February is always a brief respite as we gear up for the oncoming season. Region officials are working on their events, competitors are reviewing the schedule to see when and where they want to race…..and both are carefully reviewing budgets to see how it will play out financially.
On a personal note, I was asked by two regions in our Area to attend their annual banquets. I was extremely flattered. With the possibility of a nice meal, great conversation and the chance to schmooze with members on the table, I jumped at the opportunity to accept (as much as a 61 year old man with a ‘soon to be replaced’ hip is capable of jumping). Both regions (Cincinnati and Detroit) are populated with folks I know and so both evenings were a lot of fun.
So, here’s what I did this past month…..
Video Conference Meetings:
- Club Racing Board (CRB) (2/7): We continued to work on plans for the first of two face to face meetings in 2023 which would be held in March (3/17, 3/18). This meeting would concentrate on long term, strategic questions about the Road Racing program (What will the runoffs look like?, What will the class structure entail?, etc.). A review of the “hot” letters showed that very few have percolated to the CRB for discussion. This is a good thing as it shows the advisory committees are doing their jobs better. This, in turn, allows the board to prioritize more serious issues. The results of CRB rules changes can be seen here.
- Electrified Vehicle Advisory Committee (EVAC) (2/8): The Training and Education Advisory Committee (TEAC) has continued to work on content for the Learning Management System (LMS). The EVAC has maintained its focus on responding to the many letters we receive through the CRB letter portal. Its great news that we have so many interested folks willing to write to us. Nearly all of these letters are very supportive and ask deep questions about safety and technological advances as well as offer advice for future protocols.
- Board of Directors (BoD) (2/27): We received preliminary, year end financial numbers. Considering all that’s happened recently, we ended up in a pretty strong position. The next step is for the auditors to do their thing (which they do annually). We were also briefed that convention conversation will start soon. We need to figure out if the membership wants to meet face to face, virtually or a combination of the two. Start thinking about that and let me know what you would like to do. We reviewed proposed rules changes for the Hill Climb program as well as additions to the RallyCross Board (RXB).
SCCA Events:
- Cincinnati Region Banquet (2/4): I finished my high school years and started college in Oxford, OH which is just 30 minutes northwest of downtown Cincinnati. Throw in that Melinda and I know quite a few members from the Cincinnati Region, and you have a recipe for a nice weekend jaunt down for their annual banquet. I was asked to say a few words by the outgoing and incoming REs. I kept my remarks short (and clean!) since the agenda was full that evening. I made mention of the fact that they ran the second most events in the division and only solid leadership could foster an atmosphere where so many programs thrived. The meal was very nice (great green beans!) and the awards ceremonies were a lot of fun.
- Detroit Region Banquet (2/18): The new RE (Alex Della Torre) invited me over and I gladly accepted his kind offer. As my region (Western Michigan) borders the Detroit Region, I have had the chance to get to know many of their members over the years. I had not planned on making any remarks but Alex asked me to speak about the region’s efforts in 2022. I pointed out that among GLDiv regions, Detroit had the most events across the most programs of any region in 2022. I reminded the audience that it takes strong region and program leadership to have so many programs operating so effectively. Once again, the meal was very nice, and the ceremonies afterwards were well run and fun to watch.
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One last reminder that the GLDiv Spring Meeting will occur on 3/3 and 3/4 in Fort Wayne, IN at the same site as last year (Manchester University). A link for registering for the event can be found here. The registration cost is $30. An additional $10 gets you a really nice pasta, salad and dessert dinner from Casa d’Angelo on Friday evening. Registration closes on 3/2 @ 11p so be sure to sign up ASAP.
In addition to all the informational meetings, there will be a silent auction of donated items including motorsports memorabilia. The proceeds will be split 50/50 between the GLDiv and the SCCA Foundation. Contact Val if you have something to auction.
The meetings will be across all programs, so I encourage all members to attend. With more programs under the SCCA banner these days, we need to focus on teamwork to help each region put on the best events they can for our members.
As usual, Val McCammon is coordinating the event. The agenda has been posted on MSR. Please contact her (pyramid@bluebirdview.com, 260.437.6707) with any questions you may have about the meeting.
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Be sure and visit the GLDiv website for information about all of the SCCA programs within the division. We have schedules, official’s contact info, standings, etc. for all the SCCA programs.
Please take a few minutes and make sure your contact information is accurate in the SCCA database. It’s important to have the correct information there so the club knows how to contact you. Log in to your my.scca.com page and check.
As I mentioned previously, there is a new path to getting your annual waiver. You can now get it through the Member Account Portal (MAP). Follow this link to get the instructions. There is also a story about the program here. I’ve done it and it only takes a couple of minutes. Be prepared to upload a headshot picture of yourself.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have about any facet of the GLDiv. I want you to make the most of your membership and I will help out in any way possible to make that happen.
Dayle Frame
