MINUTES OF REGIONAL MEETING
September 27, 2003
The Regional meeting was called to order by RE Chuck
Heretta, at 10:15 AM at Esber’s in Canton, Ohio.
The following clubs and officers were represented:
Aurel Ouellette, Fun Center, RMD, Gov. Alan
Moore, Tiretown Corv., RCD, .
Bob Kirsch, NEOVC, EOCS, Gov. Dick Downs, Competition Corv, Gov
Chuck Heretta, Buckeye Corvette, RE, Gov. Bob Kuty, Mahoning Valley, Gov.
Rich Brooks, Medina, , Gov. Bob Thomsen, Corvette Cleve, Gov,
Gail Moore, Tiretown, prxy Gov. DeVaughn Rader , Pioneer Corv. Asso. Gov
William Wood, Kanawha Valley, Gov
Motion was made by Dick Downs to accept minutes as printed, seconded by Bob Kuty, motion was carried.
The treasurer’s report was read and accepted. Motion to accept by Bob Kuty, seconded by DeVaughn Rader.
Charities/grants Report: Mickey reported nine (9) scholarships were given out this year. She has raffle tickets if anyone needs any to sell. The 2004 raffle car will be Lemans blue, commemorative edition. Charity committee went to Carlisle to sell raffle tickets, Friday sales not very good. Saturday and Sunday made up for this.
Next year’s scholarship applications need to be to committee by March 1, 2004, to be considered.
EAST OHIO CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES DIRECTOR: Bob Kirsch
Latest results were handed out. All events have been included.
Concours won by Northeast Ohio Vette Club, Rally still up for grabs, Speed Tiretown won. Men’s overall leader at the moment is Chuck Heretta. Ladies overall leader is Elaine Heretta.
Some entrants are not using the same car for Concours and Speed event, Bob does not know if it just doesn’t matter to them or if they are not aware of the rules. This would be in the case of someone running for overall champion.
Reminder – if you do corrections to flyers or results for champ series please remember to send copy to Bob Kirsch.
Chuck Heretta asked Bob Kirsch to make a correction to results Judy Spada is no longer a member of Tiretown, she is now a member of Buckeye Corvettes. Aurel gave Bob date she transferred so he will go back and change points only from that time forward.
Webmaster: Everything on internet is up to date, except for results Alan will give to Bob Kirsch today.
Packet handed out is up to date with regional points, and the rest of flyers for the year are included.
There is also a copy of the proposed (2004- 2007) rulebook changes.
Alan had copy of national points if anyone wants, the first place club in the nation is Tiretown Corvette Club. Corvette Cleveland is in tenth and Buckeye is in nineteenth. The first fifteen clubs in the nation get an award.
There was one clarification at the meeting but it had a couple of parts. If an NCCC entrant has more than one car entered in a concours, then entrant must declare which car is to get the national points. This must happen before judging starts. Is the reference to points received for entrant or scored points. It is in reference to entrant. After one car has been declared to be judged for points, is the other car eligible for first place awards in the class entered. Yes, because you do not have to be an NCCC member to win first place. You would not get first place points (since this was not your declared car for NCCC points) but you can win first place award. Is the other car entered in all ways to be treated the same as the entrant car with only exception to no points awarded, answer yes.
Rulebook proposed changes were discussed at this point. They will not be listed here only excerpts so please read your rulebook changes and decide how you would like to vote.
Some excerpts are: The RCD’s have the right to go in and modify rulebook if during the three year period they see something is not working. These will have to be brought to the board of governors for approval.
In the case of multiple club events the Chairperson, co-chairperson or RCD need to be present at the event for it to proceed.
Fun Runs: allow passenger at speed events, this is aimed to help people learn about driving at events.
There are over ten pages of changes just for speed events please read and make your decision.
There is a separate Rallye insurance waiver that needs to be signed by entrants , be sure to use rallye waiver.
Group II is possibly going to be divided into Pre and Post “84” for new rulebook.
Handouts were given for East Ohio Region, FCOA and National Council memberships.
East Ohio has 934 gained 31 since last meeting, we need 16 more members to meet year end goal for 2003.
At the September 12, 2003 meeting NCCC has 17,788, Cornhusker Corvette Club was presented an award for first club to reach 400 members.
The 2004 renewal packets are to be mailed by October 1st, if you have not received by October 15, 2003 please contact Aurel and let him know.
Please do not use high-lighters to cross out non-renewal members, use a fine line black or blue pen so it can still be read.
Ensure that the governor’s name, address and email (if applicable) are legible on 51% sheet. Use pre-printed label if possible.
