Dick -

I agree. Any complaint from a person who has never volunteered their time should be met with a certain amount of skepticism. But I do disagree with the notion that event fees (club racing or otherwise), regional dues, and the financial viability of a region are separate issues. There are no separate/individual bank accounts for "typical region operating expenses," "club racing revenue," and "autox revenue."

Tom -

First of all, I have a problem with the notion that the people "volunteering" their time get zero benefit in return, and do it 100% out of the generosity of their heart. At least at *some* level, it's a hobby for those that do not drive just the same. Second, the speculation that it would cost us far more to participate in the club if we had paid employees is nothing but speculation at best. I know of another club that does pay their employees, and has the explicit mission of making money, and are at least comparable in cost to SCCA. Factually stating that our entry fees would at minimum triple is, and i mean this in the nicest possible way, oh......, i dunno, stupid??? In addition, despite your optimistic view of the operational effeciency of the club, there is most definitely money to be saved in the way we do things.

One thing i will agree with is that in a volunteer organization, yes, you do get what you get, and it's very hard to criticize those who offer up their services. But the idea that we should......damnit....i lost my train of thought....i got interrupted with something else that made me mad.