How do you describe an attitude like that Toni?? You initiate something in a manner contrary to what was required previously and then get indignant when people point out that ways in which your approach may not be fair. And then you play the "I'm a volunteer and you people are too lazy to do it yourself so I had to do something" card. Amazing, simply amazing.
I'll address your points individually:
1) I didn’t have time to identify every individual who races, has raced, is building a car, owns a car, or in some other way is connected with IT7 in the Southeast Division. I couldn’t have completed the task any better than your committee did for the 2006 rules review.
There is a person listed on the SEDIV website that could probably have helped with the process. He is the SARRC Points Keeper - I suspect that you two have met. The SEDIV website has a list of all of the people that participated in IT-7 last year (ditto for this year). The framers of the IT-7 spec tire rule were able to compile and use a list of drivers. I suspect that one of those folks would have been glad to let you know how they managed to compile a list without sleeping with the keeper of the permanent number information (not that I see how the permanent number info is pertinent to the conversation). If you don't have the time or the resources to perform an optional task then perhaps you should wait to perform that task until you do have those resources and or time.
2) I didn’t have the desire to address that many envelops.
Then perform the poll in an electronic manner or ask for help.
3) I was not going to spend my own money on postage (I spend enough as it is so others can race without additional $$$ for postage to you.).
Since it is a division expense, why would you personally have to cover it? Regardless, you could have conducted the poll in an electronic manner. The problem lies not in your decision to use electronic means instead of tradition mail. The problem lies in the fact that your approach did not receive the coverage that was required in the previous poll.
4) Your advisory board could have done this again, but didn’t,
If you have a problem with the advisory board, I suggest you take it up with them.
5) The REs will make their decision one way or the other on July 29,
You've mentioned this several times and you are correct. But would they have specifically addressed the IT-7 spec tire issue without the effort that you initiated? If not, then your point has no merit.
6) there were 5 weeks from the time I accepted this position (one of which had to be spent on the double national) to accomplish any portion I chose to do,
If you can't do it correctly and fairly, then don't do it until you can.
7) your electronic opinion is your vote for this year and is just as valid as your paper opinion was for a vote last year,
There have been numerous posts to the two threads that you started which indicated that a lot of folks did not know that you were gathering opinions. I've asked this before, how can you compare an obscure post on an unofficial forum to a direct vote of the driving community??
8) The REs make the decision with or without input,
They absolutely will. But why would they change something without prompting? I would like for them to make their decisions based on valid and complete input (just as they did last time). If you can't provide that, then you should have left it alone until you could do so.
9) I chose to assist the committees gather information because no one else had begun the process,
The process was begun and was completed. That's why it is part of the current rules.
10) Electronically was quick and easy and I didn’t have to spend my own money to offer to take your opinion,
There is nothing wrong with the electronic approach as long as you take the time and the responsibility to gather complete, factual information.
11) if you had wanted the process to have been completed in a different way you should have started it for yourself.
The IT-7 driving community apparently wanted it completed in a different way because some of their number went to the DA of Tech, followed the indicated process, created a ballot, created a list of voters, distributed the ballots, collected the results, and presented them to the proper officials. As indicated previously, the community voted 5 to 1 for the spec tire.
Reason # 443 – I didn’t do it because I didn’t do it. Should I be DA for 2007 (an appointment made by the 2007 Executive Steward) I will not use paper and postage then either.
"Your way or the highway" is not an appropriate philosophy for any office in this club, appointed or otherwise. It is important for us to remember that you are a volunteer but it is equally important for you to remember that you volunteered to do a particular job.
Reason # 999) You have so much fun griping and complaining electronically that I though you would prefer to give your opinion again electronically.
Perform the task fairly and completely and the complaints won't matter.
---------------------------------
The fact that the RE's will vote on July 29th with or without driver input has absolutely nothing to do with the question of whether your approach is fair and valid. If you have complaints about the way the Class Review Board and the Advisory Boards have been taking care of business, address it with them and stop mucking around with the rules that our membership voted on -- unless you are willing to gather information from everyone.
We are all glad that you are attempting to assist the various committees. We just want you to do it fairly. If you can't do that because you don't have time or because your approach is flawed, then don't do it. The current IT-7 rules are working and can easily stand as they are until the IT-7 membership, not the handful of front-runners, decide, as a group, that they want them changed.
The membership was contacted previously and their responses tallied. There is absolutely no valid reason that that can't be done again before any rules changes are proposed to anyone.
You said, "You didn’t take the initiative now you want to complain about the way I did it". You need to remember that the membership did take the initiative. We put together a ballot and voted. The only reason we are complaining is because you are trying to negate that very initiative that you say we should take.
I don't know if you're interested in the 2005 drivers or the 2006 drivers but a quick glance at the Points Section of the SEDIV website shows 43 names in the IT-7 SARRC group and an additional 7 unique names in the IT-7 ECR group so far this year. The site also shows 65 names in the IT-7 SARRC group and an additional 17 unique names in the IT-7 ECR group for 2005. Now if you're prepared to demonstrate that your approach has garnered "opinions" of a similar percentage of the folks that the previous vote reached (ie, number of ballots returned versus number of active drivers), then I'll gladly remove my objections.
Thanks,
Scott Gallimore
paying member of this club and fellow volunteer.