no one is gunna force you to go to the car show jim

 

It's not really about the car show. It's about who gets supported how. There is just so much money and you have to set priorities. One of these days the federal government is going to have to do that. Car shows just aren't very appealing to me when I'm on the inside. I'd prefer to be on the outside.

 

You assume it is for athletics. Then you mention funding of schools to charity. Those are two different things. "Funding of schools" is taken care of by the state budget. That is the buildings, personnel, buses, and things of that nature. Athletics is extracurricular. Those are not funded by the state budget. New uniforms and equipment are bought by selling candy, coupons, car washes, Christmas trees, walk-a-thons, etc. If you choose to send money to a starving kid in Zimbabwe rather than help a kid in your own home town play sports or be in the band, you are free to do so. This is where we disagree. I feel that we need to help our community to thrive and prosper. Example - I just paid $16 to my neighbor's kid for Sparkman High School so that they can raise money for their football team. Will I use that $16 cookie dough? Probably not. May just make the cookies and give them to my other neighbor. Do I feel bad that I am helping this kid play football instead of giving a plate of food to a kid in Zimbabwe? Nope. Zimbabwe never gave me a plate of food when I was growing up and had no food.

I (and others) tried mentioning that the Christmas party is beyond the club's means. But, it's not up to me. If you would like to help in the club's direction, become involved at meetings or at least send emails to president@rocketcitymustang.com and vice-president@rocketcitymustang.com. I feel that most people in the club would rather show their car in a show and pay out the money to enter that show than to go door-to-door selling cookies and popcorn. I don't look good in a girl scout's uniform. I aint gonna do it. As far as raising dues, there is a point of negative return. What do you think is a good price? Then bring it up as new business at a meeting and have it voted upon.

Jim, it seems that you have a lot to say. I urge you to voice your opinions and comments to the club's officers.

 

Ralph,

I'm mostly just thinking out loud here, bored at work. As far as funding extracurricular activities goes I believe that they should be part of a persons education and funded the same way that buildings, books, etc. are funded. We have been turning our children into hucksters (good word) slowly but surely. I know at least one kid who tries to sell me something (oranges, pizza dough, candles, christmas paper, etc.) on an almost weekly basis. I finally had to start saying no because it was getting out of hand.

As far as the club goes; it meets on Tuesdays and I have a prior commitment except for the Summer months. I have a bowling league that night and I can't be in two places at once. I don't know what dues should be, I also believe that the Christmas party is a bit too much and probably an unnecessary expense. Sitting in a backyard and eating Bar-b-que worked just as well for me.

So recapping why I have come to my anti-car show stance:

1. $20 seems a little high (especially when I don't know the prurpose of the "donation")
2. Car shows start too early (I like sleeping)
3. Too much prep time
4. Car shows last too long
5. I'm not fond of sitting in parking lots
6. The trophy thing isn't really appealing to me

Hopefully end of subject and thanks for listening, have a nice day, enjoy all the car shows this spring and summer, see you around

 

i am trying to stay neutral here and i just want to point out

most car shows have a fee attached to them, some charge the spectators some charge the people showing their car. But one thing is obvious is that car shows are a very popular activity and the people coming (the majority of them) have no problem paying a fee to enter and show off their cars win Trophies or other door prizes. if you feel it is not what you want to do that that is most certainly an option, i honestly have not been to another car show in which i have paid to enter only a few drive in car shows and thats about it. but if i have enough other friends and the show is sponsoring something i feel stongly about then i would have no problem going and paying.

as Ralph Stated there are alot of costs associated with Our Club.

and the club dues do not support all of those fees,

one primary expense every year is the Trophies i know it varies between 1200 and 1800 a show for trophies this money is recouped by the enterance fee,
we have an anual membership fee, we sell Tshirts, we have car shows, this is our sources of monies for the Club

we have had ideas to do carwashes or even some special in show offerings(special photo's ect) but it is pretty difficult to get setup. Bod to vote on it, insurance coverage, and locations.

this is where new blood coming into the Club with new ideas will help us grow and we need people to be willing to be the officers or Bod to help make these changes.

 

We give out way too many trophies and of course the money it takes to put the show on is a legit expense. Never said it wasn't.

