Region 8's future

Guest · Sep 8, 2005

Please note that with immediate effect, I will be working in a purely adminastrative role as Region 8's R/O. This is due to my spare time (or lack of it!) and extended work commitments. Monthly meetings will continue, and wherever possible, I will atend, but with things the way they are for me, I will not be able to be at all of them.

Please understand that this decision has not been made to be awkward. It is now even more important to make sure that if there is an event that needs to be relayed to the membership of Region 8, that it is emailed to me at r8@porscheclubgb.com and will be sent out. In addition, if there is something that you would like to happen, make sure it is relayed to me by email as a matter of urgency to avoid delays in getting the information out. As I have mentioned on a few occasions, I see myself merely as a catalyst to encourage ideas and to relay matters once the initial thought process has happenned.

I don't mean to be harsh, but without Members support, our Region will stagnate further than it already has. It was my intention to stand down as Regional Organiser, but after conversations with Board Members and other R/O's, I have decided to continue, albeit in a reduced capacity. I do not want there to be any harsh feelings, but I must point out that none of the Regional Organisers or Club Officials gain financially in any way shape or form from holding an official position within the club and we must not lose the sight that we are Club Members as well as Club Officials. If there are any issues in relation to how Region 8 is run, then I need to know about it. It is the old saying of "if I know about it, I can do something about it".

For those of you who have shown support for our Region, I whole heartedly thank you for your support. Please don't let our Region dwindle. We need everyones support in terms of events etc, so make sure that if there is something you want to do or see, that we do something about it.

Many thanks for your continued support

Phil

Helen Goff · Sep 8, 2005

Phil, very sorry your no longer able to put as much time in as is needed. i know only too well just how much time and adminastration is involved with running a succesful region.

now Larry has stepped down as a director and our house sale not happening i would be willing to take over the full role again.. but, i know for a fact that i would not be welcomed as a R/O by the PCGB board so the ball is very much in your court.

Guest · Sep 8, 2005

Hi Helen

Thanks for your suport, it ain't easy, as you know.

Phil

Garry Steele · Sep 8, 2005

Phil, I can well sympathise with you. I certainly could not do my role without the help of the committee that we have here in R15. The RO role is just so all consuming that it just devours all your time, and more!!! Good luck.

Helen Goff · Sep 8, 2005

I strongly disagree. i don't think a commitee really works very well in region 8 (im speaking from experiance here) it needs someone with time,experience,connections,communication skills and dare i say money...to really kick region 8 into shape again.

Region 8 needs a new venue for meetings. up to date web site, adverts of the regions events in porsche post, letters sent out to new members, letters sent out to members leaving on aweekly bases. informational e-mails/news letters to keep members up to date.a relationship needs to be formed with all the OPCs and specialists (of which region 8 has many)in the area to encourage them to support ansd work with us. Advanced planning for future events not to mention attending and supporting events organised by region 8 members. working with and encouraging other PCGB regions and registers to have joint events,competions and outings with us.

without those very basic things there really isn't a working region.

<thought>maybe someone a lot more popular than me is needed.

RandCo · Sep 9, 2005

Hi Helen -

I generally agree with your comments - but what are we going to do about it ?

Why not make this the theme of the next monthly meeting on Monday 3 October.

Lets try and get as many members there as possible and have a full and frank discussion where region 8 is going.

Happy motoring - Randolph Coward

Helen Goff · Sep 9, 2005

now that is a good idea...well said Randolph.

RandCo · Sep 9, 2005

Hi again Helen -

Can you get all of the upcoming 'Harrogate Weekend' party to attend on 3 October. They are all keen and active members and their views on 3 October would be very welcome.

Happy motoring - Randolph Coward

Guest · Sep 9, 2005

I agree with everything that has been said, but I would like to point out that this is what was tried last year at about this time and there are the hard core members that come along on a regular basis and support, but there is only so much that can be done a few people. I ask you all to rally round members that you know and do not come to the meetings and get them to come along in October. I have been a bit disillusioned in past months as the enthusiasm has fizzled out.

There is only so much that can be done by one person and unless that person has absolutely loads of free time, it cannot be done by one person. The committee idea is the most logical and is the one that has worked in other regions. They can't all be wrong can they? The R/O role is a full time job on it's own without help. This is fine, but the way this works is then just from one persons perspective. This can also have an adverse effect as one persons ideas are not always neccessarily perceived as being the best way by all of the people, but by going down the committee route, it is a consensus of a few people rather than that of one.

I am not a person who can commit to doing much more than I do now, but would like to remind those who were at the meetings at the back end of last year that I see myself as a coordinator/catalyst in making the region run itself by the members for the members, not just by one person.

