The Regional Executive's Blog
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 | | Posted by: Regional Executive | Friday, July 02, 2010 | I can't believe it's July already. The racing season is in high gear (pun intended), and the weather is the standard mid-Atlantic HOT HOT HOT with a side order of pea soup thick humidity.
That said, I wish our participation numbers were as hot as the weather. Instead, we are seeing down numbers in all disciplines.
What does that mean for our 2010 budget?
I'll just be blunt. We are on course for a budget result like last year's. As of the June financials, we are down $20,000 as compared to what we budgeted, and it's only midseason.
Since December, the Board has been monitoring expenditures very carefully and doing what we can to mitigate or eliminate them not just for this year but also in the future. What is hurting us the most, though, is the lack of entries at our events.
But you can help. Really.
Encourage your friends to participate! This sport, and this club, really, is no fun without both competition AND friendship/camaraderie. There is a direct correlation here: as race groups and classes dwindle, the competition and camaraderie dwindle, too. Who wants to race against their ghost car (e.g. Grand Turismo)? Who wants to watch single cars lap a track/course? Who wants to organize events for single car classes?
No one.
At some level, this as much a vicious-circle problem as any. I realize the down economy has sucked many people's disposable income dry. But racers have a passion that never dies...feed the passion and
get it to grow again.
If we don't increase participation, my presentation at the Annual Membership Meeting in October will be the bleakest a WDCR RE will have had to give to date.
I am sorry for the bad news. It seemed prudent to tell you all now while we still have an opportunity to do something about it.
Cheers.
-Evanthe
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Comments (2)
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Re: State of the WDCR Union | By wdcrhistory on Wednesday, July 07, 2010 | Evanthe,
This is no consolation when fac ing a deficiit situation, but our low participation is not unique, nor is it solely related to the economy. Not all, but some of the reasons are sociological.
My wife and I are members of a 30+ year-old community theater group in Frederick. I was lucky; I was president during our most successful seasons (not my doing at all), but I feel for the current president. Attendance is WAY off -- not only for our theater group, but for many others. The attendance is so bad that there's a valid concern over whether the group can continue to exist. Nor is this phenomenon limited to just racing and theater.
Our Marlboro Reunion at the Jefferson 500 might be an example. We had 200 (and friedns) Marlboro veterans there in 2009, but only 105 in 2010! And I am seeing less chatter on e-mails.
Several years ago, author Robert Putnam made a splash in both the business world and sociology world with his book, "Bowling Alone." This very readable volume is about the disengagement from many different forms of social interaction (illustrated by the fact that there are more people than ever before... bowling alone.) Maybe you don't think of racing as social interaction (especially when there's 'metal-to-metal') but I would suggest it's at least related.
The only thing I can suggest (other than encouraging friends to participate) is to consider ways the events could provide something beyond their basic purpose, whether racing, rallying, etc. What is it that people get out of the participation? I don't have a simple answer, but I do suggest there might be additional reasons people race or rally or do solo beyond just tnhe obvious. Perhaps a carefully designed survey of our current participants would be a good idea... What got THEM to come out?
Anyway, I just thought I'd share my two-cents' worth.
Steve Lloyd, WDCR Historian |
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Re: State of the WDCR Union | By juli on Saturday, July 17, 2010 | Evanthe,
I was at Summit Point a few weeks back at an event called HYPERFEST, which is put by another group of people. The place was packed, between the HYPERFEST activities and 24 hours of LEMONS, it was a mad house. Here's something to think about every person that was there spectators, friends and family had to pay $20.00 at the gate to get in.
I was once told that the MARRs racing used to fill the spectator stands at the Point. Since I joined the SCCA and actively volunteer in the techshed, those stands stay fairly empty. Maybe if MARRs put on an event similar to HYPERFEST, but better, and charged $20.00 at the gate to get in, the shortfall might be eliminated.
Just a thought
Juli Brown, tech |
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