Putting it out there with all the debate. Please think very hard before answering. We are considering trying to find a sunny Monday in the summer (July or August) and if there are enough pre-registrations, we would run the event. If we do not get enough people pre-registered and pre-paid, we would cancel the event. Based on our current race day budget and assuming that we have to pay for corner marshals and that our gate take will be quite a bit lower than a weekend day, the magic number is 41. If 41 people race on the Monday our losses would be even with the cancellation fee, which is $1200.
I would if it was sunny and warm. If it was cloudy and rainy, I'd opt to go to work instead. The next poll should be: Would you take a day off work to come work at the WMRC on a Monday... *if* you pay the corner workers $50/day that's typically a 8 hour day. That's $6.25 per hour with a paid $5 lunch. Hmmmm...would I take a day off, where I get $18+ per hour (Average Canadian living in Vancouver) for $6.25 per hour. Nope. So now you pay $100/day for $12.50 per hour, and add about another $1000 to daily costs. Wait, you are going to pay setup/teardown too. Add that to daily costs. NOW ask the racers to take a day off, and if they are self-employed like me, that's just giving up money, to pay even higher race fees because we have to pay everyone to allow the races on a weekday. I'm not trying to shit all over this, but I'm trying to inject a bit of reality to it. I'm trying to think big picture here and take all stuff into consideration. As a track addict, sure, I'm in. But as a rational human, it doesn't add up.
no, you're right Dean. This has been brought up before so let's try and hash it out. Me, I would use my vacation time to go race on weekdays if necessary.. for me it's easy, I'd be all for some some summer racing. Unfortunately that's the easy part, I too believe there aren't enough people that can do the same to make up the expenses of running such a day.
Bring reality to it? Is that what you're doing? So in your opinion, expecting flaggers to work for $50 a day (pays for their gas to get to the track) and a free lunch is ludicrous, but expecting them to do it for no money and a free lunch is acceptable? Thanks for that reality. Shit all over it is exactly what you did. How about this, unless you have a better idea maybe you shouldn't cut down others ideas.
Are we discussing the proposed Monday in August (is that not a holiday?), or are we considering another Monday?
Of course I'm in, and the suggestion is to only add the odd Monday in there just for more options. Does not mean every race weekend have a Monday race. 90% weekends with a day at either end in rotation if track time and logistics work out (that means Friday and Monday rotation for the slow folks).
We're thinking about doing a single race day in July or August (maybe even August 4). Not the Aug 3 day.
Giving up time on a weekend for a sport you like/love is easy. That's how we get volunteers. Now ask them to take work off, which is money to them, and don't pay them even close to what they'd make? I'm trying to use common sense here. Stop trying to be the forum troll and see some logic in this. It stopped being funny a while ago.
That wasn't a troll. If you're going to slam my (or anyone's) ideas, have a better idea to offer. That's been the issue from my perspective of allot of the past executives. Just slam other people's ideas if they weren't in the clique. I've been around the club long enough now (since 2002) that I won't stay quiet if someone is going to mouth off to/about me, online or in executive meetings like a coward. See you all at round 1.
come on guys. You both have valid points. my main concern is there wouldn't be enough entries to even support the additonal expenses.
Yeah, I'm not sure why my $50 per flagger idea was dragged into the Monday race proposal in the first place, it was never posted in here. It was meant as an idea for regular weekend racing. I call myself out as a troll when I'm goofing around with Marbod etc, so I don't need someone calling me a troll when I post legitimate ideas. Not cool.
I'm not advocating Monday races, or suggesting that volunteers would come out if offered pay but this thinking makes me shake my head, its a case of knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. Clearly offering a corner marshall $50/day to help out isn't "pay" as such, no one actually looks at it that way, it's an honorarium. It shows your volunteers that their help is valued beyond a few words in speeches at a banquet they mostly don't attend. "here's $50 so you can buy some gas and an egg mcmuffin on the way to the track, thanks for coming out we really appreciate it and don't want your helping us to put you out of pocket too". People will happily do a lot of volunteer work when they feel appreciated and respected, but go away in a hurry when they don't. Sometimes when you think about saying "we can't afford to" you should think it through again and realize that you should really be saying "we can't afford NOT to"
Very good points Tony. I would advocate mutual respect for each other here as mentioned at our last general meeting. We all want to go racing so should be open to discussing whatever helps make that possible in a reasonable way. If you have something "shitty" to say do it via another means as it reflects badly on our club. I believe honorariums are an accepted practice to compensate minor sports officials (though at a much higher rate than suggested). Ryan was going to check if we could offer honorariums to volunteers without tax implications. Our volunteers are motorsport enthusiasts who do it for the love of the sport and not for a free lunch. Showing we really appreciate their support is very important and we should be thinking of ways to do this better. Feeling appreciated and respected is often more important than financial compensation. We should be asking our volunteers for feedback on what works for them. Let's get back to helping the exec with ideas on how to move forward with next season.
Just thinking outside the box here to get corner workers, how about a midget hockey or ball team? As long as there is an adult there too. what do we need, 5 corner workers? I bet there are a ton of sports teams ( with older players) that would love new jersey for this year or money towards a trip they have, etc. We dont have to nor should be use and abuse the great volunteers we already have here. I bet if you got a sports team or something to that effect, they would bring thier friends and fill the stands as well.
That's a pretty good thought Eddie. Especially for off-season sports like Hockey or Soccer (I think it's fall/winter). Even some beer league teams would benefit, and maybe help tie us back to the community a bit more?
