the Metropolitan Council of Sports Car Clubs

[DCM]

There has been some questioning of the viability of the council.
I think we need it!
Basically it binds together all the clubs, instead of each going their own way.

In the description of this topic, I listed the things the council provides. It provides a non-conflicting schedule, a uniform set of rules for the point series [we haven't had for two years] which trophies are awarded, at a year end party that gets' everyone together, and also insurance.

What we need is all the participating clubs to hold one point series event per year. This hasn't been done.
It's only been of recent, MAC and COM. Now that we have several good sites, we need to re-start the series.

The meetings for the council are held the first Monday of each month, except July. At Divanni's Pizza on Riverside. All are welcome, but just one vote per club is allowed, designated by their club.

On the first Sunday in December, the annual rules meeting is held at the rules chair's home. This year it's Rex Schultrich. This committee is made up of ANYONE in a club, and all have a vote. The changes then go to the individual clubs for 'ratification'
So, if you want to see a change in the rules, or keep something the same, better attend this.
This is called, 'leadership'
Dwight McCullough

[MNbiker]

Dwight,

I have a few questions:

*Who from MAC is currently designated as the Met Council Rep? The website lists Chuck Bower, but I seem to recall someone else is now doing this.

*What other clubs are currently Met Council Members? Again, I believe the website list may be dated. Of the active members, how many are actually active in Met Council meetings?

*What is the process for Rules development/change submission/review, etc.? I assume there's work going on in advance of the Annual Meeting? I can't imagine the rules can be 100% edited, discussed & approved at a single meeting.

*What other clubs, if any, are currently using the Met Council rules/classing for events?

*What obligations (financial or otherwise) to member clubs have for belonging to Met Council?

Thanks!

-Steve Garnjobst

[DCM]

Steve, Drew Baumbach has done this for a couple of years now. There are 6 active clubs, MAC, COM, Suburban, Porsche, Volksport and LOL. The maximum cost to each club is, $75 per year. The council pays for a party room, and the trophies for a series. And you must send a rep regularly, or suffer the consequences.
There has been more clubs involved, but dropped out when they no longer needed insurance, numbers, or scheduling.
Dwight

[washburn]

If I could add a thought, it is very important that the Met Council stay together. I understand that it is in perhaps a "hibernation" mode right now, but that is related to the lack of quality sites.

The thing is that we have a better chance of aquiring new sites with the Met Council around. The credibility and strength of the Council can help us advance our goals. We need it to survive if only for this reason. Someday the MC series will return and we will be glad we kept the Council alive.

Pat

[DCM]

Oh Pat, I can't send you e-mail. the address is wrong, or I am wr....
HELP!
Dwight

[MNbiker]

Originally posted by DCM
There are 6 active clubs, MAC, COM, Suburban, Porsche, Volksport and LOL...

Dwight,

There are definitely some key clubs missing from the Council:
North Star BMWCCA
AARRF (Aren't they a Met Council member?)
Minnesota Audi Club

Can you provide some guidance for my other questions, regarding rules? I'd like to propose some changes, and want to better understand the process & politics involved in developing/approving the rules.

-Steve

[DCM]

Mnbike. All three of these clubs decided that they didn't need our common schedule, used other venues, and just didn't want to participate. Also the Miata club dropped out. All of these cluibs at one time or another put on a series event, but got discouraged from our criticism??????
I lobbied as hard as I could to no avail. :flame:
I think we need to think bigger.
Dwight

[JPK]

DCM, you mention that a few clubs dropped or didn't need our sites. Do you know if they are using sites somewhere that we are not? I'm thinking that if there are additional sites that MAC have not used, 1, we should try to get them, and 2, possibly by the mutual use of sites we can build a little knowledge and familiarity across the groups to help build support for the Met Council....

[washburn]

washburn@dwave.net



Originally posted by DCM


Oh Pat, I can't send you e-mail. the address is wrong, or I am wr....
HELP!
Dwight

[SaturnRaycer]

Talk about a "target-rich environment"!

1. Rules. The meeting is held in December, usually at the Rules Chair's home. This year it will be my place on 12/14. I have a prior commitment on the first Sunday (Guard). Most attendees formulate their ideas and supporting arguments before they come to the meeting. The rules meeting isn't a huge affair. Normally about 10 people come. It is open to any member of any met-council club; not just Met Council Club Reps.
I'll start a separate thread on rules.

2. "Former" Met Council members. We don't normally track why a club lets their membership lapse. Dwight hit the biggies: don't need our insurance; other venues or lack of interest. In the past, AARRF has been a member, and they may come back to us. A third item may have to do with club focus. The Met Council is perceived as being narrowly focused on autocross, even though there are many other activities we can accomodate.

3. Breathing new life into the Met Council: The MN Drifters have approached the Met Council, the SCCA rep is active now (after a period of hibernation), the Audi Club hasn't come to us. If someone would like to go to them and pitch the council, please coordinate with Dwight or Pat.

Rex

[miata#37]

MN Drifters in the 'Council? They're probably looking at it as a way of getting insurance for their events. Hmmmm. I'm envisioning a new Met Council series made up of points paying autocrosses (MAC, COM), drifting events (MN Drifters), high speed time trials (Aarrf), and a TSD rally that stops at various autox sites around the area for "special stages" (LOL, MAC, COM, ?)....

Something like that could get written up in GRM....

Too many logistics to think about. I've been at work too long...

[MNbiker]

Originally posted by miata#37


MN Drifters in the 'Council? They're probably looking at it as a way of getting insurance for their events. Hmmmm. I'm envisioning a new Met Council series made up of points paying autocrosses (MAC, COM), drifting events (MN Drifters), high speed time trials (Aarrf), and a TSD rally that stops at various autox sites around the area for "special stages" (LOL, MAC, COM, ?)....

Something like that could get written up in GRM....

Too many logistics to think about. I've been at work too long...


I think you're onto something! (or is that ON something?:tease: )

Maybe we need something like a multi-discipline Series to get clubs excited about Met Council again. Add in Porsche Club and possibly BMW Club events - run by their rules, and things could be VERY interesting. (Now, I just need to find some junk tires to use for drifting!:p )

[phile]

>The Met Council is perceived as being narrowly focused on autocross, even though there are many other activities we can accomodate.

Met Council used to be about sports cars and sports car clubs. The Met Council schedule was composed mostly of autocrosses and rallies. Rallies tended to be on Saturdays and autocrosses on Sundays, although two-day events in both diciplines were not unheard-of. There were rule books for both autocrosses and rallies.

If the Met Council were to attempt to once again become a general sport-car organization, they might think about Intermarque, the loose affiliation of sports car clubs like LOON, Jaguar, Austin-Healey ALFA Romeo and Triumph (not millionaires and billionaires and babies). The Austin-Healey hillclimb which Salah dominated was an Intermarque event put on by the Austin-Healey club.

Phil Ethier

[jprice]

Hi,

I know this thread is old, but I just tripped across it on the net. I'm intersted in learning more about metropolitan council. Dwight, would you mind contacting me via email?

Thanks!
-Jordan Price
jprice@mnaudi.com