rick_bostrom
Onda Kattan Racing
I am not advocating one schedule over another - I also think there have been lots of proposals with varying degrees of merit proposed. I have one very simple problem with all of this - it is all absolutely possible and within the control of the very people who attend Conference races! It is popular for someone to get on the Conference Forum (which I believe is actually viewed by a lot less of our members than people actually think!) and grouse about something that they personally are unhappy with. In some cases these kinds of posts are written in a fashion that would actually inspire healthy discussion but mostly they are insulting rants about how stupid or foolish everyone else is because we do things the same way for years on end.
It doesn't matter how altruistic or self serving someone's motives are it is always a lot more work to win the hearts and minds of your peers and bring about actual change than it is to sit back and complain about the way things are and the stupidity of those who are committing the sin of being happy with the way things are.
If the schedule isn't the way you want it, blame yourself. We are a member directed club that has policies and procedures specifically dedicated to preserving MEMBER control over Conference. Unlike many club racing sanctioning bodies across the country we have nobody but ourselves to blame if we aren't happy.
It's simple - if you want something to change there are some very basic steps you can take to make a change.
1) Enter Conference Races - nobody is going to take you very seriously if you complain all the time about the way we run our races but you never enter any.
2) Make Friends - we are as friendly a group as any I have ever been in contact with. Immerse yourself in Conference society, associate with people who share your vision of a better Conference.
3) Identify a problem - make sure that what you perceive as a problem isn't just personal dissatisfaction or an irrational need for the drama that change can bring. You are doing Conference and yourself service if you are truly interested in making things better. No system is perfect so constant analysis is welcome provided it is constructive and productive.
4) Come up with a fully thought out solution - even your friends are not really interested in diagnosing your unhappiness and then investing their own time and effort just to make you happy. Where I come from that is described as lazy and self centered. Maybe it is described as something different in other places. WRITE a fully detailed proposal that others can read, critique, and improve.
4) Sell, sell, sell - now that you have identified a problem that is real AND conceived a solution that will solve that problem AND done your best to consider all of the consequences that will result both intended and unintended AND created a step by step implementation plan that considers required schedule, rulebook, and PnP changes AND considers the impact on our priceless volunteer resources it is finally time to convince your friend. Once you have convinced your friends you all spread out and convince the rest of the membership any way you can. I would suggest looking them in the eye and having a conversation at Conference events.
5) Propose your improvement at club rule change meetings knowing that it will pass because you have already gotten out and beat the bushes for popular support by patiently explaining it's merits to everyone who would listen.
6) Make yourself and your accumulated knowledge available at Fall and Spring ICSCC meeting time to explain your revision to the Executive Board of the ICSCC and answer any fears they have about it's appeal to the members, any contradictions it causes in administrating races, and its potential to raise or lower car counts and the economic effect that might have long term. The ICSCC E-Board is not anti-change and they are not trying to ruin anyone's enjoyment of racing - they are simply very careful not to squander the great legacy that was passed down to them after several decades of careful planning.
Sounds like hard work doesn't it? That's what it takes and somebody would have to actually hitch themselves to the plow to get it done.
Or, conversely, you can make petty grumbles on the Conference Forum and complain about how nobody listens to you and apparently nobody else wants to do the work that you don't want to do either so it's best to just ***** until you bait the windbag enough to post a long dismissive rant and then it goes away, all sound and fury signifying nothing.
It doesn't matter how altruistic or self serving someone's motives are it is always a lot more work to win the hearts and minds of your peers and bring about actual change than it is to sit back and complain about the way things are and the stupidity of those who are committing the sin of being happy with the way things are.
If the schedule isn't the way you want it, blame yourself. We are a member directed club that has policies and procedures specifically dedicated to preserving MEMBER control over Conference. Unlike many club racing sanctioning bodies across the country we have nobody but ourselves to blame if we aren't happy.
It's simple - if you want something to change there are some very basic steps you can take to make a change.
1) Enter Conference Races - nobody is going to take you very seriously if you complain all the time about the way we run our races but you never enter any.
2) Make Friends - we are as friendly a group as any I have ever been in contact with. Immerse yourself in Conference society, associate with people who share your vision of a better Conference.
3) Identify a problem - make sure that what you perceive as a problem isn't just personal dissatisfaction or an irrational need for the drama that change can bring. You are doing Conference and yourself service if you are truly interested in making things better. No system is perfect so constant analysis is welcome provided it is constructive and productive.
4) Come up with a fully thought out solution - even your friends are not really interested in diagnosing your unhappiness and then investing their own time and effort just to make you happy. Where I come from that is described as lazy and self centered. Maybe it is described as something different in other places. WRITE a fully detailed proposal that others can read, critique, and improve.
4) Sell, sell, sell - now that you have identified a problem that is real AND conceived a solution that will solve that problem AND done your best to consider all of the consequences that will result both intended and unintended AND created a step by step implementation plan that considers required schedule, rulebook, and PnP changes AND considers the impact on our priceless volunteer resources it is finally time to convince your friend. Once you have convinced your friends you all spread out and convince the rest of the membership any way you can. I would suggest looking them in the eye and having a conversation at Conference events.
5) Propose your improvement at club rule change meetings knowing that it will pass because you have already gotten out and beat the bushes for popular support by patiently explaining it's merits to everyone who would listen.
6) Make yourself and your accumulated knowledge available at Fall and Spring ICSCC meeting time to explain your revision to the Executive Board of the ICSCC and answer any fears they have about it's appeal to the members, any contradictions it causes in administrating races, and its potential to raise or lower car counts and the economic effect that might have long term. The ICSCC E-Board is not anti-change and they are not trying to ruin anyone's enjoyment of racing - they are simply very careful not to squander the great legacy that was passed down to them after several decades of careful planning.
Sounds like hard work doesn't it? That's what it takes and somebody would have to actually hitch themselves to the plow to get it done.
Or, conversely, you can make petty grumbles on the Conference Forum and complain about how nobody listens to you and apparently nobody else wants to do the work that you don't want to do either so it's best to just ***** until you bait the windbag enough to post a long dismissive rant and then it goes away, all sound and fury signifying nothing.