Volunteer Recognition fee & SM Compliance Fee

[RX3]

Here is what we missed and Kelley you are wrong about the tracking of the workers the responsibility to track the workers falls on the region.




Volunteer Incentive and Recognition Program
A couple of weeks ago Regional Executives, and Divisional Administrators should have received an announcement about the new Volunteer Incentive and Recognition program approved by the SCCA Board of Directors in May. In case you might not have seen or heard about the program most of the original announcement follows along with more details.
.
Many of you saw this program at the 2007 SCCA National Convention and we thank you for your valuable input and support. It provides incentives and lower dues for new volunteers while rewarding and recognizing current volunteers for their contributions. Implemented in two phases, the first begun on June 8 and is aimed the new volunteer. The second phase is directed at current and established volunteers and begins with the start of the 2008 race season.
New volunteers can participate as a volunteer for one weekend, and then join the SCCA for $30. The new volunteer will be able to renew membership for a second and third year at the reduced rate by working four days each year prior.
For established volunteers the program, depending upon the number of days worked, will provide dues discounts up to $30, offers special membership cards, and will recognize their efforts in SportsCar. Volunteers working four or five days receive a $15 discount, six or seven days worked earns a $22 discount, and working eight or more days earns a $30 discount along with the SportsCar feature and the special membership card and credentials. This phase of the program begins with the 2008 race season with 2008 participation automatically applied to membership renewals starting in November 2008.
Many are asking about tracking participation and if this means returning to volunteer log cards We can definitely say there are no plans to use volunteer logs cards. While the specifics are still being worked on, race organizers will be asked to report volunteer participation electronically by uploading an Excel spreadsheet or a comma delimited file (csv). Also available will be a web-form for entering the information online for those not wanting to upload a file. National Convention attendees have made it clear that race operations vary across the country. Therefore, the format for collecting participation information is specified, and not the method. While there is no intent to specify how to collect the information, for those that might want to track participation by scanning membership cards with optical character readers, please contact us. We have tested a number of rather easy and inexpensive options and want to make you aware of those tools.
Probably the second most often asked question about the program is why are the membership discounts limited to $30? Feedback from a number of Regions and other sources said that higher discounts would have a negative impact upon existing Region and Division incentive programs. By limiting discounts, Regions and Divisions will retain the ability to reward volunteers under their own established programs in conjunction with this new incentive.
This program is funded through a $2 per entry fee assessed to all Club Racing Driver Schools, Regionals and National Events beginning November 1.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call either of us.
Colan Arnold

 

[RacerBill]

...New volunteers can participate as a volunteer for one weekend, and then join the SCCA for $30...[/b]

Correct me if I am wrong, but for insurance purposes, aren't all volunteers who work in 'hot' areas required to be members?

 

[jjjanos]

Correct me if I am wrong, but for insurance purposes, aren't all volunteers who work in 'hot' areas required to be members?
[/b]

You are wrong. ALL volunteers working SCCA events must be members, AFAIK.

 

[RacerBill]

You are wrong. ALL volunteers working SCCA events must be members, AFAIK.
[/b]

That's even worse! So, how can you volunteer for one weekend (as a non-member) and then decide to join? Is there a fee that the regions are paying to National to cover that one weekend long membership?

I believe that there was a post a while ago in this thread that stated that a region spent a bunch of money on memberships for local amateur radio operators to run communications for a hill climb - memberships for only one weekend only!

So now, in addition to adding temp membership costs to the regions, National is taking more money based on the number of registered drivers - costs that will be passed on to the drivers!

Please don't get me wrong. As a driver, I would like to see one whole heck of a lot MORE volunteers at the tracks. But what National is saying does not make sense.

Also, if you read the memo carefully, National is adding to the paperwork for the VOLUNTEERS who organize the races by requiring them to provide the participation information. This seems to have many opportunities for abuse.

As a specialty chief, I have seen many instances of members signing in at registration to work my specialty and never actually showing up or maybe to work only one session. Truth was, they signed in as a 'worker' in order that some driver did not have to pay an overcrew fee. I can see this carrying over to members who can now get credit towards their membership as well as getting in free.

BTW, on my watch, if someone only worked an hour, they did not get their logbooks signed off as having worked one or worse yet, two days. No way! Sorry, chief! They may have gotten in free, but no credit or lunch, if one was provided.

