Membership rule changes

[Mister2]

I'm ashamed to admit I don't keep up with the changes from year to year, but I did notice the following in the December issue of the wheel.

On page 30, bottom left, it says "changes to programs for new people".

(paraphrased)
1. A member may accompany a non-member to an event; the non-member guest drives and works.

Guests will be limited to 5 total per event, one guest per member, and the guest can only do this once. Afterwards they need a membership to drive.

2. The temp membership program has been closed.

Anyone want to interpret this for me because I'm confused (not unusual).

[dbratten]

I'm ashamed to admit I don't keep up with the changes from year to year, but I did notice the following in the December issue of the wheel.

On page 30, bottom left, it says "changes to programs for new people".

(paraphrased)
1. A member may accompany a non-member to an event; the non-member guest drives and works.

Guests will be limited to 5 total per event, one guest per member, and the guest can only do this once. Afterwards they need a membership to drive.

2. The temp membership program has been closed.

Anyone want to interpret this for me because I'm confused (not unusual).
Good catch, Steve.

I read it as saying that they found the Weekend Membership Program too cumbersome and expensive to administer and that they weren't getting the desired results of having WM's join the club with an annual membership in the numbers they hoped for.

So, going forward, a non-member can be a guest only once. After that, they must be a member to drive. This will affect many of our "regulars" who have been WM's for a long time.

While the statement doesn't address passengers who in the past had to fill out a WM form to comply with insurance requirements I will guess that in the absence of a form a non-member won't be allowed as a passenger.

I'll drop a note over on BA Autox and see what others in SFR have to say.

--Dan

[2/3rdsCobra]

So, I need a membership to run 2-3 events per year. Not gonna happen. That's a shame and goes to show what the motivating force is behind SCCA....$$$$$.

[dbratten]

So, I need a membership to run 2-3 events per year. Not gonna happen. That's a shame and goes to show what the motivating force is behind SCCA....$$$$$.

I started this thread -- http://www.baautox.com/forum/index.php?t=msg&th=6375&start=0&rid=515 --which you may wish to follow to see what is going on. There appears to be some doubt.

--Dan

[needforspeed]

If this is the case, I may no longer be able to participate in the events. :mad:

[mkiisupra]

I have seen this posted in the Wheel for several issues. I don't believe that it is representative to the National SCCA Weekend Memberships. I do believe that it is a 'vestigial appendage' to the current printing and rules for SFR events. Their 'Guest program' I believe was to limit the number of newbies during large events (not much of an issue with Fresno SCCA) so regulars 'got theirs', so to speak. I am not sure that the SFR enforces this guest policy with the new National SCCA weekend Memberships, and is quite possibly an oversight to the editors, as policies have changed.

On a related note, I try to take a look at SCCA's rules updates online (FastTrack ?!?), they aren't printed in Sports Car anymore. But I only do that when I need clarification, like with the STR structuring for 2010.

Also remember, pay your weekend membership 6X = a full years membership in SCCA (all regions) Its cheaper if your insurance rates are still high and frontal cortex is almost fully developed (ie, under 25 years old, special SCCA program)

Enjoy, Eric G

[thad]

Oh my quite a stir over here (http://fresnoracing.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=53675)

[dbratten]

Oh my quite a stir over here (http://fresnoracing.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=53675)

I hope people will have the good sense to wait and see if this is an actual change or just a copy/paste error in The Wheel. We should know more by Monday when knowledgeable people are back on the boards to answer.

--Dan

[thad]

I hope people will have the good sense to wait and see if this is an actual change or just a copy/paste error in The Wheel. We should know more by Monday when knowledgeable people are back on the boards to answer.

--Dan

No such luck, Lots of Knee jerking on Fresno-racing and some folks swearing off SCCA due to unconfirmed rumor.

[2/3rdsCobra]

I don't believe that there is any knee jerk reaction anywhere. Information was posted on this board, I responded to the post with my own feelings on the matter. I also took this information and reposted it on another local board which has its own group of Solo attendees who also opt for the WM as opposed to purchasing a yearly membership. If these new rules are not going to be imposed, then no harm or foul. If they are, then I have said my peace. Whatever the end result is, I'll update my original post in the other forum so more people who may be impacted by these changes will have correct information.

[JFine]

I read the section in question posted in the "Wheel" SFR region publication on page 30 of the December 2009 issue.

