This thread raises a lot of interesting points, many of which need no elaboration. That being said there is a lot to be gained by "giving back" to the club. I've worked the odd corner over the years and it certainly made me appreciate the effort our F&C folks put in each weekend.And I'll go +1 on the "it's interesting what you can learn about driving by standing on a corner and watching the really good drivers go through it"!
But there are other ways that you can volunteer that are rewarding and educational as well. Volunteer to teach at a drivers school is at the top of my list. The more instructors there are, the higher the quality of instruction in general because of more 1 on 1 time available to the students. The bonus is that most people find that trying to teach something to someone else usually results in a better understanding of the subject by the teacher!And there is the immense satisfaction of watching someone else do something well that you taught them! This has happened to me time and time again and it never gets old. There is also the flip side of this, those students who either need more instruction before being given a license to race; it is the instructor's call in most cases and it is tough to tell that wide-eyed student that they're NOT ready.
That sucks but it's for everyone's benefit. Or the students for whom OSB (other sports beckon). These are all very important responsibilities for driving instructors. If any of you have ever been on track with someone who really didn't belong out there and wondered who the hell let them through drivers school, then you understand. If you volunteer to teach, here's your chance to keep that from happening to someone else (or yourself down the road!).
There are other specialties that always need help, such as Tech, Sound Control, Registration, etc. I think we as racers tend to get tunnel vision once we arrive at the track and sometimes don't understand or appreciate all that it takes to put on an event. After 5 years of putting on the Production Car Festival at VIR in October, which is merely one race group of a much larger race weekend, I have a new found apprecation of what it takes to put on a successful weekend for the racers.
After 15 years of driving, I've decided to enter the SIT (Stewards in Training) program. I've always wanted to see what went on behind the scenes at the races from the Stewards' perspective. For so many years I've heard comments from drivers like how "Steward so and so is a no-good, rotten, clueless SOB" and by entering the SIT program and working toward becoming one of those no-good rotten, clueless SOBs maybe I can make future events better. Who knows.
In sum, nobody should be forced to volunteer at any event, IMHO. Working corners for novice permit holders is more of an educational component in my mind, so that is a different situation. But there is a lot to be gained for drivers to work events and it helps ensure that the club will sustain through this difficult economy. Most of us could scratch off one or two events a year and use those weekends to help out the club that we all enjoy so much.
Just my $0.02,
MC
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Originally Posted by Knestis
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