Volunteering in NEDiv

[ner88]

Dave
What we have been trying to do for years with no success is write job discriptions.
How about you spend time with each chief of specialties, find out what they need first hand then write a simple explaination and include what kind of time someone would have to give.
I workers hand book/guide.
Go ahead take the flag!
I'm serious, really!

[ner88]

Better yet, "Go Ahead take my job!"

[gran racing]

Greg, I was talking about other organizations such as American Red Cross.

Jerry, that's kinda what I was thinking of when I mentioned further using my website thingy before. If SCCA is going to be promoting it and regions are having difficulty getting volunteers, doing something like that would make sense. I also think putting together a nice video show the fun aspects would help a bit as well.

[Greg Amy]

Greg, I was talking about other organizations such as American Red Cross.

The American Red Cross comes with a sense of societal altruism that for whatever reason SCCA Club Racing - surprisingly - does not...

[RSTPerformance]

I love the whole idea of "The cheep date" race weekend up at NHIS and I don't want to ruin it however one thought would be to raise the entry fee to a normal fee and offer it at the cheep date rate for all the drivers who worked at another race?

Another idea while not cheep would be to give all drivers a $50 discount on one entry fee for an upcoming race when they work a race... Some might even use the discount for a race or double dip that they were not planning just because they get a deal, that would also equal larger entries. Some may also opt to put the discount back into the worker fund...

Another idea... Make an extra "Driver/Worker" appreciation practice session only for those that have worked a session... Make the session right after lunch so it is high profile & atractiv..., people don't seem to want a open practice at the end of the day and it would be nice for our workers and fellow drivers to see who is volunteering some time... It may encourage others to help also.

Last idea for now would be to give drivers discounts on test days or possible free track time at drivers schools that run the day before a race.

Another thing that I have said for years is important is for workers to register to work. I don't understand how these things get staffed well without the advance notice... Also it is hard for "US" drivers to see the real need when everytime we show up we see a flag at all the needed stations. If we had a registration system with every posisition then people couldactually see in advance what was needed and what we actually have...

Another "gripe...". We have some "good" positions and some crappy ones... We should register volunteers by the half day, and book them in different positions each 1/2 day of the weekend. If a driver has a race in the afternoon and nothing to do in the AM then they could volunteer to help. The way we staff corners now it seems more like a pain than anything to work only a half day...

Raymond "Just some thoughts from someone who has tried to volunteer a lot (one year I did 13 events!) but with life changes finds it hard to find the time to make it to the track to even race..." Blethen

[ner88]

I should charge more to give it back??
What do you say to the volunteer who works for free when they find out you are paying drivers??
Why do you have to bribe drivers?
It's a G..D..club, every driver is responsible for the event.
1/2 day workers, I'll put you incharge of keeping track of them and getting them to their positions.

How about you sign up for one work day a year or you don't race.

What happened to driver log books?????

[gran racing]

Regardless of how frustrated you are or burnt out, responses like this do absolutely nothing to help.

Having a registration system sure makes sense.

[BruceG]

I should charge more to give it back??
What do you say to the volunteer who works for free when they find out you are paying drivers??
Why do you have to bribe drivers?
It's a G..D..club, every driver is responsible for the event.
1/2 day workers, I'll put you incharge of keeping track of them and getting them to their positions.

How about you sign up for one work day a year or you don't race.

What happened to driver log books?????

Went to a pay to race Skippy event as a spectator at LRP yesterday. Before every session(practice,qualifying,race) they ask for volunteers(drivers) to staff flag stations. Like Solo, if you aren't running, you are picking up cones. I manned station 9(turn six) myself as they were short for one practice session. Fun to do(hadn't flagged since the early 70's) and served a purpose. Point is...even Skippy needs volunteers to be able to run events!

[ner88]

Dave
Me burnt out no, frustrated yes.
What I hear and see all the time is ideas and solutions but no one willing to execute.
If you think a video is a good idea, make one.
If driver incentives are what you think will help, think it out, put it together and let's put it inplace.
What you can't do is create more work for others allready overworked.
What we need are racers getting involved, the system is in place but no one willing to take part.

[RSTPerformance]

Jerry-

thanks for the kind response... It reminds me that the reality is that this is a "club" with maybe 10% of the members who care about the "club.". The reality is the other 90% are just customers. Also the reality is "nationally" SCCA treats it's members like this is a business, they (along with you it seems) could care less about member input. For me I am drifting into the 90% catagory as life changes away from racing and within the "Club" we call SCCA.

Somehow the club needs to figure out how to incorperate drivers into the "member" program, otherwise we are just fine being paying customers. When entries go up people like myself who can't afford it will go do something different.

Raymond "let's see... Not enough entries on one beging hand and On the other we want drivers not to enter races and work because we don't want to deal with one session or 1/2 day workers..." Blethen

[ner88]

Thanks Raymond
The hard thing for some to understand is; most, if not all these ideas, have been talked about and in the end nothing gets done.
Greg's original post said we need help, that's the bottom line, we need help!

[RSTPerformance]

Jerry... The drivers PAY for this club racing program to exist... I think if you give back a little with disconts at no cash payout it doesn't cost us anything out of pocket. Payng workers is money out of our pocket. Big difference IMO. Also workers do get SEVERAL perks that drivers don't get. If you pit a positive spin on anything you can make it look good.

Anyone in management should not have trouble scheduling, it's employee staffing 101. I run a transportation business and that is one of the major parts of my job. Please send me a list of all the positions that need to be staffed and who is in charge of each area with thier contact. We WILL get people to help.