Anyway, I see it as being more work for the race organizers as well as more expense to the racers and the regions.

 

[jjjanos]

That's even worse! So, how can you volunteer for one weekend (as a non-member) and then decide to join? Is there a fee that the regions are paying to National to cover that one weekend long membership?[/b]

I believe this is the way it works:

Old world: Buy multiple temporary memberships and never become a permanent member. This is gone.

New world: You can get a weekend membership once (lifetime? each year? dunno) and, if you go permanent, your get a one-time credit for the temp you purchased, bringing your cost of membership to $30 for the year. I believe the weekend membership must be purchased - whether by you, a region or someone else. I'm guessing that's where the $30 is from.

So now, in addition to adding temp membership costs to the regions, National is taking more money based on the number of registered drivers - costs that will be passed on to the drivers![/b]

Depends. If they add the funds to the general account, then yes. One would hope, however, that the funds would go into a "lock box" that wouldn't be used by the general account. Yes the drivers pay for it, but then again, the cost of attracting volunteer officials always is paid by the drivers - either implicitely (reduced track time because days are 'too long' or reduced quality of staffing) or explicitely (higher entry fees) or both (i.e. higher entry fees to pay salaries of local track crew combined with the efficiency..)

Also, if you read the memo carefully, National is adding to the paperwork for the VOLUNTEERS who organize the races by requiring them to provide the participation information. This seems to have many opportunities for abuse.[/b]

Someone has to administer it, regardless of whether it is set-up by a region or by national. The only people who getting extra work are those in regions who don't track worker days.

As a specialty chief, I have seen many instances of members signing in at registration to work my specialty and never actually showing up or maybe to work only one session. Truth was, they signed in as a 'worker' in order that some driver did not have to pay an overcrew fee. I can see this carrying over to members who can now get credit towards their membership as well as getting in free.[/b]

Which already is abuse of the system and might encourage regions to crack down on such behavior since it already increases costs to drivers. The no-show worker is stealing the overcrew fee from someone.

Anyway, I see it as being more work for the race organizers as well as more expense to the racers and the regions.[/b]

For regions not already doing this, it's more expense and more work.

Frankly, I don't understand why National is involved with this at all as it is a region-specific problem. Regions having problems getting vols can provide credits to the vols that are used to defer their expenses. For example, NCR had (has?) a program giving $25/credit towards expenses per day. Work a weekend, your membership is almost paid.

 

[seckerich]

Just for discussion purposes: How many workers do you have at an average race weekend? Like to see the numbers for other regions so we get a handle on what could be done to help the workers. Lets get some real numbers to crunch.

 

[jjjanos]

Just for discussion purposes: How many workers do you have at an average race weekend? Like to see the numbers for other regions so we get a handle on what could be done to help the workers. Lets get some real numbers to crunch.
[/b]

WDCR 100+

 

[dickita15]

It is over 100 at an average event in NER as well.

 

[RX3]

I never have more that 150 or less that 85 at the events I hold.

I thought you guys where up to date on weekend membership Here are the rules

Weekend Membership Program - June 25 , 2 007
With a new look to recruiting SCCA members, a new Weekend Membership program for Club Racing events will launch August 1, 2007. Details of the program for Solo, RallyCross, and RoadRally are currently under review and should be ready by the start of the 2008 competition season for those venues. The existing Temporary Membership program will still be effective for only those programs until then.

Although the former Temporary Membership program was created to generate new members, it did not produce the expected results. Of over 12,000 forms issued to regions during the three years of the program, about half of those were issued to prospective members and a little less than 3% of those converted to a regular SCCA membership for any kind. Though many were issued to entice prospective members to join, many others were issued simply as easy giveaways for crew members and event staff support with no real recruiting plan or follow up from region membership programs.

Each Weekend Member will pay $15.00, which is good for any weekend event that will span up to four days from Friday to Monday. Prospective members will be encouraged to join the SCCA on-site, at which time the Weekend Member can take an immediate $15.00 discount off their national dues. If the Weekend Member joins later, the $15.00 discount still applies and is taken when the regular Member Application is sent to the Membership Department. If joining on-line, the member simply needs to use the Weekend Membership form Serial Number as the promotional discount code. The discount can be applied to any form of SCCA membership.

