<VV> That CORSA display & "Corvair Basics" (New Members)

[RoboMan91324 at aol.com]

Bob,

Good post.  I looked at the link to the picture you provided and I doubt that 
the canopy was all that expensive to buy or ship.  I also agree that if used 
in what seems to have been its initially intended use, it would help to 
present a professional image to the general collector car public.  Setting up a 
couple of stained tables and teeter-totter chairs at an event is not the image 
that brings in new members or gains respect in general.

For "the powers that be" to refuse to send the canopy out for use at a 
general collector car event is ridiculous.  The investment has been made.  Why not 
use it?  The local chapter can share in the shipping cost.  Both CORSA and the 
local chapter will benefit (hopefully) from new members.  CORSA could pick up 
the shipping to Chapter "A" then Chapter "A" holds on to the canopy until it 
is needed by Chapter "B."  Chapter "A" pays for shipping to Chapter "B" and so 
on.  Of course, this assumes that there will be a trustworthy caretaker within 
each chapter.

I didn't even know that the canopy was available to the local chapters.  
(Maybe it isn't??)  If it were made known to the chapters it might give them some 
incentive to have a presence at general collector car events locally.  Maybe 
CORSA should limit the canopy's use to general events since that was its 
initial purpose.  Sending it to Corvair only events will not attract new members and 
will contribute to its inevitable deterioration.  

JMHO

Doc
~~~~~~~~~~
In a message dated 3/1/2005 8:50:11 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
virtualvairs-request at corvair.org writes:

> Message: 10
> Date: Tue, 01 Mar 2005 11:40:08 -0500
> From: "Robert Marlow, Vairtec Corp." <vairtec at optonline.net>
> Subject: <VV> Re: That CORSA display & "Corvair Basics"
> To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
> Message-ID: <6.1.2.0.0.20050301113835.01bcdc50 at mail.optonline.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
> 
> 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.
> 
> <big snip>
> 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.

> <another big snip>
> 
> 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