+1

I will also be making myself available to assist in whatever capacity I can for next year.

 

Communication is a very valuable thing. If those in the know would have been more open with full accounting of these MOTD events you wouldn't be in the mess your in now. What do you expect some to think when they have to put pieces of information from here and there together. And when some responded to the questions you can just feel the heat from your embarrassed faces. Why do you have to be so upset when someone asks a question...that needs to be made.

Why did it take two years for DCCM to release what they did with the profits they made? Why did it have to come to all this back and forth? In the future why not just release all the information and let it stand on it's own merits?

For the record, you are welcome to go back and read any of my posts...none attacked volunteers and what they did. My questions were directed at the leadership and if they have gotten red faced maybe they should be embarrassed.

And one more little thing directed at a specific person...pinkminigirl...next time I think about doing something I'll make sure to run it by you for your permission. She's just mad because I forgot to send a Mother's Day card

Call

 

Call,

Just so it's clear to you and everyone else. PittStop MINI Club, Inc, DCMM, Drive Thru Online, etc. are all business entities, we are under no obligation to disclose any information financial or otherwise, to the community.

That said, I don't think anyone has been keeping any secrets, and all involved, Mark included have been very forthcoming to the whole community with the info that a small handful of people seem to think they have a right to know.

It did not take DCMM 2 years to disclose the info, do a search, the info Edge posted has been posted numerous times on NAM in the past. Again, they did not have to justify anything to you or anyone else, but they have, and continue to do so everytime someone like yourself fails to do any research first.

 

+1

I'm confident that of the several hundred folks who attended, 90%+ are quite happy overall... ALL the organizers in this thread need to remember that, and stop going into defensive / nose-outta-joint mode everytime ONE individual says something that you don't deem as fair or constructive. Opinions are like... you know the quote. Having organized club events here, and having run many other types of events in a volunteer capacity over the past 25 years, I've learned to filter criticism... but I know it's hard sometimes. I've already posted my likes / dislikes.

By the way, for those longing for a "more grassroots", "less commercial" weekend... there are several to choose between in the fall. Maybe you should skip MOTD from now on and go to one of those. Just don't show up at mine, please. I don't want to hear you b1tchin about the lack of organized events or lack of vendors.

 

While it is very nice to see the various offers for volunteering next year, it only highlights the need for some level of central organization. I want to make this comment gently and with an encouraging spirit. It is not a response to any individual post, just a general observation about something that is consistently reinforced here at the local level. You see, there are two kinds of volunteers:

1. The kind who are willing to take on a pre-determined responsibility or task.
2. The kind who determine and coordinate the tasks to be done.

There are always a lot more of the first kind than the second. Of course, too many 'cooks in the kitchen' is its own kind of problem - but the other side of the coin is that the volunteers need to be 'managed' in addition to the tasks themselves. Obviously, that isn't easy or there would be more of the second kind of volunteer. And if the first kind are not handled well, the next complaint you'll hear is "I offered to help but nobody gave me anything to do; so it's their loss" then bitterness and resentment quickly follow.

Erm. Well.... All I can say is that an offer to help is nice, but remains quite nebulous. Finding a specific way to volunteer your effort is best. That doesn't mean you have to independently guess about what to do or create some new thing to do.

Here are my simple suggestions on volunteering:

• Pick something you liked and start asking questions to find out how you can be involved in propagating it for next year.
• Pick something you didn't like and begin asking questions about how you can be involved in enhancing it for next year.
• (For the more adventurous) Pick something you felt was missing and would like to see then begin asking questions about how you can help make it a reality for next year.

The trick is which questions to ask. Initially, your questions should focus on who. Who should you be talking/working with? Once you determine that, initiate direct dialog with them. It provides you a much better opportunity to have the level of input you want. You might help to flesh out a new idea or simply take over an existing one. If you and the coordinator don't initially settle on any specific area for you to volunteer, don't stop there. Give it a little time and contact them again.

