Hi everyone, let's clear the air here. As a VTR board member, I refrained from getting involved in this public discussion until DVT made a decision, and it looks as though they have based on TRDejaVu's post about the session at Triumph Rescue.
The National board did discuss this, and because no policy is in place at the National level, we decided to leave the decision to the DVT organizing committee. They after all, bear the financial burden, which is sizable, as TRDejaVu points out in his subsequent post, and as anyone associated with last year's convention can attest to. Extremely hot weather was one of the factors that kept attendance low at the NATC (North American Triump Challenge, the formal name of the convention) they hosted in Dallas, Texas. As a result of having a low turnout, the club struggled to even just break even on the event.
Alana writes: "This is mnsho only. I'm under 40 and own a TR, I was a member of VTR until this year, but my perception of the way the club is run - basically as an old boys club - is one of the reasons I let my membership lapse. This debacle reinforces my perception."
I's sorry you feel that way Alana, and will extend this invitation to you: I will be happy to send you the provisional budget breakdown for NATC 2008 that is being organized now. I can report that the organizers also discussed the idea of a one-day pass, and are still mulling it over. But please consider this: for every NATC, not only are the host club's assets are on the line with the host hotel, but so is someone's personal credit card. In Dallas, when it was looking as though they were in trouble, the individual who's credit card was guaranteeing the about $20,000 hotel tab was nervous, and understandably so.
I think it's easy to sit back and criticize VTR National, or even DVT, for this decision; we all love to be armchair quarterbacks. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif But in the end, it does indeed come down to the financial risk the local club is willing to take. And that precisely what the NATC2008 organizing committee is evaluating as I type. When you see the numbers Alana, I'm guessing you will be stunned. The hotel gets its money, period.
My thoughts about this issue:
1. The fee being bandied about on this forum was $50 for the privilege of parking a non-participating, non-registered, Triumph on the show field. $30 would go to VTR National for a membership, $20 to the host club. At the end of the day, I wonder how many would actually pay that, it seems high to me. Glenn has mentioned maybe 100 extra cars would show up, I think less.
2. The enthusiasts desiring this one-day pass would need to be pre-registered perhaps 30 days out to facilitate laying out the grid for the show. This would ensure that each model's car owners would be parked alongside their respective car types. I think this requirement (very necessary) would work against the one-day pass concept because it seems to me that the one-day pass people would wait until they could determine the weather and other factors before paying $50 to park on the show field. I think 30 days out is too many. My thinking is based on what factors I myself would consider before paying $50 for show parking.
3. I think someone has already pointed out here that if a local club members works the event, they do not have to be members of VTR. This effectively reduces the price of attendance by $30, the price of VTR dues. So for $90 a local can attend the entire event if they are willing to volunteer in some way. For those of you that can't get the full week off of work, your volunteer stint wouldn't even have to be during the days. You could volunteer at the auction, the dinner tour, registration desk, hospitality room, and plenty of other places the hosting club needs help during non-business hours. Get involved and you'll save money.
4. Glenn pointed out that the show is not what makes a NATC unique. It's the driving events: funkhana, autocross, TSD, etc., and I fully agree. The show is judged on a formalized basis, and that's important to a lot of people, but none of my cars are concours cars, so for me it's the driving events. Oh, and did I mention the camaraderie? Reconnecting with the likes of Glenn, Fred Thomas, Jack McGahey, Darrell Floyd, Randall from California. For me, that's a lot of what it's all about.
Enough rambling on the one-day pass issue, but as for the good old boys notion. It just ain't so, there is new blood on the board and with it, new ideas. I got involved two years ago on the National board (in my 40s). Ronnie Babbitt, Georgia, got involved about the same time (in his 40s). Paulette Caudill from California got involved shortly after (it's not polite to ask a woman her age and I won't guess). Don't like the way VTR is run? Get involved, you can effect change. Talk is cheap. I remember a late night (1:00am!) restaurant meeting with Vernon Buchanon in Rockford at the NATC ISOA hosted. I complained about VTR directly to the head man. He listened, even agreed with some of what I was saying. His answer: put your money (actions) when your mouth (complaints) is. He asked what I thought I could do to effect change. I answered, he challenged me to do it, I did, and joined the board after I did what we discussed. Everyone is working very hard to lose the good old boys moniker and it's frustrating to hear it perpetuated.
I heard later that many people approach the board with complaints and offers to help, but many don't follow through. If any of you are truly willing to help, and not just sit back and complain, speak up and do so.
As I hope you realize Alana, there was no debacle here. (dictionary.com: Debacle: a complete collapse or failure.) Instead, there was a discussion and a reasoned decision by DVT about the one-day pass. With all due respect Alana, you may not agree with the outcome, but then, to be brutally frank (as you were) your wallet isn't on the line to the hotel.
My email is
bdischer@blakedischer.com if you want to see some numbers for NATC2008. You'll see that success or failure depends entirely on full-event registrations.
All the best,
Blake J. Discher, VP Member Services
VINTAGE TRIUMPH REGISTER
Hi Guest!
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