If anyone has any ideas, once again, I ask you to send them through to me BEFORE the meeting in October so I can do an agenda. Also, please give me an idea of how many people are going to be coming. This will all be relayed out by email to members that I have email addresses for.

sdkenny · Sep 9, 2005

This topic was discussed almost exclusively at the meeting that just happened (5th September). What is more the turn out to this meeting was very high (I would say at least 40 people).

My summary of what the outcome of this meeting is that there were a number of people (4-5) who were prepared to organise R8 events, i.e. in a similar fashion to what Randolph did with Chatsworth and Robin and Maggie with the Harrogate and the Rutland events. Please note I am using these as examples of the level of independent organisation not to say that Randolph, Robin or Maggie volunteered to organise future events. At the time it was conveyed to the meeting that Phil had decided to step down as RO, however, no-one present was prepared to volunteer to become RO on the night. At the end of the meeting it was left that people would go away think about the type of events that they would like to see in their region and to say whether they were prepared to organise such events.

Whether you call people who step forward and agree to organise such events committee members or anything else is as far as I am concerned semantics. I do, however, believe that such people are important to the future vibrancy of the region.

My own views are that whoever does step forward to be RO needs to handle the interface with PCGB, i.e. they need to make sure that there is a R8 piece in PP every month, that R8 events make the PP calendar and the web based one. Furthermore they need to be at the majority of the monthly meetings, I know that when I as a new member turned up being greeted by Phil was important. They also need to attend a number of the R8 events or arrange a priori with someone else that they will write about said event. I am not volunteering! I would be willing to volunteer to organise one or two events in the coming year.

Please note that the summary of the meeting is mine alone and anyone else who was at the meeting should feel free to disagree with what I have said, offence will not be taken. The view on the role of the RO is my view and in this I am not trying to sum up what was discussed at the meeting. Please feel free to disagree with this also. One further point is we had a show of hands as to how many people read the forum out of those present. The number was 25%-30% of the people present. Thus we should not take what is discussed here to be the view of the region in generally.

Regards,

Steven

Guest · Sep 9, 2005

I would like to say that I took on the role of R/O as there was no one else at the time who was interested and felt that it was important that we were not without one. At the outset, it has always been the case that I do not have the time to do it all myself, hence the reason I have been asking for people to help and let the Regions Members run the Region. I am in the process of setting up a new business venture and at the moment am finding myself with even less time rather than more.

I can say that if there is someone who is prepared to take on the role and is acceptable to the Board, I would step down. After conversations that have taken place though, I can catagorically state that I will not step down until there is someone else to take my place as I feel it is important that our Region is not without an R/O.

I will copy the content of this thread and email out to members that I have email addresses for.

jason · Sep 9, 2005

Ok my 2p worth.

I don't attend many R8 meetings anymore mainly due to family difficulties (3 kids under 5 and first Monday night of the month quite some distance away ain't easy) although I used to attend without fail and often helped in organising many days out and the Christmas doo's etc (the very well attended Harrogate one being the last one).

In the 5 years + I have been a R8 member the region has been up and down like a yo-yo.

One thing is abundantly clear to me though:- attendances, activities, an actual posting in the PP magazine (in the last 48 months this region must have had less than 24) and everything else a vibrant successful region would want is way higher when you have an extremely passionate RO with lots of time to dedicate to the task.

Being a RO is not an easy task and I commend Phil for giving it a go - but as he points out, when you're available time becomes less and less it becomes even harder and then if results dwindle it becomes harder and demoralising. Then you get a vicious circle.

All regions need a leader - with the time and enthusiasm to take the job by the balls and really want to make it work. The availability of these people are few.

So now I will say something that even suprises me, on the basis that I do not neccessarily agree with what she sometimes says or how she says it.

This region has a massive asset in Helen. I hardly/don't know her and yet you would have to be blind not to realise this. She took the region by the scruff of the neck when it was probably at it's lowest and got it back on its feet with enthusiasm, drive and dedication not previously seen. She almost begged for the job when Larry moved on, even though it was her that had been running it anyway.

Now I don't know what the pathetic petty feud is with the Porsche Board and the Goffs and my interaction with both parties has been almost nil, but if they (the Board) don't realise that we have someone in the region that would be a huge asset as a RO to the R8 members then they are not only less intelligent than I would hope but also causing damage to the region and club enjoyment of members.

So please someone, sort it out, put it right and get this region up to where it should be.

J

PS - best wishes with the business venture Phil - I know exactly how much time they take up having as many of them as Helen has Porsches![

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Guest · Sep 10, 2005

many thanks Jason, I have 2 on the go at the moment with the third, hopefully taking off in late 2005/early 2006. You can appreciate that setting something up is most of the battle with business plans, funding, sales meetings with potential customers etc. so you know where I am coming from.

