[DeTomaso] fun rally

Sun Oct 14 23:39:45 EDT 2012

Huzzah, John, Huzzah.  No one could have said it better, and I hope all on
the forum take the time to read your comments.  

Mike Thomas
VP, POCA
VP, Past President and foundry, Panteras Northwest

-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On
Behalf Of John Taphorn
Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2012 6:46 PM
To: michael at michaelshortt.com
Cc: Bob Lehmann; DeTomaso at realbig.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] fun rally

Mike

A good first step would be to join the organization whose help you seek. 
Don't confuse it with a charity, it is established to support it's members.
Then look at the Board of directors and figure out which volunteer has the
extra time to help you.  After you figure out everyone's plate is already
full.  Run for a leadership role and steer the present team to support your
initiatives and recruit new folks to implement your vision.

POCA is a lean organization of a very few volunteers who step up for Board
and Chapter leadership.  It is not a government bureaucracy with a bunch of
people on payroll getting fat on dues.

Honestly, it is not practical for POCA in it's current structure to organize
multiple Fun Rallies each year on the scale of it's current one.

As a chapter Presidents in Texas, Kirby Schrader, past Space City Chapter
Prez and current member, and I rotated annually hosting a track and driving
event at Texas World Speedway.  Eventually, I got involved at a National
Level and with Kirby out of the country, the event was discontinued.  That
said, Our Chapter organized and sponsored the event, not POCA national.  We
didn't ask or wait for POCA blessing. Dennis Quella and Gary Hall also came
out for the fun for several years.  We never complained that POCA didn't
christen it a National Event.

If anyone believes POCA should play a larger role, they are simply out of
touch with the available volunteers at the national level.

You can continue to criticize those few who have stepped up to run the Club
or you can do something meaningful.  Run for office and using your charisma,
recruit more volunteers and build a larger and better organization.  Or,
start a local Chapter and host your event.

I was President of POCA for 4 years and on the Board for eight.  I can
assure that the volunteers are all pretty smart people with many good ideas.
It reminds me of a time when I was on a driving event in Las Vegas during
one of the Fun Rally's.  The Pantera driver that I was with owned a business
and spent much of the time regaling me with terrific ideas for the club.  At
a certain point, I had to stop him.  I apprised him that his ideas were
excellent.  Frankly, the Board was not lacking ideas or a checklist of items
to make the organization stronger.  What it lacked were volunteers who were
willing to step up and give their time to implement these initiatives.  To
which he responded that his work kept him to busy for that.  Well, I work
full time and a half as well, but it is important enough for me to at least
try to help.  it is said that vision without execution is hallucination,
POCA needs more boots on the ground.  It will take charismatic leadership to
make that happen.

Unfortunately, it is rare that someone steps up to the national level of the
organization to make a difference.  It is time for another to make the leap.

JT

On 10/14/2012 6:37 PM, michael at michaelshortt.com wrote:
> I'm moving forward with two projects, I hope to have the support of 
> POCA with both, heretofore, aside from the use of the forum ( which I 
> appreciate ), neither of my Summer Summit events in 2011 or 2012 have 
> had any support whatsoever. I hope that those in positions of 
> influence will realize that there are benefits to inclusion and 
> assistance with regard to membership and Pantera awareness in general.
> Project ONE.  2013, June.
> Summer Summer #3.  A touring 4 day Pantera event that covers points of 
> interest and amazing driving roads in GA, NC, VA and SC. Dates and 
> Itinerary TBA.
> PROJECT TWO. 2013, June
> FUN RALLY - East
> Savannah, GA
> 5 Days - 2 Road Courses, 1 Drag strip,  1 car show and a lowcountry 
> driving tour That includes the course of the Original United States 
> Grand Prix from
> 1908-1916
> http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Grand_Prix#section_1
>
> I will not have a 2014 Summer Summit.
>
> Savannah will be first because I live here and foresee doing the 
> majority of the work ( that should in no way imply that help would not 
> ne appreciated ).
>
> I would hope that the POCA would asisst me in promoting FUN RALLY EAST 
> As either THE only Fun Rally in 2014 or one of two.
> It would be unfortunate if these events were seen as competition, I 
> would love West Coast and Texas, etc. to attend both events, of course 
> I hope that we really draw many from the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, 
> Southeast and Rustbelt who may have, like me, felt less than included 
> ( based on distance and expense, moreso than any negative outward 
> comments or actions ) at previous events in Reno and Phoenix.
>
> So there is it, my plans.
>
> I will develop a website for each on the coming months, if you want to 
> help, I'd love it.  I need to be decisive to make these happen, so 
> please understand that I'm not changing the month or the locations, 
> not trying to be a dick, but somebody needs to lead and I organize for a
living.
>
> More to come,
>
> Michael Shortt
>   On Oct 14, 2012 6:32 PM, "Bob Lehmann" <bob at longwood2.com> wrote:
>
>> You know there is no law saying you couldn't have two rally's per 
>> every third year.  I would like to go to one on the east coast, but 
>> wouldn't go to the west coast, too far and way too expensive.
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