The Weekend Membership is good only for the weekend noted on the form and a Weekend Member can purchase as many during the course of the year as they wish. Further, the first Weekend Membership is free if used in conjunction with the Club Racing Volunteer Incentive Program announced on June 1. Competitors entering any level of Performance Driving Experience (PDX) events are also entitled to use the Weekend Membership plan.

Regions retain $10.00 of the $15.00 fee. The remaining $5.00 and the top (white) copy of the form is returned along with event audit fees and is used to underwrite the production and mailing of the prospect information package. The pink copy is retained by the Weekend Member. An image of the new form can be seen elsewhere in this issue.

To support the program and to outreach to the Weekend Member in every way possible, regions are encouraged to establish an active recruiting and follow-up program. Monthly electronic region files provide Weekend Member identification that should be used to support their local recruiting programs.

For questions, please contact the Region Development Department at [email protected] or Membership Department at [email protected]. As always, a call to the SCCA Office at 800.770.2055 will also get you to those departments.

The Fast Lane

 

[RX3]

Bil it will be more work for us. But you are wrong about the rest if a person can only give a hour of his time on a weekend I will take it.
Can you do justice to the 4 license you hold every weekend? I think not but I am sure that any Chief will glad to have you help when you can. Do not run off help just because they can not help the whole weekend. Take what you can get. Remember two workers that can give you one day each is better that no workers. Take what they can give and reward them for the time they can give.

BTW, on my watch, if someone only worked an hour, they did not get their logbooks signed off as having worked one or worse yet, two days. No way! Sorry, chief! They may have gotten in free, but no credit or lunch, if one was provided.

Anyway, I see it as being more work for the race organizers as well as more expense to the racers and the regions.
[/b]

 

[dickita15]

Bil it will be more work for us. But you are wrong about the rest if a person can only give a hour of his time on a weekend I will take it.
Can you do justice to the 4 license you hold every weekend? I think not but I am sure that any Chief will glad to have you help when you can. Do not run off help just because they can not help the whole weekend. Take what you can get. Remember two workers that can give you one day each is better that no workers. Take what they can give and reward them for the time they can give.
[/b]

On weekends I am racing in a later race group I often work tech for the morning rush but I do not sign in as a worker at registration for those events and never would have the nerve to claim that as a day on my license.

 

[pballance]

I thought you guys where up to date on weekend membership Here are the rules
>Snip..
Regions retain $10.00 of the $15.00 fee. The remaining $5.00 and the top (white) copy of the form is returned along with event audit fees and is used to underwrite the production and mailing of the prospect information package. The pink copy is retained by the Weekend Member. An image of the new form can be seen elsewhere in this issue.

<Snip
The Fast Lane
[/b]

This is the part that gets me. If we have 120+ volunteers that are not SCCA members (which we do at our hillclimb) then we are required to submit temporary membership forms and $5.00/form to National. In short we are asking volunteers to PAY to volunteer. That is just not right. Now we are being asked to submit an additonal $2/driver as well. In our region, we absorbed the cost of the temp memberships and did not raise entry fees. We considered it a cost of doing business. BTW I also work events, 2 race weekends, test day, and day 2 of a hillclimb (no runs that day).

Bottom line, workers are needed in club racing events and we should do everything we can to thank/recognize them but I am not sure that the "club" as a whole should be involved in this program. It should be left to the organizers of the events (ie regions) to determine what is appropriate. IMHO, The temporary member program, as currently written, appears to be a "tax" on the regions to provide funding for headquartes to administer the program.

THANKS WORKERS

 

[CaptainWho]

[...] I am not sure that the "club" as a whole should be involved in this program. It should be left to the organizers of the events (ie regions) to determine what is appropriate.
[/b]

I also both work and drive. Actually, I work more weekends than I drive most years, but that's not saying much as I usually only drive two to four events a year.

I agree that National shouldn't be involved in the decisions about a program like this, and it should be left to the Regions. That said, there may be enabling things that National could do to make life easier on the Regions.

They seem to have started doing some of them, too. For example, we went round and round about this stuff in Atlanta Region a couple of years ago when the Labor Day event at AMS was cancelled due in part to lack of volunteers.