In the realm of volunteers, often times event coordinators are not good people coordinators. (Sometimes they aren't good at either, they are just plain doing it!) Be understanding of that and try to help them figure out a way for you to be involved. Ideally, you'd bring a few thoughts to the discussion of things you liked, didn't like, or thought were missing and what you can do to propagate, enhance, or remedy them. A little bit of thinking can go a long, LONG way!

 

Just ask me, I'll give ya something to do

 

And I've got 2-3 planned drives 'in the can', that would require very little effort for someone to run a day drive. Just show up and lead a train of cars along the way.

 

And my back frequently itches. I'm on channel 20sub20.

 

None of the volunteers, organizing clubs, nor Mark owe anyone anything. If DCMM decides to host an event, makes $10,000, and decides to keep it for their club, then that is their decision. My (our) choice is whether or not to participate in their event.

I personally don't care if Mark makes a million dollars a year doing what he has done for the community. If at any time I felt that I was being taken advantage of, I'd simply stop attending.

The cost this year was pretty close to the most I'd want to spend. I loved the Monte Carlo night and Brew Swap, I think both were excellent events. The pricing of Monte Carlo night probably contributed to the lower attendance this year, and I'm sure, if the event is held again, that that supply/demand issue will be analyzed.

In short, I have no right to complain about anything. I may offer suggestions that I think may be improvements, but if my suggestions are ignored I am in no way offended.

I don't think anyone is 'red faced from embarrassment'. Probably more exasperation at having to explain themselves to someone who took advantage of their hard work, and waited to get home to try to denigrate them.

 

More statements without proof. It did not take DCMM 2 years to disclose our donation...where and how did you come up with this?? You still haven't proved your previous statement of the piles of money someone supposedly made through MOTD.

Good lord man, if you're going to make these inane blanket statements, you need to have proof. No proof? That's because they're so blatantly wrong.
If you're going to accuse my club of something, you better have your i's dotted and your t's crossed, otherwise..clam it.

 

Don't worry kgdblu! He is taking down people in his local club as well - It's just what he does, comes natural to him I guess.

 

Is he KK on the Atlanta MINIs forum?

Interesting thread over there.

 

Yep

 

Some people thrive on negativity. Without it, their lives are purposeless.

 

apparently so. kinda pathetic, in reality.

 

it was my first MOTD, i volunteered 90-95% of my time, had a blast and can't find anything to complain about... i chose to volunteer so i'm not going to complain about not getting to do anything, I FOUND time in between events or after the day was over to go on excursions or have fun elsewhere... if someone wants to complain about how things need to be run, maybe they should help out next year and see all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, then i'd like to hear a full report from them on how well they think they did so i can step back for a moment and complain and hear everyone else complain... point being, no matter how well you think you can do it, you will NOT make everyone happy

 

It is not my desire to bring local club issues into this national thread. Pinkminigirl has chosen to do so. I'll let you deside who has taken the higher ground. I chose not to respond to her last post as no real good can come from it. This thread is not about me or her nor are our differences. I will add Pinkminigirl and her family are fine people.

Many have really taken much of what I had to say totally wrong so further posts on my part can not be constructive. I'll end by just saying I don't recall ever complaining as to where many of you where when I was involved a few years ago.

Call

 

Well, I just read the MOTD thread over on AtlMINIs. I guess "DCCM" and "MF" are just evil to the core and have single handedly ruined MOTD as a national event.
We're "materialistic", Mark is viewed as an "extortionist" and that we both shake down fellow MINI owners for money to line our pockets with. Yeah, as current president, I'm sitting on a vast pile of cash we stole from MOTD attendees. I plan on buying a condo in Tahiti, and a private jet to get there.


Criminy people, get your freakin' facts straight will ya??

 

been to 6 MOTDs, worked my butt off for 3..for free. That's where I was..

 

does this include me since i'm a designated DCMM member and a friend to MF?

 

yup..damned by association.

 

wooooohooooo *hugs mum in law*

 

I dunno..you might get cooties or something. We're eeeeevil

 

we're practically family... should i really worry about your cooties?

 

I guess not..

Sorry for the thread hijack, but I've been fairly quiet on this thread, but now I'm getting really, really peeved.