This whole things is about SFR's own program which has no effect on the Fresno Chapter.
Also, the Fresno Chapter never wants to limit the non-members from being able to run. The Fresno Chapter is all for letting people try autocross without having to pay the $90 annual membership fee. Any changes to these non-member programs are not made by Fresno SCCA, but made by the National organization which we tried to fight when they implemented the Weekend Membership last year.
I currently have an email into the national organization to confirm this, but I am 99% certain this is a SFR only thing and WILL NOT affect the Fresno Chapter.

[nm+]

Previously SFR limited the number of temp memberships to 5 people for each event.
However, the rules didn't say you couldn't do that 100 times, taking spots from true new people.
SFR events are packed, so they want to push people to membership ASAP for time reasons (they use a barcode system rather than paper).
I believe this change should only impact SFR specific events. I would be beyond shocked to hear them apply this to Fresno or Sacramento events.

[2159ClassicRed]

Talk about openning a can of worms :D

[Mister2]

Talk about openning a can of worms :D

Yeah, I'm good at that.

Thanks everyone for the research/clarification. I kinda figured that was the case but just wanted to be sure. The whole thing would fold up if non-members couldn't run.

[solonut]

got popcorn????

It's amazing what happens when something is posted on a forum then get reposted on another forum and no one checks the validity of the statements......scca.org has all current info.....it's all just a click away......

or is winter boredom running rampant.......well back to your normally shceduled gossip

[nbmiata]

just wondering, for a family membership do we need to be living in the same house? i live in modesto my brothers lives in fresno.

[solonut]

from the SCCA web site.....


Family Membership
For a husband, wife and all children under age 21. Spouses have the same benefits and privileges as Individual membership. Children also have the same benefits. One copy of SportsCar® magazine is provided per family.

[JFine]

Here is what I got back from National and Thunderhill:

From Rick Meyers:
The information you provided sounds like decisions that are being considered at a Regional level. While we are contemplating some changes that offer further incentives to join the club, nothing has been announced and we would not set limits on the number of Weekend Members at a given event, nor set the requirement that you must join after one event as a Weekend Member.
I have copied Mike Smith (RE for San Francisco Region) and Sherri Grantz (Region Administrator) on this email, so they can possibly shed any light on the subject.
Sincerely,
Rick Myers
Region Development Manager
Sports Car Club of America
PO Box 19400
Topeka, KS 66619
800-770-2055 x336
785-862-7136
rmyers@scca.com
www.scca.com

From Sherry Grantz:
Hi
I think the things you are talking about are just rumors. None of these items will be mandated by National or SFR. IF a chapter wanted to limit the number of non-members/weekend memberships, they can do that. But it would be up to the Chapter itself.
Does that answer the questions? Let me know if I can give you any other info.
Sherry Grantz
Region Administrator
San Francisco Region Office
(530) 934-4455 x 104
www.sfrscca.org

[dbratten]

Here is what I got back from National and Thunderhill:

From Rick Meyers:
The information you provided sounds like decisions that are being considered at a Regional level. While we are contemplating some changes that offer further incentives to join the club, nothing has been announced and we would not set limits on the number of Weekend Members at a given event, nor set the requirement that you must join after one event as a Weekend Member.
I have copied Mike Smith (RE for San Francisco Region) and Sherri Grantz (Region Administrator) on this email, so they can possibly shed any light on the subject.
Sincerely,
Rick Myers
Region Development Manager
Sports Car Club of America
PO Box 19400
Topeka, KS 66619
800-770-2055 x336
785-862-7136
rmyers@scca.com
www.scca.com

From Sherry Grantz:
Hi
I think the things you are talking about are just rumors. None of these items will be mandated by National or SFR. IF a chapter wanted to limit the number of non-members/weekend memberships, they can do that. But it would be up to the Chapter itself.
Does that answer the questions? Let me know if I can give you any other info.
Sherry Grantz
Region Administrator
San Francisco Region Office
(530) 934-4455 x 104
www.sfrscca.org

Thanks, Josh.

Perhaps you can email Sherry and ask her to find out why the "rumor" has appeared several times in The Wheel (that Steve initially cited as the source) and contact whoever is responsible to get that cleared up.

--Dan

[JFine]

I am thinking of contacting the Wheel to tell them to add to the article "Solo SFR events only" so there is no confusion with other Solo events.

[glieb]

I am thinking of contacting the Wheel to tell them to add to the article "Solo SFR events only" so there is no confusion with other Solo events.
If a member is a member then they are really confused, annual or weekly makes no sense?