I went to massage school in Rutherfordton, NC over ten years ago. I'll give them a call and see if they may be interested in such an event. If not I'll try the Asheville school....

Just for the record… Although I am professionally trained in massage I will not be doing massage while @ The Dragon…
I will however see what the possible realities are...

 

Fantastic idea, IC! Thanks so much!

 

By the time this is done I'm probably going to have been standing there waving a machete around screaming something about pink elephants.

As it was a knife was present, it was my knife that I always have on me. It's a tool that comes in useful quite a bit. It may have been sitting on the table (in a closed position at that) because it had been used quite a bit that day dealing with opening up registration boxes and going through donated prizes and such. As it was nobody was threatened, quite a few people understood the joke and commented about it too.

If you don't believe me there were quite a few people standing around dealing with registration too that can back up my story. But I guess I won't be believed as I'm the one you "assaulted someone" (which never happened).

Anyway, I'm sick of dealing with all this crap. I'm done defending anything and everything being directed at me. It seems like most of the information people are spouting off is coming second-hand anyway. So have fun blowing things way out of proportion (and I'm not talking just about this).

 

There sure is a lot of pre-planning for next year and discontent for the lack of coordination for this years events for wanting to keep MOTD a grass roots event. This was my third event yet it was the most fun. Why? Because I went there to meet fellow MINI owners and hang out in the mountains waking up to the sight and sounds of MINI's. Not to win a door prize or get a great deal on a hamburger. Though winning something would have been nice.

From the start on Thursday. My wife and I were treated nicely by DCMM and other clubs and vendors. Specifically, Lastrega. I believe that is her name on here. She was very helpful everytime we met. Even when we asked if we could get a ticket for the ice cream event at the last minute because I did not pre-register. My wife was having an urge for ice cream and Lastrega, without batting an eye, went and got us some arm bands for the event. Thanks, Lastrega.

It seems like too many people expect so much from a grass roots event held in the middle of the North Carolina mountains.

I plan to do the same next year as I did this year. Hang around and have fun. I had planned to help with raising money for an event this year but because of a situation out of my hands. I couldn't hold up my end of the bargain. So next year instead of trying to do something similiar. I'll volunteer to sit in a chair for a while for someone if needed. Especially for someone that lives a long distance from the dragon. If I want to run the dragon I can run up there for the day. I will not be loosing any driving time. Though early Friday morning I may be booked at the top of the dam telling drivers the parade is at the base of the dam.

Lets keep this event fun. It shouldn't be a stressful time for anyone.

 

In most jurisdictions in the US, assault refers only to the threat of violence, while the actual violence is battery. Simple assaults do not involve deadly weapons; aggravated assaults often do.

So pulling a knife on someone is most likely aggravated assault. (I am not saying it actually happened, I was not there)

In any case, if someone were to pull a knife on me, they better expect to be disarmed in a most unpleasent way.

Steve

 

lastrega, I was happy to meet you and you seem like a great person, but I really disagree with the way the money was handled at this event. No one should be profiting from this.

I think everyone appreciates the work that DCMM did to organize MOTD, but if you guys came out with a positive balance afterward it should be donated to charity. Either you're volunteering to organize the event, or you're not. I don't care if you only made $50 - it doesn't belong to you. Take the dollar or whatever you made off of me, and donate it to a worthy cause, not to buying a donut at some DCMM event. That's just lame.

 

Point well taken. I'll stay out of it now.

 

I suggest a list be formed of the people and/or organizations that wish to participate in the planning, coordination and implementation of MOTD 07....and made public

would it work for each organization/individual to submit a plan.....

profits....make that surplus cash should be donated to a predetermined charity or possibly held over for the following year to help underwrite costs

If I may be so ignorant, who has made the decision as to what group or people are "chosen" and who has acted as the "approving" commitee/person?

is there a formal proceedure or do people just announce their event?

 

I've found in my business life sometimes that when something goes wrong, alot of people tend to have a knee-jerk reaction and want to change the whole system rather than just address the problem area. This thread is starting to remind me of this. Maybe I had a different Dragon experience tha others , but I only saw a few minor problems, which I have seen some nice simple solutions posted.

Make the name more readable on badges
Mini counter at registration
Have other groups step up to the "plate" for the dinners
Shorten prize give-away times
Have all vendors in one area
Add some cool stuff like
...Massages
...Soda & Snack Vendor
...T-shirt and trinket vendor

Seems like several people have also made some great suggestions for new trips too.

I think those type of things are all we need. Along with a little better communications at times.

