<VV> Re: That CORSA display & "Corvair Basics"

[Ron]

Thanks for the picture, Bob.  It looks relatively simple and light, if that 
canopy is the "Kiosk" that Hank refers to.  It couldn't have cost much, 
either.  The National in Portland will probably have lots of visitors from 
the surrounding area so can it be shipped there?
RonH

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Marlow, Vairtec Corp." <vairtec at optonline.net>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 8:40 AM
Subject: <VV> Re: That CORSA display & "Corvair Basics"


> This is a huge post, folks.  If you have no interest in CORSA politics and 
> promotion, move on.  Otherwise, please re-read Hank's message, below, 
> followed by my response.
>
> Hank wrote:
>
> I wonder how many members would have voted for a multi thousand dollar 
> expenditure for the "CORSA Kiosk",  the purpose of which was to bring in 
> new members in droves when erected at various events, shipped to such 
> places and shipping paid for by local chapters.  I have heard it was has 
> been used at the Fan Belt Toss, but other than at the National Conventions 
> (where everyone is usually already a member) I have never seen this thing 
> at any event. One of the reasons is that to make it durable, it is so 
> heavy that shipping it is cost prohibitive.
>
> As it turns out, this was a pet project of a former director, who has not 
> been a board member for several years now.  This same director refused 
> tooth and nail to approve funding for the Corvair Basics manual, (at the 
> time approximately 1500.00) personally citing to me on the phone "his 
> fiduciary duty to CORSA".  At the time I had no idea the white elephant 
> (IMO) kiosk was his personal idea.
>
> Also, The Corvair Basics Manual ( written, edited, and produced by V V 
> members exclusively) went into the black in around 6 months after it was 
> printed,  CORSA got their money back, and the profits will be used for 
> printing of other CORSA related books in the future.
>
> I once tried to get the director who pushed for  buying the kiosk but long 
> refused to vote funding for the CBM to talk to me in person about his 
> stand on the issue, but when I approached him he took off like a rabbit. 
> All I wanted to ask him was to supply a list of the new members that the 
> CORSA kiosk had produced, and what percentage of these new members dues 
> paid for this thing.  That was almost 5 years ago, and I still don't think 
> he wants to talk about it. Will CORSA ever recoup the money spent on this 
> thing?? Damn unlikely.
>
> Bob now replies:
>
> As Hank noted, the purpose of the CORSA display canopy was to bring in new 
> members when erected at various events.  What I think is missing in this 
> discussion, however, was that the director whose "pet project" this was 
> (and Hank and I both know of whom we are speaking here) was recommending 
> that this display be used not at CORSA events, but at outside, 
> general-interest old-car events such as Hershey, the Charlotte Autofair, 
> the Pomona swap meet, etc.  Secondarily, it was to be used at Corvair 
> events that were geared to the general public, such as mall shows.
>
> But we in the Corvair community are very insular, and we don't seek out 
> new members, we wait for them to find us.  This is where the CORSA display 
> canopy fell flat.  We failed and are still failing collectively and as 
> individuals to take responsibility for the display canopy and get out 
> there and work on behalf of CORSA at general-interest old-car events such 
> as Hershey, the Charlotte Autofair, the Pomona swap meet, etc.
>
> The director whose "pet project" this was thought that it was vital that 
> CORSA stop gazing at its bellybutton and start raising awareness of the 
> Corvair hobby.  You can argue whether or not the display canopy was the 
> right tool for the job, but the job needed to be done and still needs to 
> be done.  On this point that director was very nearly a lone voice in the 
> wilderness.
>
> As for the Corvair Basics book, despite my support for that project I 
> think it can be argued whether it too is the right tool for the job of 
> member recruitment.  We can't recruit a single person if we don't get that 
> book in front of them, and we can't do that without establishing a 
> presence at outside events, canopy or not.  CORSA may have recovered the 
> book's costs, but we did so by preaching to the choir.
>
> Frankly, if Hank is dissatisfied that he could not pin down the director 
> on the point of how many new members the canopy generated, he should be 
> similarly dissatisfied by the Basics book.  No one has a hard number on 
> how many new members it has generated, either.
>
> Anecdotally, in my local chapter obtained and used the CORSA display 
> canopy very effectively at a Saturday night speedway.  See
>
> http://www.corvair.org/chapters/njace/njace_wall_2001_TimCamper.jpg
>
> We sought to obtain it subsequently for a mall show, but it was not 
> available to us.  I got the impression at that time that it wasn't 
> available to us mostly because no one wanted to be bothered with what it 
> would take to ship it to us.  A membership recruitment opportunity lost.
>
> --Bob
>
>
> Robert W. Marlow
> Vairtec at optonline.net
>
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