Meeting Minutes: July 2017

July 26, 2017

Meeting was brought to order @ 19:31 by Kristen Poole.

June meeting minutes approved as posted.

The executive board has appointed Kevin MacDonald to fill the director position vacated by Geoff Craig in June. Kevin will serve as director for the remainder of this year with the position coming up for election in November to fill the position for the one year remaining on the position’s original term. At that time, Kevin, along with any other member in good standing, will have the option to run for election.

Monthly Reports

Membership report by Kristen Poole: Membership as of the morning of the meeting was at 403 members.

Treasurer’s report by Alan Lesher: Income and distribution for both AX and RX were reviewed. The club is on track with last year’s income and distributions.

Assistant RE report by Doug Austin:  We had our first incident in several years at the July Farm Show autocross event. The driver was unharmed. Response by course, safety, and other members was quick and professional. Member feedback pertaining to the incident indicated things were handled well.

AX report by Solo Chair Chris Benfer: Due to venue change, we were unable to conference Chris into the meeting. Due to this, he will be submitting his AX Report to the board in writing in the next few days.

RX report by John Roscinski: The 7/15/17 Divisional event was the biggest rallycross event in Susquehanna history with a total of 49 competitors. The committee was happy to learn that the venue is capable of handling that many competitors, and the cap for next year may be raised accordingly. There were a few issues due to aging timing equipment. The issues amounted in over an hour of downtime which caused a 2-3 run per competitor loss for the event. To address the timing issues, a rebuild or building of new equipment will happen in the near future with Markus, John and Bryan Roper assisting.

The committee also sent a survey to competitors following the July 15 event. Results yielded extremely positive results pertaining to the elevation changes in the lot. Negatives were specific to the timing issues experienced and minor issues with grid that are being addressed. 22 of the 25 respondents were likely to recommend Susquehanna SCCA Rallycross to a friend.

Also, it is confirmed that the rain date of November 18 will be used to make up the event cancelled due to weather earlier this year. Kristen is coordinating the venue contract and sanction for the event.

Social Media Presence Report by Doug Austin: The club’s Facebook group membership is at 600+. Facebook rallycross group membership is at almost 300. Nothing new to report.

Squeal Report by Kristen Poole/Melissa Mauro: The Squeal newsletter continues to be positively received. We currently see an average 35% open rate on the monthly newsletter email.

Questions/comments: A member posed questions about posting some runs from events on Facebook Live, giving live updates on Twitter, etc. The club’s available monthly data does not allow that to be done using SCCA’s data. We also do not have a dedicated social media administrator at events. Doug to continue this discussion offline.

Old Business

1. Combination of MOD and Prepared classes: No update from June meeting.
2. Possibility of holding joint autocross event with BMR or other region: No update from June meeting.
3. Truck repairs: Markus advised what needed welded has been welded. Due to its current condition, we will need a new truck in the very near future. The club has owned the current truck for approximately 40 years. Markus brought quotes on used U-Haul trucks, which will fit our needs best. Alan confirmed funds are available for the purchase. Brian Holmes, an ASE Certified Master Mechanic, agreed to go over the possible trucks with Markus to ensure they are in good working order. Markus is to narrow down the possibilities and provide at the August meeting.

New Business

1. At the July AX event, Kristen Poole loaned us a 10×20 E-Z Up to use for registration. We found this size and style worked extremely well. A motion was made to allocate funds for the purchase of a club 10×20 E-Z Up. Motion was seconded and carried. Kristen to coordinate purchase before the September 10^th event.
2. An email was submitted to the Susquehanna chapter by Eric Salminen and Dennis Blevins from the DC chapter. They are putting on a Monty Carlo style Rally School and event in Gettysburg in 2018 and were looking for Susquehanna Region support with sanction paperwork. Adam Moore volunteered to work with them.
3. Work on creating official sponsorship packages for the region is almost complete. Kristen drafted proposed sponsorship packages and provided them to the board who gave feedback. The feedback/concerns were addressed at the meeting. Kristen is to update and distribute final versions to the board before the August meeting when a vote to approve is expected.

Good and welfare

1. It has come to our attention that long time member Murray W. Sperling Jr. (Sonny) has passed away. In lieu of flowers the family has asked for donations to be made to the American Cancer Society. A motion was made, and passed, to make a donation from the club. A $50.00 Donation will be made by the Susquehanna SCCA.

Meeting dismissed at 20:02.

Respectfully submitted — Brian Holmes, Secretary