Re: bmw-digest V9 #48

["Tim Gergen" <m3gizmo@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Duane, and all others, 
Thanks for the opinions and advice.  Everybody says the same thing...GET 
INVOLVED!

I am iam,....I will take some iniative and do something...geez!
Please realize where I cone from...I am new to BMW's and new to clubs.. 
I was affraid of stepping out of line and stirring up dust...Remember 
when you start something new or join a new group?? do YOU go in and tell 
them there organizational skills suck?  NO, I don't think you do..and if 
you do, you are the one everyone thinks is an asshole...right?  OK, so 
I've been there three months now.. I feel comfortable saying some stuff 
now and volunteering..and I will...It was just that there needed to be a 
little time for me to feel comfortable doing it and feel comfortable 
with the group...now it will happen.
Duane, you are a well-respected gearhead and I value your advice!
Thanks again, Tim

>
>Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 23:25:25 -0400
>From: DuaneCollie <drcollie@domain.elided>
>Subject: You Are What You Eat
>
>>Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 13:56:47 PDT
>>From: "Tim Gergen" <m3gizmo@domain.elided>
>>
>>I am a member of the Sacramento Valley Chapter...I have been a memeber 
>>only about 3 months...I attended two of the  meetings and have 
>>not seen a "newsletter" in the mail.  At any rate, I came away from my 
>>meetings with the impression that this chapter was not very organized.  
>
>>So, I am going to "other" chapters events and schools because, well, 
we 
>>have none....at least none I want to do , ie: wine tasting tour, etc.  
I 
>>guess we do not have the same "performace" interests.  Now, it is 
>>importatnt to note that I am NOT flaming them, just expect different
>things from a car 
>>club...(My friend is in a Miata club and holy moly!, they do ALL KINDS 
>>OF CRAP!). 
>>
>>Next meeting, I will try to be more assertive with what "I" think 
would 
>>be fun.  However, I am new to this club and don't wanna piss 'em off 
>>either!  For now, I will just piggyback on other chapters fun!
>
>Tim,
>
>Lemme tell ya here....you're lookin' at this all wrong.  What you will 
find
>out is that the Sacramento Chapter is dying because of LACK OF 
INVOLVEMENT. 
>
>This stuff is all volunteer run.  Trouble is, everyone wants to be
>'entertained' by their Car Club and no one wants to step up to the 
plate
>and do the work. Like the 'participants' who bitch because they have to 
get
>to the auto-x site 'early' at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday for Tech Inspection. 
Who
>do they think is out there at 6 a.m. dropping cones?  The PAID WORKERS 
- -
>that's who! Right!
>
>So you can go to the meetings and tell 'em what you want to see for
>activities, but until YOU offer to organize that activity and make it
>happen then you're merely a whiner.  You may be a good guy and all - 
but if
>you ain't part of the solution, then you're part of the problem. I
>seriously doubt you would piss off the Elders of the Club - they sound 
like
>they are all half asleep anyways. They give ya a hard time - then RUN
>against them for President of the Chapter.  You won't get much of a 
fight
>for the position.
>
>Yeah...yeah...I know. Nobody has time - everyone is TOO BUSY to help 
out.
>Interestingly enough, the ones in our Chapter that really make it work 
are
>the ones that truly ARE too busy.  So you can sit around and
>complain/bitch/flame about it - or take the bull by the horns and do
>something to make it happen. 
>
>TIP: When you volunteer to take on a project in an all-volunteer, no
>compensation Club, there are not a whole lotta folks gonna tell you 
that
>you can't do it.
>
>You don't have an autocross section in your Chapter? Start one. No 
Driver's
>School Program?  Start that up, too. It's not that hard if you are 
willing
>to dedicate some time and effort to it.  Don't drive to another Chapter 
- -
>make yours work.  Just because you're a newbie doesn't mean you can't 
jump
>in on it. You can get help all over the place (Like the Digest or 
BMWCCA
>HQ). Nothing energizes a new club like new blood and enthusiasm.
>
>20 turned up out of 500 members?  That's not too bad.  At NCC we have 
over
>3,000 members and usually have only 20 core members show up at the
>meetings.  But those twenty do 90% of the work.
>
>Just merely paying your $ 35 annual BMWCCA membership fee does not get 
you
>an action-packed schedule of fun car events to do. You gotta get 
involved.
>Hell - most the good ideas we come up with for PizzaFest and some for 
the
>NCC Chapter as well are done over one or more Rolling Rocks in a local
>tavern or in the UUC garage.
>
><off soapbox>
>
>There now...ready to set up Club Racing for the Sacramento Chapter 
<theme
>music from PATTON playing in the background>?
>
>Not flamin' you Tim - just tellin' ya like it is.
>
>Duane Collie
>Smilin' Vulture Racin'
>Team Bubba / UUC / NCC
>
>------------------------------


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