“Back to normal.2” – a mid-cycle update.
By now you all probably get that I like to write about more than current events. But I figure that in times of important changes in our routine of operating PCA regions, its probably a priority to err on the side of over communicating on the topic of “what’s going on”.
Last month, I addressed the higher hurdles that your region leaders are now required to address prior to gaining insurance approval for any moving car event. The inevitable result is going to be that your club’s committee leaders will face one of two choices- either earn permission to run the event with lots of health and safety hurdles to assure to the national office; or cancel it. You can trust that it is heartbreaking for an organizer to cancel any planned activity. A lot of work goes into simply getting it on the calendar to begin with. Further, if the stars align and an event is proven to be insurable, then it’s that much more work for the unpaid, unreimbursed, volunteers that give up their time to bring it your way!
Not to beat a dead horse, but the reason for stressing the work in the paragraph above is to restate one sentence from last months “Back to Normal?” column. It said, “Please be patient with your region’s volunteer activities leaders who will be responsible for implementing this new expectation”.
Last Sunday, I attended one of the four (yes- four versus maybe 20 in a normal year) moving car happenings approved across the zone for June. One of the restrictions that was required to hold the autocross, was that no car could contain more than one person. Among other things this meant no in-car instruction. This conflicted with one of the guidelines in the region, which is that every first-time autocross participant, must be released to solo, by an experienced person approved by the committee chair to instruct. So mid-way through the weeks of online registration, three of the allowed twenty participants (yes- local restrictions limited the organizers to a total of twenty people on site) needed to be informed that their money would be refunded and that they could not participate. This put the very people-oriented volunteers in a position they did not enjoy at all. And to make things even more awkward, one of the denied participants chose to show up, make a scene, and make critical comments about the organizer who had already been through lots of anguish, just trying to keep the program alive. This was disappointing, heartbreaking, and embarassing. We need to keep in mind that ALL OF US, both members and volunteers are likely feeling a lot more general frustration with 2020, than most years in the recent past. So let’s all just count to ten. Then count backwards, if you need a little more time. Then try to find some hint of a silver lining in whatever just set things off.
At the time of this writing, Friday June 20, I was to have been on the road to the 65th Porsche Parade in a new toy. Parade was canceled, but our meetings are still on. So instead of being in the California sun, I’ll spend tomorrow on a 6 hour Zoom call with all of the other zone reps. And then, Sunday will be a several hour “Go to Meeting” call with the EC and the rest of the national staff. Further, the new toy, originally due in May, isn’t here until next month due to the March corona virus shutdown of the Zuffenhausen factory.
So I’ll count to ten. And then backwards. And then I’ll look for the silver lining. The highs in Palm Desert during the planned days of Parade, will range from 106 to 113 degrees. Here in Utah it will be 70- 90 degrees. That’s silver lining #1. And as to the delayed car delivery. Well, I guess that’s 1200 miles I won’t be putting on the car on a boring I-15 between here and SoCal. The car deserves better! So that’s silver lining #2. And besides, both problems are a first world issue, and a selfish concern if I seriously consider either in the context of everything that’s happening around us at this moment in history. So I have ZERO reason to be upset and simply count my blessings in addition to counting to ten. I hope we can all do the same.
It’s about the cars and the people. We have our cars, however if you are anything like me, you are missing the people part as well. But this too shall pass! Until then, keep your cool.
Rich Sanders