I did some research with other regions and workers and some interesting things came up. For example, one region (can't recall which) rewarded workers with "Worker Bux". These were (effectively) vouchers that could be used to "buy" various stuff, lots of it specific to volunteering at races, like good, white rain suits with the region or SCCA logo or discounts at the local "molded earplug" vendor. The kicker was that some of these items, like the rain suit, were basically only available this way, unless you have quite a bit of finesse with Google. So there was some exclusivity to having them. Personally, the utility outweights the exclusivity, but I can see both working for different people.

Enabling that sort of thing is one of the places that I see National being able to help. Another is something they already do: the discount agreements with different hotel chains. I take advantage of those discounts regularly, especially when we're working. If they could work out something for gasoline and diesel fuel discounts, we'd be jammin'. Even working an out-of-town weekend can get expensive quickly.

THANKS WORKERS
[/b]

 

[ddewhurst]

One comment for each sur-charge.

1st comment with respect to the $2.00 hand over to the workers. I figure my cost for each race to be at least 10 to 20 times the workers expense for a weekend at the track. How about the workers hand over the approate amount to the drivers for defering race related costs so that they the workers may continue having their fun at the race track.

Hey, I'll get trained in some race track/corner work activites & work rather than paying for the workers play time. Make it mandatory for drivers to work..................................

2nd comment is screw the Spec Miata Regional sur-charge when National is going to check 15 Spec Miata races per year. You all know dam well the 15 checks will be National races & there will be NO TRICKLE down to Regional races. If race cars are going to be checked they need to be checked at each race at each track.

Rather than all this blow hart crap about the sur-charge fee for checking Spec Miata how about the Tech Inspectors start doing a REAL roll cage anual check of Spec Miata's & declare illegal roll cages ILLEGAL. There are so many ILLEGAL Spec Miata roll cages it ain't even funny. For any of you Tech Inspectors that think I'm blowing hot air please pm me for some pictures of ILLEGAL roll cages.

Continue your Fun
David

ps: While all you do gooders are in a semi hate mood why don't you go after the BoD member who ran his/her mouth to Tim Buck. That person needs to be ousted from all SCCA positions. A message needs to be sent from we the paying customer to those that believe they are un-touchable.

Off to decorate the christmas tree, Merry Christmas to all......... :snow_cool:

 

[lateapex911]

ps: While all you do gooders are in a semi hate mood why don't you go after the BoD member who ran his/her mouth to Tim Buck. That person needs to be ousted from all SCCA positions. A message needs to be sent from we the paying customer to those that believe they are un-touchable.

Off to decorate the christmas tree, Merry Christmas to all......... :snow_cool:

[/b]

While you're on a roll............

what would you suggest?? What did YOU do about it?

 

[ddewhurst]

I wrote an e-mail & sent it indivadually to each BoD member & to the President of the SCCA along with bitching on this site & on the Production site. As usual a lot of people RUNNING THEIR MOUTHS on these two sites along with on the Spec Miata site & that's where it all stops if we believe the President about the SCCA receiving 35 letters. I question the 35 count just as I question other counts that come out of headquaters. I received comments from 5 BoD members, a comment from the President & the famous KP Jone's mail box was full. I also wrote a e-mail to Peter Zekert who has been known to get into it with the BoD & CRB. Peter followed up with a very mellow note as to the minimal value of KP Jones. I have talked to other long standing members about the issue & it's mostly the same answer, you can't fight city hall. & I can believe you can't fight city hall because a person can't even get these thick heads (I make that coment with respect to them ousting one of their own.) to see beyond themselves about tech issues. The past chairman of the BoD from out your way is no better than the current crop on tech issues.

It's my understanding that a BoD member has never been ousted by the other BoD members. In most corporations the BoD answers to the stock holders. < Ain't that, we the SCCA members.

What have you done Jake? Or do you think everything is ok with the BoD member engaging mouth to an SCCA member while his/her brain is turned OFF.




Marry Christmas Jake
David

 

[lateapex911]

Good job, David- I think that you're right, it's tough to turn the ship on things like this. I too made some phone calls.

You refered to the past BoD chairman from back here? Introne is listed as current for 08, ...who were you referring to?

 

[ddewhurst]

Jake, you have a pm.

 

[dickita15]

RJ Gordy from SFR is Chairman for 08.

John Sheridan in in charge of vice.

 

[lateapex911]

Ahhh...correct. I re-read the Sportscar where i saw that, and Introne was at the top of the list, but because he is area 1. There was no lisitng of the chairman. my bad.