Recruiting worker volunteers...

[ulfelder]

Slepyhed, thanks - this specific feedback from one who's flagged before is really valuable.

Steve U
05 ITS

[lateapex911]

See? I told you! $50 bucks is 50 bucks!

So I see some great ideas...

1-mo' money....

2-Worker rides in race cars! How cool is that ! I have a seat in my car..I would love to give rides all lunch long... I'd even behave.

3- Name tags...I think we are all one big family, but there is a gap between drivers and others, and the rides and name tags would help connect the two halves. Pictures of our cars on the name tags is critical.

But those points work towards keeping and improving the position...but do little for actual recruiting...

Hmmmm..

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[RacerBill]

I know that there have been many positive comments made on this thread. Please bear with me for a moment to relate a very negative experience I had this year. I know that this is not the norm, but it is a very good example of how not to treat volunteers. I am a 20 year member, having worked all those years in several specialties, however, I originally started with SCCA in 1966, again, as a worker. I just recently completed my drivers' school requirements to race, but since the car is not done, I worked most of the races at Mid-Ohio this year. In October (Mid-Ohio in October, right?) I showed up at my workers post and was promptly told by the specialty chief that I was not on their 'list', that they had a full crew and would not be needed. Now, just to let you know how things on the volunteer side work, this person had received at one time, a National Worker of the Year award!

I served as a specialty chief for 18 years and never treated anyone who came out to work that way. I always found a way to get them involved, feel useful and learn something about racing and SCCA. I retired from that specialty after having had to work a complete weekend by myself, and having only one visitor on Saturday from the race committee check to see if I needed anything.

Down off the soap box. I believe that one should not voice negative comments without any positive ones. I remember back in the 60's when I was involved in flagging, we made a really big deal when one of our group received a license upgrade - presentation at the track in front of the whole group. Regions could do this in their newsletters, too. How about National modifying the specialty patches so that the license level (Regional, Divisional, National, Senior) could be added? How about the F&C groups (Lake Erie, IRO) adding this to their patches? BTW, I still have my New York Region Flagmob patch that I got with my first license.

Also, please don't forget all the other specialties besides F&C. They are much less glamorous and probably need more care and feeding.

[almracing]

Know what can help retain workers and is free? A Thank-You from drivers. I am sure like any volunteer they simply want to be appreciated.

My most memorable Thank-You that I gave was to a flagger. I was a rookie driver and did not notice a much faster car closing in on me. The frantic waving of the blue flag caught my attention and probably saved my butt. I made sure I thanked him for his enthusiastic flag waving.

Anthony R.
ITA #86 NER

[RKramden]

Originally posted by RacerBill:

Also, please don't forget all the other specialties besides F&C. They are much less glamorous and probably need more care and feeding.

Might be one of the reasons that some drivers wave to T&S just before they pit at NHIS. Maybe you cannot see in to see who is there, but they have an excelent view of you, and they talk about who waves and who doesn't.

Me, I bring them candy, and on occasion a beer or three at the end of the day.

[Pellegrino Family]

I have been out of NER for a number of years and would love to get involved again, perhaps as a worker. A lot of things have changed and I'm not sure if corner working would be a good idea for my husband and myself. He is disabled and I have recently had surgery on a leg to be able to walk again. What behind the scenes positions are open at this point? We'd love to help in such a way as to still be able to be involved in spectating Raymond and Stephen's racing where possible. At this time, membership is an issue as the holidays are always a drain on folks and medical bills are high for us. Please feel free to email us with ways that we can be involved to make racing in the NE continue in the way it has for so many years. One area we'd be interested in helping would be to man booths at shows to help recruit workers. I always loved that scene (as you all know when I had my RST booths). At any rate, tell us where we can help.

Trish and Bob

[KelleyHux]

As you think about recruting, one of the things that has worked well for us in MiDiv (with longer travel distances than some) is to work out a "bed & breakfast" with fellow workers/drivers. In this scenario, those who live close to the track (30-45 mins) have opened their homes and allowed folks to stay for free. Breakfast may be nothing more than grabbing a bagel on the way out the door, but it's another small gesture at reducing the "out of town" costs.

Some drivers in our division will provide a worker transportation and lodging for a weekend in an effort to reduce the costs. The lodging may be just an airbed on the floor of a trailer, or it may be a spare bed in a motel room - but it helps to defray expenses, and provide camraderie on the trip to the track and back.

And, let's face it - our sport becomes much more fun when you know more people and feel like you are truly part of a big family!

Kelley Huxtable
DMVR
"PLAY SAFE"

[Pellegrino Family]

We live only 10 miles from NHIS and would be happy to open our home for overnight guests from SCCA if need be. Our only down on that is that we ask that alcohol not be brought into our home. Sorry guys, but kicking the habit it tough. The $ idea is great, but where would that come from? Increased entry fees? Aren't entry fees for the drivers pricey as it is? What if a discount were offered to drivers who brought in a worker? For example, the drivers give a potential worker a coupon for working. That coupon has the driver's name on it. It must be presented when the worker registers. Those coupons are collected by registration and a credit toward the next event given to that driver. If his groupies, so to speak, are really into seeing him or her race, they'd do this as a sponsorship effort. I know that we would work every event if it meant that our favorite two drivers got discounts for our working.
Recruiting at colleges is a great idea. There is the tech in Concord, NH as well as the law school. Those kids don't even know SCCA exists for the most part. As mentioned in our previous post, we'd be glad to set up an SCCA display in the Concord area on occasion during the winter if you guys can arrange it. Maybe your local racers would even pull the cars out of storage for look sees. What about Mall displays. Those used to happen a lot back in the late 80's.