Perhaps by teaming up with a major charitable organization like MDA for instance it would raise the participation level. Firemen are connected with MDA so just think of how cool it would be to have a hook and ladder parked at the entrance to your car show.

The Ardmore show does very well by giving cash prizes and pretty nice door prizes as well. I don't know the logistics of pulling off something like that though.

 

Hehehe...
And now that the house is almost redone inside (kitchen now) and I am getting grass in the backyard (good running into you, Jim!), I'm happy to host another any time.

 

the show is put off till next weekend

 

I realize I'm a little late to the party, but this is a really good discussion, and I wanted to add some points not yet brought up.

I've been to shows and other events for the better part of a decade now, and I initially wondered what brought people to the point of making a vehicle purely for the point in showing it. It was the same curiosity that made me wonder why someone would build a car that can only drive 1/8th or 1/4 of a mile at a time. Or one that has such modified suspension that it can pull 12gs in a corner, but would wear out tires in a 100 miles in a straight line.

Vehicle custominzation started out as vehicle personalization, and that's the heart of it. There's a personal gain there for someone. Whether it is the trophy, or the camraderie, or the rush of the red-yellow-green, or chasing 1/10th of a second to be the best.

Now, with the economic situation the worst it's been in years, the cost of that personal gain is starting to become a big factor. Many events have lowered registration fees in reaction to the economy. Long standing shows also realized really quickly that you're not going to bring 1000 entrants to a car show for trophies. That's where the door prizes came about. And now, the door prizes are the biggest draw for participants. When there's $4000 in door prizes, even if 400 participants show up, that's still an average of $100 per participant. If it costs you $20 to register+$10 in gas+$5 for a burger, you still came out ahead. And you got the personal gain of hanging out with your friends and helping a cause. This is what most events are formatting towards, including the one being discussed here.

They're giving away a Chevy 350 and a Windsor 351 motor at this show. But there's also the 700r4 transmission and brand new set of wheels. Last year there were 160 entrants to this event. That's odds of 1:40 of winning one of these prizes, each valued well in excess of the $20 registration fee. And if you don't win those, there's all the other minor door prizes given away every 15 minutes. If the show is scheduled to run from 8am to 2pm, that's another 24 door prizes. Which based on last year's registration number would be better than 1:7 odds to get one of these. And shows usually have a lot more door prizes they give out before trophies. Most shows have enough for everyone that registered.

So the odds of walking away completely empty handed, even at the event being discussed is less than 1:7, and this is assuming the show has 160 registered again this year. If only 100 show up, the odds on the big door prizes become 1:25 and a minor door prize is almost 1:4. For most participants, this seems to be enough compensation for the hard work of getting up early (which I hate too), cleaning the car, getting there and being at the event, and then going home and cleaning up.

And this format works well for the shows as well. Most of the time, these door prizes are donated or are very inexpensive, so while they have high value, they have low cost. The show is then only out of pocket for trophies and other admin expenses, and those are usually covered by registration, so the leftover registration proceeds benefits the cause, whatever it may be.

Now, this is all fine and dandy, but what if someone is bored of all that too? Well, there's a movement (documented here: http://www.huntsvillecarscene.com/showthread.php?t=3734) for a 'parking only' fee that's well under $10 that allows someone to park in the show field, but that's it. Basically, you get to be a part of the show, but not really. And since you're not be judged and don't even have to open up your car, you're essentially paying for a 'door ding-free' parking spot. Because all of us know what those make us want to do.
LOL! I love your frankness Jim. Priceless.
I don't want to know how you know this...

 

And the time has been changed as well to an evening event. Details here or in the original link at the top of the thread:
http://www.huntsvillecarscene.com/ca...=2011-3-12&c=1

 

Maybe I'll actually make it out there then! I hope to have my fenders and hood painted this week and my 5k run should be over by noon.

 

Jake, what 5K are you doing? If you get really bored, come to Monte Sano Sunday at 7AM. We're running the McKay Hollow 25K trail as a tuneup for real race on March 26th...
http://mckayhollowmadness.com

 

A sorority here at UAH is having one and majority of the proceeds go to NCAC to help prevent child abuse.