Region dues

[lateapex911]

Jake buddy, I hope you get one of those annoying kernnals stuck between your teeth. How's that popcorn now?

Ha! you're just jealous of my web mastery skills! I bet you couldn't get a popcorn eater to appear! Go ahead, take a crack!

I'm staying in the audience for this show, although there have been some fat pitches thrown that have been tempting! back to the grind. Tapping the flywheel awaits me.!

[AE86ITA]

Hello everyone:
Here goe the WHY I asked about regional dues. Puerto Rico is now an SCCA region and it's dues have been set at $150.00, we are going through a very hard transition because here there is another Road Racing organization that has been present for the las 35 years and have used the SCCA categories and somewhat accommodate them to our local scenario, and they run under the FIA umbrella.

I just found out that here we are less than 30 SCCA members and in order to cover for much of the racing expenses the regional dues must be enough to at least to break even. I am trying to do my part and promote new members.

I am completely convinced that once we locally start with a strong autocross program and the local Rally club join, we will become a much stronger region but until then we are stuck with a very steep regional due.

I did not mean for you guy to start flaming your regions but at the same time I admired your courage to speak what in your mind, and that does not make any bit of anti SCCA but on the contrary very much in favor.

Thanks you,

[dickita15]

Wow at $150 it will be pretty tough to grow membership. With most region dues is not a big fundraiser. Events that are well run and well attended build up the war chest a lot more. I guess I can understand that the region feels they need to raise some start up money but this may have the opposite effect where membership is required to run events.

[tom_sprecher]

Regrettably I got off course earlier here but I just wanted to add something after allowing myself to get my Irish up and was too lazy to start another post. And to be honest I don't think the subjects of regional dues and regional expenses are too dissimilar that they can not be discussed in the same light. To that end, the cost increase to pay every volunteer has piqued my curiosity and I would like to do a quick study of other racing regions experiences. If any of you are involved with the executive or race boards for your region if you could chime in that would be great.

1. How many volunteers does it take (or should take) to put on a race at a track with say 12-14 corner stations and the GCR required number of support staff?
2. Is your EV and Med staffed by volunteers or paid personnel?
3. How many volunteers does it take to cover regional administration?
4. What would be a fair wage that you would pay to acquire and retain trained personnel based on their level of expertise?
5. How many volunteers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
6. If anyone with NASA experience can make a comparison on the above questions that would be helpful.

Depending on the responses I'll start another thread or keep it here if that's OK. Thanks.

[jjjanos]

1. How many volunteers does it take (or should take) to put on a race at a track with say 12-14 corner stations and the GCR required number of support staff?
2. Is your EV and Med staffed by volunteers or paid personnel?
3. How many volunteers does it take to cover regional administration?
4. What would be a fair wage that you would pay to acquire and retain trained personnel based on their level of expertise?
5. If anyone with NASA experience can make a comparison on the above questions that would be helpful.

Summit Point has 11 flag stations (10 corners + S/F). In theory, we could get by with 6 of them staffed(1,3, 5,8,10, SF) so 12 people. Comfort suggests that 10 stations should be staffed and some of them require more than the GCR minimum of 2 people - call it 25 at the absolute bare minimum and that would mean NOBODY across the track. Figure 20 hours at $8-$10/hour (factoring in wages, taxes, insurance, permits, etc.).

[jjjanos]

I just found out that here we are less than 30 SCCA members and in order to cover for much of the racing expenses the regional dues must be enough to at least to break even. I am trying to do my part and promote new members.

I think I have found the problem... the dues shouldn't be subsidizing the racing programs. If it costs you $10K to put on an event and you get 100 entries, the entry fee should be pretty darn close to $100 for the event. Region dues should be set to cover the cost of having the member and the benefits associated with being a member, i.e. newsletters, a Region website, storing records, non-racing equipment, creating a rainy day fund for off-season expenses, etc.

IMO, Regions shouldn't be putting on events that lose money on a regular basis unless there is some hope of turning a surplus on the event.

I am completely convinced that once we locally start with a strong autocross program and the local Rally club join, we will become a much stronger region but until then we are stuck with a very steep regional due.