[Pellegrino Family]

Found a glitch in my idea for worker coupons/driver credit.
1st of all, the driver does not get the credit until the worker has worked at least half the day and has had the chief of that specialty put his name on a list that he/she has done so. That list is then compared to the coupons then credit is given.
2nd of all, the driver should at least buy that worker lunch and/or supper for getting him/her the discount.

I really think this could work, especially if the drivers want the safest possible conditions under which to run. It puts a lot of recruiting on to them, but then again, they want people to see them run, right?

Also, I think a group should be started online somewhere of those interested in putting up drivers, crews, workers, etc. in the vicinity of race tracks for bed/breakfast type accommodations with pictures of what the setup would be. This is done quite often near hospitals and other facilities for visiting families.

Hope to hear more ideas on worker recruitment and how we can help up here in Na Hamsha.

[datadude]

This is a problem over the entire country. Please also remember that F&S is NOT the only volunteer force. There are many other volunteers besides F&C.

[dickita15]

dude, we understand this is more than a local problem and while we have some spotty shortages in other specialties F&C is our biggest problem. when we are short in other areas we need to work around the problems but when we are short in F&C the race itself is threatened.
dick

[emwavey]

Originally posted by lateapex911:
See? I told you! $50 bucks is 50 bucks!

So I see some great ideas...

1-mo' money....

2-Worker rides in race cars! How cool is that ! I have a seat in my car..I would love to give rides all lunch long... I'd even behave.

3- Name tags...I think we are all one big family, but there is a gap between drivers and others, and the rides and name tags would help connect the two halves. Pictures of our cars on the name tags is critical.

But those points work towards keeping and improving the position...but do little for actual recruiting...

Hmmmm..

I agree with Jake, and yeah I'd agree to behave too... how about letting them drive their own cars in a follow the leader capacity?


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-dave
8) <A HREF="http://www.nerdsracing.com
Got" TARGET=_blank>http://www.nerdsracing.com
Got</A> Photos?... post 'em here: http://y3k.shacknet.nu:31338/gallery/

[dickita15]

Originally posted by emwavey:

I agree with Jake, and yeah I'd agree to behave too... how about letting them drive their own cars in a follow the leader capacity?

we do that. it is called track tours. we stole the idea from Road America. about 20 minutes at the end of the day. $5 per car load, workers free.
dick

[datadude]

Paying workers is not the answer. It would be hard to say ok pay f&c and not anyone else. You would lose the other specialties. Also the event region would be running around passing out W9's if you are giving them checks and if you are giving them cash you have to justify it in your books. Figure every corner and multiple by at least two and then what you want to pay them and put that in the race budget, but be prepared to pay all specialties. If there is no medical personnel - there no race, no starteres - no race, no stewards - no race etc. With the cost of putting on races this is not a truly equitable fix. The person that has to pay for it would be the driver in their entries. Didn't I read that LRP fees are going up and no one was liking it.

[This message has been edited by datadude (edited November 23, 2004).]

[bg43wex]

Let me state for the record, New England Region of the SCCA is a not for profit volunteer organization.

we will not be paying cash, checks or charge cards to our volunteer workers.

This thread is very important and should be kept going, the ideas will help but please stop considering paying the membership.

gifts and incentives in lu of cash is how we should direct our creative energies.

Cash should only be used in the most extreme circumstances, it really does drive the comptroller crazy. and I believe change our organiztional status.

thanx Brian Mushnick

[therooster]

Other organizations have gotten a little creative and while they do not pay workers, they do reimburse them for a set amount of reasonable expenses. This money then comes from the event petty cash fund.

Brian I know this does not help.

Chris

[EV]

I posted this on another site:

I think that recognition is what workers need most.

The first year I worked EV I didn’t miss but one event. I stayed on station the whole day and did everything that was asked of me and more. At the end of the season another new person that, was also a driver, received the rookie of the year award. Even he was surprised because he was only there half the time because he was either racing or getting ready to race.

It was a blow to my ego as I initiated the contact with the region to get into this sport and arrived early and stayed late.

It turns out the chief was basically driven out because of this and several other actions, but if I didn’t really enjoy what I did, I might have bailed on the whole idea.

I have heard that in my region it takes a very long time to get a license upgrade for F&C. That is one of the reasons I think people leave.

If you don’t recognize your volunteers, they won’t stick around with all the other things you can spend your time on.


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Enjoy,
Bill

[RSTPerformance]

From the CCPS: www.carolinacupproseries.com

The CCPS is proud to present the Fast Five Shootout for 2004. The top 5 qualifiers names will be placed in a hat. All of the workers names for the CCPS event will be placed in another hat. 1 racers name will be drawn and 1 workers name will be drawn. These will be paired together for the CCPS race. The WORKER paired with the winning racer will win $100 cash!! If someone outside the top 5 qualifiers wins the race, the prize will be carried over to the next event. If a winner has not been determined by the final event a random drawing will be held.

Thought this was about the most ineteresting sponsorship I have seen in a long long time....

Rymond

[THawkbh]

Hey guys, Im kinda new here, and to racing. Only been in it for 3 years now. I live fairly close to LRP and would be willing to volunteer at a race that Im not driving in. I'm still in school so I ownt be able to help out untill late may/early june, but if your ever short, or think you might need me, send me an email. Just a side note: I'm slightly dyslexic so timing/scoring might not be a good place for me to help out.
Email address: [email protected]