ON A GENERAL NOTE PLEASE LADIES AND GENTS:
There are rules in terms of content on our forum, so I would ask you to be careful in what you write here. As a moderator, I am still duty bound to monitor content and if I feel that this is getting personal towards individual/s certain content will be removed, but I will email the poster explaining why. This is not "big brother style censorship", but just some general common sense being applied.

If there are any delicate issues that you would like to discuss, either here or at the October meeting, please email me at r8@porscheclubgb.com so it can be put on the agenda or discussed. In addition, please feel free to contact me by telephone, my mobile is best, details are on the Region 8 part of the PCGB website under Regional information, or email me for the number as I do not want to post it on a forum. We must formulate a plan of action to move forwards, NOT to dwell on the past.

Once again, thanks for your continued support

Phil

steh · Sep 10, 2005

dont belong to this region, im 200 miles away almost, but must agree with you after reading all the posts ( i dont know helen at all, only seen her at a couple of events and read and replied to some of her posts) but i think that she would do any region proud, the last region i was in became very dull and lifeless and in my opion if it had someone like helen it would be for the better.

steve

Helen Goff · Sep 11, 2005

his region has a massive asset in Helen. I hardly/don't know her and yet you would have to be blind not to realise this. She took the region by the scruff of the neck when it was probably at it's lowest and got it back on its feet with enthusiasm, drive and dedication not previously seen. She almost begged for the job when Larry moved on, even though it was her that had been running it anyway.

Now I don't know what the pathetic petty feud is with the Porsche Board and the Goffs and my interaction with both parties has been almost nil, but if they (the Board) don't realise that we have someone in the region that would be a huge asset as a RO to the R8 members then they are not only less intelligent than I would hope but also causing damage to the region and club enjoyment of members.

Thank-you for the kind words and i would like to repete that i am more than willing to take over the role of R/O again now that things have settled down in my life again and the past misunderstanding i have had with the board (i would like to think) are now water well and truely under the bridge. i think we are all grown ups here and can move on for the greater good (and fun)of region 8 and the club as a whole.
I shall phone Bob Lovelace and discuse this situation with him and see what his views are.

Helen Goff · Sep 11, 2005

ORIGINAL: 996man

Hi again Helen -

Can you get all of the upcoming 'Harrogate Weekend' party to attend on 3 October. They are all keen and active members and their views on 3 October would be very welcome.

Happy motoring - Randolph Coward

this was a hot topic at harrogate and i think everyone is very keen for things to be resolved as soon as possable so region 8 can start making plans for 2006.
i disagree strongly with the "comittee" idea as i find that too many people involved in getting things done just makes things very complicated and things don't gwet done... having said that the way i would like the region to work is that. every member feels part of the decisson making and feels involved (not an elite few).if someone has an idea it can be discussed at the monthly meeting shapped and developed, they will have our help and support into evolving it into a working plan that can be acted on,advertised in pp the web site and forum.
if you want to call that a committee i guess you could. but a succesful commitee needs a strong and enthusiastic leader to make these ideas happen and encourage and support people like(for example) Randolph Coward, Nigel Graham,Robin and Margeret to continue doing what they have proved they can do so well.

laura · Sep 11, 2005

ORIGINAL: Helen Goff

<thought>maybe someone a lot more popular than me is needed.

I don't know why Helen thinks she is not popular. Charles and I thought her very able and enthusiastic and I know we were not alone.

We are sympathetic to Phil's situtation. It is always difficult balancing running your own business with outside committments. It is never 9 - 5 more like 9 - midnight and what are weekends? - days when the phone doesn't ring and you get a small chance to catch up! It is why we can't offer more time to PCGB.

But we agree with Helen that R8 does need a figure head who is able to devote time and energy to the position. If she feels able to do that we would back her 100%.

See you all in October.

andymarsden1 · Sep 11, 2005

ORIGINAL: laura

But we agree with Helen that R8 does need a figure head who is able to devote time and energy to the position. If she feels able to do that we would back her 100%.

Likewise [

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Helen Goff · Sep 14, 2005

uuumm i receiving a very stoney silence from Phil regarding me taking over so im presuming he intends to continue in the role..

which is fare anough so i'll butt out again....it seems i might have read too much into his opening statement in this thread.

as i said in my first post on this thread the balls in your court Phil, either play or pass...

my offer is open.

Helen Goff · Sep 15, 2005

reviewing the region over the last year it would seem to me there is a clear candidate for the job. Robin (and Maggie) Hainsworth they have already proved they can organise and motivate people and with all our backing i think would make excellent R/Os.

they get my vote.