<VV> The tent & PR

[James P. Rice]

All:  I was on the CORSA BoD when the tent idea was brought up and I voted
for it.  I think Seth was also.  AIRI, all of us recognized the tent would
only be useful if chapters used it.  I know it was used several times while
I was on the BoD, but obviously don't know it's location or usage these
days.  But as Bob said, it "was then and remains today a good idea --
executed miserably."  Only chapters with some vision can actually change
that.  How many car shows this past summer and yet this fall do we know
about on V-V with CORSA chapter participation which have used the tent and
the promotional material which could be made available?

Is zip the correct number?  Excluding what Pete Koehler did.

I actually do not remember Ron being against the tent at the time.  I'm
reasonably certain someone could go back and check the Communiques for the
BoD minutes and see what the vote totals were.  But I had other concerns at
the time, so my not remembering is, at least to my mind, understandable.  Of
course, it was only nine or ten years ago.  "Your results my vary" as
someone is fond of saying.

Back then, at the time of the tent vote, there were "knife fights in dark
ally's" (KFIDA's) going on over/with/because of CPF.  I was heavily involved
with in the KFIDA's, generally involving Ron and one or two other BoD
members.  To this day, I think those two or three BoD members wanted to turn
the Corvair Preservation Foundation into the CORSA Promotion Foundation,
with the CPF staff committee being charged with the responsibility of
organizing, promoting and either hauling or arrange for the movement of CPF
assets around the country to shows.  That is not what CPF's charter is.  And
do you really want just anybody hauling the Super Monza, 5999 or the Fitch
around the country?

IMHO, the difference between Ron as a person and Hank is that Ron always
conducted himself respectfully and honorably in the midst of the KFIDA's.  I
never got a single abusive, abrasive, vindictive, hyper-critical, insulting,
vulgar and profanity laced e-mail from him - or anybody else I had contact
with other the years - as I have from Hank.  The first one came when he was
V-V chairman.  I was stunned.  My observation is that maybe the Eastern Div
members did CORSA a great service by rejecting him as a CORSA/CPF BoD member
on two occasions.  It is hard enough being a board member without feeling
the need to take a shower because of someone's vocabulary.

Now I must confess Hank seems to have cooled down some, which I attribute to
his serious health issues.  He may not have the energy to expend these days.
What I have been doing is praying for both his health issues and that he
will find the peace in his heart, the lack of which, IMHO, contributes to
his abusive, abrasive, vindictive, hyper-critical, insulting, vulgar and
profanity laced (generally private) e-mails.

And I will also acknowledge Hank's contribution to the Corvair hobby with
the book, and that occasionally some of his rants are understandable.  He
sometimes accurately articulates, in his own "style", what "ought to be".
The sever degree of difficulty is getting from "what ought to be" to "what
is".  IIRC, Hank was a medic in 'Nam, and served us and his soldiers with
bravery and honor.  I salute him and honor him for that also.

I did not then and do not now disagree with the idea of a PR/promotional
type person.  (Can it be true? I agree essentially with Hank and Mark and
Bob at the same time?!  Is the end of the world as we know it near?  Has
Hades froze over?!)  This idea has been suggested many times.  Even back
when the tent was bought.  Imagine that.  The trick is to find someone who
has the heart for the job, as it will require many thankless hours each week
to do it successfully.  Anybody out there with the heart, talent and 20
hours a week to do it?  You might also need to be retired and independently
wealthy so you can pay your own expenses.

Didn't think so.

And let me say again, unless you are on the BoD, you do not know what their
thoughts are.  You do not know what sequence of "ought to be's" they are
working on.  Unless, of course, you know how to bug their phones and tap
into their computers.  Expecting the BoD to respond to any of us with "their
plans for bringing CORSA to fiscal solvency," or any other of the "ought to
be's" expressed here is simply ludicrous and unreasonable.  Even if you are
like Mark, a former President of CORSA, back in 197something.

And let me also suggest we probably expect to much of those twelve
volunteers.  We want them, on behalf of us, to analysis completely, plan
strategically, implement the necessary policies and procedures required, and
then personally accomplish each task.  To much folks.  The hours in a day,
indeed a lifetime, are finite.  No twelve people can do all that we in the
spectator stands are hollering for them to do.  Reduce the volume and
volunteer to manage the tent travels.  Reduce the volume and...what?

We need both the "Thinkers" and the "Doers".  I've been reading this past
summer about the American Revolution.  You can count on both hands the
thinkers, on one hand the firebrands, on several hands the
implementers/leaders and thousands of hands the men and occasional women who
took their musket off the wall and went off to war.  We, as a hobby car
club, have how many of each?

Now you can reply the BoD are the "Thinkers", and the Committee Chairs are
the "Doers". Have you ever volunteered to be a Committee Chair, or to help a
Committee Chair?  Their hours in a day are also finite

We expect twelve BoD members and 13 Committee Chairman to do it all.  Not
fair. Not reasonable.

Say, anyone notice the membership Chairmanship is, and has been, vacant for
months.  Gee, seems to me there is an opportunity there for someone to put
their butt where their mouth is.  Any takers out there amoung the shouters?!

Didn't think so.

