (monetary or otherwise) of these activities will begin to try and figure out where they got off the track. If there isn't enough complaint, then my thinking was out of the mainstream. If they don't ask for my input, then I won't try to force it on them.

In any democratic institution, it often fruitless for a few concerned individuals to try and affect change without being perceived as "revolutionaries", "troublemakers", or "rabble-rousers". No doubt the people who lead this organization will think it a thankless job if they are expected to concede to any random idea that comes up. This creates a need for a special breed of people...smooth-talking, oily, "make you think it was your idea" kind of people...those that are skilled in getting leadership to change without inciting a "coup d'etat". If you find someone like that, elect them as your board representative.

Anyway, if you want to get upset about how the sausage is made, take a look at professional sports...now you're talking mega-bucks, mega-egos, mega-sin, and god-like omnipotence. I heard of someone visiting Denver trying to buy a ticket for the Broncos-Raiders game...$195!!!!!

[Jack H.]

Re: "It's all about the money!"

My personal take is quite mixed on this subject.... I don't really care what policies NCRS National sets for Regional/National meets because they have a hand and direct presense in those activities, but at the Chapter level, that's a horse of a different color.

The new rules do NOT tell us what to charge, so the lowest denomination that's a legal contract is $1 (pretty insignificant). But, we now have the responsibility and associated overhead of the extra registration activities, different levels of registration, Etc.

Out here in Denver, things are QUITE a distance away. Our members routinely travel hundreds of miles from adjacent States to attend and help out each year at our Chapter meet.

Our Chapter Board of Directors (BoD) set a policy about 10-years back when we were struggling to regain membership (had dropped below 25-members from approximately 100 in prior years) to structure our chapter judging meet as a profit neutral event. To that end, we charged ONLY judging fees and burdened the cost of the event on the owners of judged cars.

The $40/car Flight judging fee HAS paid for the meet, gotten judges lunches and racheted attendance UP. We routinely see +50% membership turnout and have re-grown our chapter (one of the oldest in NCRS) to 100+ as a result of the more kinder, gentler, 'open door' policies.

Now, we're told (WITHOUT being asked) we can't do this anymore! We have to charge everyone, have a formal registration cycle to make everyone pay including those who drive hundreds of miles simply to help get the body count of qualified judges up to proper levels to conduct a judging meet, and the days of one volunteer member (me) who can execute the entire meet advertizing, registration, and administration activity is DEAD!

Personally, I RESENT the actions taken by our BoD in mandating what goes on at the Chapter level without FIRST ASKING! I've made my input(s) clear to our Regional Director in the open forum of our last Chapter Meeting. Our BoD has yet to meet and take an official position on the matter, so what I say here is my PERSONAL opinion.

The bottom line--I think 'Big Brother' stuck his nose where it doesn't belong! If we're able to set policy locally that has WORKED (grew our chapter membership +500% in 10-years) and NOT have financial problems as a result (our treasury is A-OK with a high 4-digit cash cushion reserve), why are we being told we have to change the way we conduct our business at the local level and cease & desist from practicing a sucessful formula??????

[Warren F.]

Re: I disagree

I think Mikes point is somewhat missed by some of the posts. I've been in NCRS since 1987 and attended several National, Regional & Chapter events over the years. It has gotten MORE costly to attend these events! I also attend a lot of NCCC, WSCC events and they are NOT as expensive, granted they do not offer as all encompassing activities as NCRS. What I think is needed is NOT a either or attitude, but maybe a compromise as to costs or scaling back some locations as they may be TOO expensive to hold events at, or maybe the membership could be included in it's opinion as to what type of events or location they would like to see implemented for future sites of NCRS activities.

[Mike Cobine]

Re: "It's all about the money!" - Right Jack!

I was going to stay out of this because I'm always on the other side as far as NCRS seems to go.

But Jack's note makes me want to back him on this. Florida Region has run the Winter Regional at Cypress Gardens and now in Kissimmee for how many years? 25? All this time, the swap meet has been open to the public.

FREE. No gate price. NOT EVEN A GATE!

What this means is that it has been a good swap meet. Vendors do show up because they will have larger crowds to sell to. Enough that the vendor fees have actually gone DOWN, not up.

NCRS sells a LOT of t-shirts, books, and other items to the PUBLIC who got in FREE.

But you begin charging NCRS members $70 (the price they'll find walking up at the event this January) to walk around a swap meet, they are going to be one group of upset people. Especially if a NON-ncrs person walks in for $5 or $10.

It has nothing to do with supporting the chapter or the national organization. It is about an organization discriminating against its own members. Heck, it is more than that, the org is GOUGING its own members!

I do support requiring the registration for anything special like the judging classes, the tech seminars, and so on. But if the public can get into something for free or $5, then the NCRS members should not be charged $70 in the same thing. If the public can't get in, then the non-registered NCRS member shouldn't get in either.

Pretty simple. Registered - get into tech, classes, banquets, etc. Not registered - no classes, tech, banquets.

And forget the one day special. When the Winter Regional is here in town, it lasts for four days. And anyone coming comes for more than one day.
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Maybe instead of NCRS setting fees, they need to take lessons from the groups in Denver and in Florida on how to do it right and not go broke. If they are losing money at events, they are doing something wrong. Obviously, Denver and Florida are doing it right.

The management isn't always right. Look at Lucent. Or Worldcom.

[Tom B.]

Embalming is restoration...

...and preservation. A lot like the dedication to restoring and preserving our Corvettes. I doubt that I'd go as far as to associate it with garbage collection or to call it a racket, (though I suppose it could be interpreted that way ) . Especially since it's a part of one of the few private sectors of business that is strickly overshadowed by FTC regulations and costly penalities. No state that I'm aware of requires embalming (transportation out-of-state usually does) and even though the comparitive cost is minimal, there are also less costly alternatives (choices). If someone wants to believe it's a racket then there's probably little I can say or do to convince them otherwise. Every business has it's professionals and it's own professional rip-off artists...even in the Corvette Restoration business . TBarr #24014

[Chas Kingston]

Re: "It's all about the money!"

Or, ask Mike Ward how they do it in Montreal.

Geezer