Just my two cents (oh, now I'm broke )gotta go to work

 

I am not a violent person, so I did not act in a manner to disarm him. Besides, I don't know how off the deep end he may have been, didn't wanna wind up stabbed simply because he has issues he can't get over.

 

sounds good to me.....

 

Better communication between groups/activity organizers definitely. I will add, again, that using a forum to organize where anyone actively working on 2007 can ask questions and coordinate seems best. We've done the email thing and it doesn't have the continuity necessary. Plus in emailing, I never knew if I was headed the right direction AND sometimes not any ONE person had the information I needed to move my plans forward.

I would also suggest adding a means to count cars as people register.
We always want to know that one.

 

This is a great idea..... a forum for discussion and coordination that all can participate/view would be great..... if you see or think of a good idea or contribution you can "chime in"..... conflicts in scheduleing are easy to see etc... I like this a lot

 

My original suggestion was to have a hidden forum in which only those actively working on the current event could communicate. The potential for thread derailment and unconnected posting is great in our busy little community. But others suggested that someone from outside the organizing group might have solutions, ideas or suggestions to problems. That is a tough call because when it comes down to the nitty gritty part of working out the logistics a bunch of off topic posting or dissent could be a hindrance.

 

This forum suggestion has been mentioned several times in this thread by queenb, Minimom, and me. I hope it will be implemented in such a way that the organizers of each event may communicate with one another. Having it be open to all isn't necessary or particularly desirable, as it tends to let the vital comments be lost amongst the off topic tangents. Having a designated representative or two for each event is really most efficient. Threads in the MOTD-2007 forum can always discuss particular events/plans, but for the purpose of actually putting MOTD together as smoothly as possible, an organizer's forum would be really great!

 

Same page! Discussion topics related to various events can discuss matters on the boards, and all have the opportunity to voice opinions, comments and suggestions in them. However, a dedicated coordinator's/planner's forum would really cut through to the nitty gritty you refer to, queenB.

 

You said that so much nicer.

 

We said basically the same thing at the same time! LOL!

 

I liked em both So how do we get it started?

 

It's a bit soon, IC...LOL! Although, sndwave and I began planning the 2005 Welcome Dinner ten months ahead.....

 

I do not feel it's too soon as I am making calls already to massage schools.... this is something that they would have to add to thier schedule... I am also looking for the closest schools so as not to need additional lodging. I have also contacted other options in the immediate local area to see what the possibilities are. It would be great to be able to post the details I come up with.... in such a forum as you and QueenB suggested.

 

We've created this type of forum on SSM already for next year. Just the people that are envolved in the planning have access to the thread, when we need group input we'll through something out in the public forums, but when it comes to the nuts and bolts it will just be the planners.

 

My progress thus far…. I have called and spoken to the school I attended in Rutherfordton, NC. I suggested several options and ideas…. I mentioned that the massage group could do a weekend field trip and/or community service work and knowing that they do drum circles regularly I hinted they could stay in Cherokee as to save precious lodging and have drum circles there after doing seated massage during the day for us at Fontana… (This appealed to them) The money made from a massage booth would go directly to the SCHOOL not the students nor any motoring clubs etc.

I will provide more info as I get it.

 

Holy cow! (Pun intended!) The drum circle could participate in the Second Annual Off Topic Band Dragon Jam! That would be fantastic!

IC, when sndwave and I worked on the 2005 WD, by the time the Coordinator's email panel was set up by Mark Ferguson, we were ready to go with the details and schedule for the caterer, etc., to report our progress to the other event planners. But that emailing panel really is cumbersome, so an actual Coordinator's/Organizer's forum would be a really great improvement.

Keep track of your progress, and why don't you go ahead and start a new thread about the MINI Mountain Massages!? When the forum gets set up, if you like, I can move the thread for you.

 

DCMM is very active as a club in DC area and yes we want for our club to grow and want to be legal etc.; which btw costs money. The success of a Club, regadless its location, helps the MINI community as a whole. When our club or yours recruits members these members tend to became part of the MINI community which benefits everyone : NAM, vendors, MOTD ect.

DCMM worked really hard to make MOTD a pleasant experience for everyone and if for doing so we can make $50.00 for our club is not lame, to me it's called survival and we want to keep DCMM alive for a long time. If the money were to be pocketed by individuals I will agree with you, but if DCMM can afford another recruting breakfast next month, then the money is still spent within the MINI community and I don't feel bad about it.

MD STREGA2
aka La Strega
aka DC METRO MINIS Treasurer

PS: if you come to one of our breakfasts I will save you a croissant