I am packing to attend the funeral of an aunt in SW Michigan, which will be
followed with a trip to visit some of our kids & g'kids.  I will not be back
on line till Monday at the earliest.

Have at it.

	Historically Yours,
                   James Rice
                   CORSA member since mid-70's
                   Former Chairman of the Competition Committee
                   Member of original CPF Advisorary Committee
                   CORSA/CPF BoD member and CPF Liaison 1999-01
                   Occasional contributor to the Communique

PS:  And Bob is absolutely correct in his comments about Pete Koehler did
this summer.  If you have not said thanks to him, you should.  I hope CPF
paid him back for his expenses.  Last I knew, they haven't.  Nice way to
treat a volunteer.  Oh Wait!!  I'm shouting!!

Nite you'll.  Sleep tight and not let the bed bugs bite.  Oops!  That's not
funny anymore.

 ********************************************************

Message: 7
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:03:42 -0400
From: "Mark Corbin" <airvair at earthlink.net>
Subject: <VV> Lack of PR, was:  Hank, the Book, the Canopy, and the Director
To: "Vairtec Corporation" <Vairtec at optonline.net>,
	virtualvairs at corvair.org
Cc: Corsabod <corsabod at corvair.org>

I've privately been talking to various members lately and this is what I've
been able to decipher. The whole problem is that CORSA doesn't have a
designated "PR Chairman" position, and particularly someone who would have
free reign in promoting CORSA. If anyone DOES do some  promotion, or even
tries to expedite some efforts in that vein, often times some of the board
officers take a "not invented here" position and get all ticked off about
it. They should be looking in the mirror to see who's dragging their feet
and hindering PR efforts, and who's trying to make some beneficial
contributions to the club. Any effort or idea to promote CORSA should be
pursued, as "there's no such thing as bad publicity."

One CORSA director has made some real efforts in getting museum displays
worked up, been working with Hemmings, and even made efforts to promote
CORSA. But what CORSA needs is for EVERYone to do the same, and for the
directors to enthusiastically ASSIST in that effort, and in a timely
fashion. But in truth, they don't. Instead, they throw cold water on such
efforts and/or sit on their hands and do nothing. And heaven forbid if they
don't like somebody or his idea.

We're all supposed to be on the same team here, people! Stop acting like
rulers of your own little fifedoms. Get over your egos and prejudices, and
stop shooting the messenger. CORSA cannot survive when this kind of behavior
from the board is what happens behind the scenes.

BTW, to date, I have not heard from any board member (other than one,
concerning increasing membership via PR) as to their plans for bringing
CORSA to fiscal solvency, per my previously posted challenge. Maybe they
really DON'T have a plan.....

-Mark (resident lightning rod)

> [Original Message]
> From: Vairtec Corporation <Vairtec at optonline.net>
> Subject: <VV> Hank, the Book, the Canopy, and the Director
>
> In follow-up to a message posted on VV by Hank Kaczmarek I now write:
>
> Was the Corvair Basics book a good idea?  Indeed it was.
>
> Does that mean that it should have been automatically approved in
> advance by all directors?  No, it does not.
>
> The one former director whose past decisions still irritate Hank voted
> the way he saw fit.  The book was approved.  So it wasn't unanimous.
> Most such decisions aren't.
>
> Since Hank noted that the director in question is a friend of mine, I
> will expand:  He is a 35-year member of my local chapter, and a past
> officer of the chapter.  We are friends, but we have disagreed,
> sometimes greatly, on everything from club matters to national
> politics.  But -- here's the key -- we respect each other's individual
> thinking and opinions.  That enabled us, for example, to work together
> on last year's 50th anniversary event, even though our thoughts on what
> the event should be were wildly different.
>
> As for the CORSA canopy, it was then and remains today a good idea --
> executed miserably.  Did you notice this summer's "CPF Tour" conceived,
> organized, and conducted by Pete Koehler?  The idea behind the CORSA
> canopy was similar -- use it to put CORSA in front of non-CORSA members,
> at non-CORSA events such as those Pete visited this year.  The problem
> was then and is now, few are willing to do the sort of things that Pete
> did this summer, so the canopy went to waste.  That's not the fault of
> the individual who thought up the idea, it's the fault of the balance of
> the Board that approved it without a plan of action and it's the fault
> of all the rest of us who contribute to CORSA's naval-gazing mindset.
>
> The Basics book succeeded, but it was still badly underutilized.  It
> should have been on display and available for purchase under that canopy
> at major car shows and events such as those Pete visited this year.  It
> should have been a prominent feature on the CORSA home page, so that
> first-time visitors to the site would find this helpful resource right
> off the bat.  It should have been offered as an available title to
> auto-related booksellers.  Instead, it was rather routinely promoted
> within the existing hobby.
>
> Pete Koehler this summer got more public exposure for the CPF, for
> CORSA, and for the Corvair hobby in general than anyone has ever
> gotten.  He sold a significant quantity of CORSA merchandise.  He did
> these things to demonstrate that they can be done.  They should have
> been done beginning ten years ago, with that canopy.  My fear is that
> now, with Pete having completed his tour, the ball will now be dropped.
> A cohesive plan for 2011 and beyond is needed.
>
> --Bob Marlow
>