We NEED to have at least 1/2 day assignments... Thier is no chance that I will stand on one corner for an entire day, done it before and didn't like it. I got bored. I know others have a longer attention span than I do but we need to figure out how to incorperate others like me...

Raymond "Including myself I have 3 people willing to run a corner together or work somewhere else like tech for half the day at the drivers school at Lime Rock, I will try to contact the F&C chief or as you suggest just show up in the morning.

Raymond "Balls in your court Jerry, I Need every position in detail" Blethen

[ner88]

Giving incentives to drivers is like asking your son to mow the lawn and he says pay me and I will!

Ok, I'll be at LRP all weekend, I'm inviting anyone interested in helping to come by my trailer not necessarly to work this event but upcomming races.
There are many things needing to be done beside F&C that don't require whole days.
Set up and tear down, loading and moving trailers, T&S set up and more!

Right now I need help....I will have two NER trailers at LRP.
I need someone to bring one back to NHMS, this will mean having to wait until it is loaded at the end of the event.

[ParkerFV]

How did a formula guy get on here!?

Preface: I've only been a member of the SCCA for 5 years, I'm a driver, and a divisional scrutineer.

Thank you Greg for starting this.

I've said it before and several people have said it here already. We need to institute a club wide requirement for drivers to work 1 or 2 full weekends per year!

WHY?

Somehow a culture of driver separation from the workings of the Club has been allowed and I have seen constant signs of this perceived isolation between "worker" and "drivers". I think the vast majority of drivers feel that their dues and entry fees are all that it takes to make this thing work. This is BULL S**T and anyone interested in the spirit and longevity of the club needs to do something about it.

I'm pretty annoyed that we've gotten to the point where we actually have to ask for help. This club is for racing and if you want to race you have to work. It's that simple. When I work tech, I certainly don't feel that I'm volunteering, I'm putting in my time so that we drivers can drive.

We need more "earn your ride" attitude and less "right to drive" attitude, and apparently we're going to have to force it with rules. If you can't handle it, I'm happy to show you how to leave the track.

Anthony Parker
NER

[StephenB]

I need a little help for a program I am putting together that I would like to recommend to NER to help with our concerns to have minimum staffing levels at all of our events. I am looking for volunteers that can share with me the required number of workers ( staff members) needed to run an event at NHIS and LRP. I don't need the number of volunteers , I am looking for the number of workers required to run each event.

As i create my proposal I am keeping awair of a few things that i believe to be important.
Workers are not volunteers but volunteers can be workers.
Nobody else NEEDS to work but YOU and I NEED people to WANT to work.

I honestly think that if you guilt people into volunteering it will only be a very temporary fix and if you force people to work then long term our club will lose entries which in turn will raise our entries. Without making people WANT to work than we are only creating a short term solution.

Thanks for any help you can provide on the minimum staffing levels required to run an event at both tracks. (Yes I do understand that it will be different. )
Stephen

[ParkerFV]

My two cents for scrutineering minimum staffing needs:

If we want to weigh cars, 4 people for NHMS and LRP.
If no scales, 2 people for each.

Stephen, I completely agree that quilting people is not acceptable and that "forcing" people to work creates bad feelings. That's why we say as a club, "if you want to race you have to work". The decision is in the driver's hands just like "real" life.

In what other part of life does a person expect the support of 50 to 100 people for a number of weekends? Especially for something as useless as racing?

Anthony Parker
NER

[ner88]

At convention this year I attended a course.
We were asked to put on an event with 40 workers(on paper of course).
With a lot of creative thinking it can be done.
Now, that doesn't mean you could get away with it more than once!

So Stephen you want people who want to work, that's what we have now.
If I ask that would be a guilt trip and if I say they have to, that's forcing them?

I guess that's why I cut my own grass while my kid plays video games!

[lateapex911]

Jerry-

..... Also the reality is "nationally" SCCA treats it's members like this is a business, they (along with you it seems) could care less about member input. " Blethen

Wow, I really disagree strongly with that statement, and you should think further..Just look at the schedule that we are racing this weekend. TWO races Saturday, qualifying AND a school Friday.

I can dig up the posts that Jerry wrote here looking for input, and he responded with pretty much exactly what we wanted. See also: NHMS schedule changes, group changes. I'm also willing to bet that he doesn't JUST come to IT.com for input, he's on other sites as well.

So, not only is he (and therefor the NER club racing board) looking for, and open to input, but as importantly, responsive to the input they get.

Also, you know that workers PAY to be at the events. Not many actually leave the weekend with more in their pockets than when they came...which kinda sucks. (and i know you've done it, and i appreciate that.)

[RSTPerformance]

Jake.. Can't argue much about Jerry... He is generally a great leader and just about everyone in NER is family to me... I have grown up here. You have to admit Jerry's response was less than appealing to someone just trying to offer up ideas from the sideline.

Requiring people to work an EXTRA day or weekend a year is completely rediculouse. I am saying this as someone who has worked an extra day for several years... This year I am faced with very limited time to go to the track (getting married & would love to start a family) and the desire to give it a shot at finishing well in the NARRC championship in ITB. My summer is and has been completely booked since winter (this is one of my only sorta free weekends to get my race car ready). I am scheduled to go to 4 race weekends and I am racing at all of them. If you think I should be kicked out of the club for this then good luck on your goals... I wish you and the CRB luck.

Raymond

Raymond

[RSTPerformance]

Oh yah PS... It costs all members money to go to a race. It cost all members money for a membership, those that work actually pay less. the only people that pay to go to our events are drivers who are racing. You can enter an event and work for free and even get a free lunch!

We need drivers and workers alike to support the club program. Some people are only going to drive and some are only going to work. We need to figure out how to bring out the ones willing to do both to win!

Raymond