The renewals are due back to the RMD, Aurel, by November 29, 2003. Aurel was asked if he would accept at December meeting, he said yes. Per National anyone renewing after December 15, will be considered new and will have to pay new member rate so please try to get all renewals done on time. Also in the packet is a club information form that needs to be filled out and returned to the membership director. If you have any questions or need help with your forms please contact Aurel. (419.529.2423).
It was voted to re-install the regional RMD rebate of $150.00 for membership directors who need to travel to get new clubs. This is not an automatic to the RMD, they must turn in a voucher and receipts to show proof of expenses.
There are three (3) by-laws changes being proposed and will be on mail-in ballot.
1. Change membership renewals from December 15, to November 15, this would start in 2004 if passes. Question was asked the reason for this. It will save people have to spend much of the Holidays trying to get information together and doing mailings.
2. Dependent age limit being raised from 21 to 25.
3. Appointment of FCOA director Pat Kelly director of FCOA, and Rose Schmidt as Distribution Center Manager .
Ballots will need to be postmarked by October 31, 2003.
Offices up for election are: V.P. Competition - Mike Godfrey
Business Manager Hal Bellamy
Sgt-of-Arms Karen Bryant
Judy Yanko
Secretary Carolyn Montgomery
Lifetime members will receive a new card in their membership packet.
Blue Bars Deadline is December 1, 2003.
Rich Brooks asked if there was any way he could get a list of when members of his club joined. The RMD has a master list of this information.
FCOA has 1774 members, East Ohio has 127 members. They are going to raffle off a 1953 Corvette pedal car. One ticket for $5.00 and five tickets for $20.00. This will help cover mailing cost to FCOA members. Drawing will he held February 28, 2004.
Aurel gave the answers to questions from last meeting, first was how many dependent members do we have nationally, answer 109.
Cost for printing the new membership brochures was $3525.00 about 18 cents a copy for 20,000 copies.
Voting procedures will be included with ballots, be sure to do properly or else your ballot will just be tossed out.
The NCCC budget for 2004 originally had $119,000.00 deficit, by the time it got on the floor at the governors meeting it had been cut by $100,000.00.
The past president’s award is being put together by Dick Yanko and other past presidents.
The Bowling Green plant will be shut down for tours from December 3, 2003 to April 22, 2004.
Newsletter contest will be conducted again in 2004. One of the clubs in our region, Corvette Cleveland came in third for the contest this year.
The 2004 Transplant games will be in Minneapolis July 27, through August 1, 2004.
The 2004 convention will be in Las Vegas June 5 through June 11, 2004 at Star Dust hotel.
Sponsorship for the 2003 convention was about $50,000.00.
The 2005 convention will be in Minneapolis/St. Cloud, Minn.
The meeting for NCCC in St. Louis for November will be at the Tower instead of the Chalet as the past few have been.
Dues increase is being proposed for next year, $10.00 per primary member. We have not had a dues increase since 1986. The region discussed this and decided if a dues increase was needed they preferred a lower rate to start with preferably $5.00 then maybe in a couple of years $5.00 more. The region is OK with a dues increase they just think $10.00 is too much all at once, region feels it will affect membership. Chuck will take this forward.
OLD BUSINESS:
Hall of Fame: Have not had a meeting since last month.
Forms were sent to people that needed to do Bio form for Hall of Fame Book. They need to fill out and return to Bob Kuty.
The committee is taking nominations for Hall of Fame, please submit as soon as possible. Forms are on the website or contact a committee member, Bob Kuty, Don Veselenak, Bill Quine or Mark Thurin.
Regional Election: Anyone interested in running for office has until October 3, 2003 to add name to list. Chuck opened up for nominees of each of the offices at the meeting and no other nominees were mentioned.
NEW BUSINESS:
East Ohio Championship Series proposals presented.
From Bob Kirsch: We will have to have to see if bylaw change passes on Group II class Post and Pre “84” then determine if change needed there.
Change line referring to flyer to say, Must state Championship series and which sanction (EO number) it will be. Make it noticeable and predominant.
Question was asked if a person only wants to do Championship series and it is in middle or end of day how can they do this if they miss drivers meeting. Alan said this can be taken care of by short drivers meeting.
From Bill Wood: Change rules to include a worker category for points and the worker would have to work at 2 Concours, 2 Rally and 2 Speed events. They would also be non entrant at the event This will be tabled until wording is worked out and how would be done.
From Bill Wood: Define term “entrant” there is no definition in rulebook what entrant is. We state we pay $1.50 per entrant. Maybe need to change wording from entrant to person.
From Bob Kirsch: Change the wording of license, color and year for speed and concourse to include rally. Reason was given why this was originally done. Bob said if was difficult for him to keep track because people using different cars and if he did not know what car was used for rally it was hard to determine. For rally it is the driver and navigator. If people are using different cars for speed and concours they do not qualify for Overall award.