Why isn't the autocross program self-sufficient? Is it start up costs? Is it operation costs? The first needs seed money or possibly rent/borrow equipment from another club. The second is a fast way to bankrupt your Region.

[gran racing]

Like Dick said, it really seems like you've got to reduce those membership fees. Between the region fee and then tack on the other national fees...eeek!

Might there be any value for this other Road Racing organization to merge with your SCCA region?

Are there any other fund raisers you could do to help raise some capital? Contact other regions for ideas, and the National office (Mike Dickerson is fantastic to work with and has a wealth of ideas on these types of subjects).

Where abouts in PR is the region located / looking to host various events?

[tom_sprecher]

Travis - you're a financial analyst overseeing billions of dollars in annual spend on a daily basis, right? In the US, on average, what % is the total of every cost associated with labor (salaries, wages, other compension, taxes, benefits, insurance, 401k matching, etc.) with repsect a companies to total revenue? Just ballpark it.

[tnord]

Travis - you're a financial analyst overseeing billions of dollars in annual spend on a daily basis, right? In the US, on average, what % is the total of every cost associated with labor (salaries, wages, other compension, taxes, benefits, insurance, 401k matching, etc.) with repsect a companies to total revenue? Just ballpark it.

not a valid question. this will vary way too much across industries.

without getting into proprietary information.....i can say if SCCA wanted to provide benefits to their employees should they go this way, i bet it would add about 50% to the labor cost.

[tom_sprecher]

I just though since you do financial analysis in "real life" you might have an idea of what the US average would be. It seems like a valid question to me since the term "average" would do just that across all industries.

But that's OK, if you don't know, I'll just Google it.

[tnord]

I just though since you do financial analysis in "real life" you might have an idea of what the US average would be. It seems like a valid question to me since the term "average" would do just that across all industries.

except in real life you don't care about the national average, you care about how you're positioned within the industry.

[Andy Bettencourt]

The volunteer issue has gone a little too far. It's actually a very simple thing:

1. Everyone is entitled to their opinion
2. No one person has all the answers
3. Volunteers need to be open to ideas
4. Non-volunteers need to understand that critisism without alternate ideas/solutions is NOT productive
5. When a volunteer asks 'you' to become part of the solution, it means focusing some of your energy on HELPING make things better

Most volunteers do what they do because they want to do the best they can - and probably started because they saw something they thought they could improve.

NV's need to remember that V's are trying there best in most cases...and V's need to remember that just because they are a V - doesn't entitle them to not try their best.

[RX3]

If Toni has set your Regional dues at that rate he has priced it to high for most people. Your member are going to come from people that want to solo and just want to be member and $150 is alot just to be a member of the Puerto Rico Region. And remember your National dues would come on top of that. And you can be a member for just the weekend for $10.

Hello everyone:
Here goe the WHY I asked about regional dues. Puerto Rico is now an SCCA region and it's dues have been set at $150.00, we are going through a very hard transition because here there is another Road Racing organization that has been present for the las 35 years and have used the SCCA categories and somewhat accommodate them to our local scenario, and they run under the FIA umbrella.

I just found out that here we are less than 30 SCCA members and in order to cover for much of the racing expenses the regional dues must be enough to at least to break even. I am trying to do my part and promote new members.

I am completely convinced that once we locally start with a strong autocross program and the local Rally club join, we will become a much stronger region but until then we are stuck with a very steep regional due.

I did not mean for you guy to start flaming your regions but at the same time I admired your courage to speak what in your mind, and that does not make any bit of anti SCCA but on the contrary very much in favor.

Thanks you,

[AE86ITA]

If Toni has set your Regional dues at that rate he has priced it to high for most people. Your member are going to come from people that want to solo and just want to be member and $150 is alot just to be a member of the Puerto Rico Region. And remember your National dues would come on top of that. And you can be a member for just the weekend for $10.

The way I see it regional dues shoould be just to cover the administrative cost that takes to maintain ones membership such as;

• paper
• ink
• stamps
• staples
• provide SCCA regional support
• etc

So far the only approach that SCCA has taken is the Club Racing and I am confident that once the autocross gets going those will be the bigger crowd. Events should be self financed and if running club racing is too expensive to run then that crowd should carry the bigger load .