Discussion was then held on the addition to Operating Procedures of the wording for a gentleman’s agreement for events and times that are held on regional meeting dates. The following was sent out in August meeting minutes and read again at the September meeting.
Motion to adopt and add to Operating procedures was made by Dick Downs, seconded by Bob Kuty.
As has been past practice in the East Ohio Region, no events shall be held on scheduled Regional meeting days unless they are to begin after 4PM at the earliest and Champ Series events are not to be scheduled on Saturday's unless voted to do so at scheduling meeting, and then registration cannot start until 4PM.
Region has approved Regional Points Tracker to assist the RCD if you know of anyone who would like to apply for this position contact Alan Moore. Alan will have the final say on who gets this position.
The regional points tracker is to be added into the operating procedures also.
Bob Thomsen brought up that the region had events and money was not specifically earmarked for anything. The region needs to get a good set of communicators to go with the timers. Bob made a motion to buy communicators at $55.00 to $60.00 a unit. Mickey Downs said we need a way to check the communicators out first because their club bought a set and you had to be at least a mile a way for them to work well. If you were only 400 to 500 feet away they were way too noisy. Rich Brooks asked about buying ones that do not have rechargeable batteries but we just buy regular batteries for. This way someone would not have to be responsible for keeping the batteries charged. Bob commented you can buy them with both types. There was no second or vote on the motion. But it was decided Bob could go out and get some to try, get voice activated and push button also so will not be easily activated. After Bob checks some we will buy in the spring.
Alan and Gail Moore asked for approval of a bill for Regional event awards, ($97.90), receipts were misplaced. Region OK’d.
Mickey Ouellette made a clarification to the comment that the regional events monies had not been earmarked for anything specific. It had been adopted several years ago that the first $500.00 from regional events go to Jeanne Kuty fund. It was decided that the regional events would be the way to fund this yearly.
Rich Brooks asked that the registration form be looked at and the spaces be enlarged. People have problems fitting everything into the space and keeping it legible.
REMINDERS:
Membership renewals are requested to be to Aurel by November 29, 2003 weekend.
You need to have a club check or a money order made out to National Council (NCCC) for the amount of the renewal.
Regional dues are due at the December 6, 2003. You will need a check made out to the East Ohio, $2.00 for each national council member in your club. You can bring two (2) checks and the second one will be for each East Ohio sanction event you bid. You can bring one check and let Mickey know you are going to fill it out after the bidding and it will include you member dues and sanction fees. At a minimum you will need to pay $2.00 per regional club member belonging to NCCC in order to bid the events you want. Sanction fees are $20.00 per event Alan Moore will set a date the sanction fees must be in by.
The December 6, meeting will start at 9:30 am at Esber’s. This is the bidding meeting.
If you are going to do weekend events, get them planned ahead of time. If you are going to do events with another club get with them and plan out ahead of time.
If you have a particular weekend or date you must have let Alan know ahead of time and he will get a calendar together. This calendar will be used at the December meeting to do dates.
Bill Wood asked for a list of dates to avoid such as regional and national meeting dates. We cannot do the regional dates yet but the following are the national dates.
February 27, 28 and 29, 2004
May 7, 8 and 9, 2004
June 5 through June 12 Convention (so June 4 is closed and June 13 is closed)
September 10 , 11 and 12, 2004
November 12, 13 and 14, 2004
East Ohio banquet weekend is March 5, 6 and 7, 2004.
If you know ahead of time all the dates you want, you can give them to Alan and he will publish so others will know. That way if two clubs want the same date(s) they can get together and work something out. This doesn’t mean you get them but others will know you would like to have them. Bidding is still done on how you finished in the region basis. Plus Chuck will try and avoid these dates for regional meetings also.
Bob Thomsen said his club is looking at doing a Driving school depending on what national council says. This would be on Memorial day three day weekend. They are looking at doing over three days. Saturday would be class and a little track time, Sunday will be some track time and then they may bid an event for Monday.
The region is looking at going to permanent number for speed events next year. In other words you would have the same number all year. Check with you club members and let them know, get a list compiled and get to Alan as soon as possible. Do not use leading “zero’s” you can use up to four digits, it can be 1203 or 1230 but not 0123. Men’s and Ladies number must be different. Will not take letters only numbers. In case of more then one person wanting the same number how you finished in the region the previous year will determine who gets the number. They are looking for a source of static cling numbers at a decent height to use. There will be a minimum size number required.
Competition Corvette Club sold enough tickets to pay for the car they were raffling and donate $15,000.00 to Hospice.
Meeting adjourned at 3:45 pm.
Respectively submitted
Mickey Ouellette
Secretary/Treasurer