Florida NCRS Regional

[Joe R.]

My hats off to Ed, Tyler and the whole Florida Team for another wonderful Regional Meet at Old Town. With the exception of one year (my son was born) I have attended 33 of them as this was their 34th Winter NCRS Regional Meet.

Thank you guys for the effort you expend for our enjoyment!

Looking forward to the wonderful spread that Vinnie Peters will present in the "Corvette Restorer".

JR

[Tyler T.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

Thanks Joe. Does anyone know if the accident on I 75 caught someone going north after the show?

Tyler

[Brian M.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

Great job by the Florida Chapter again, it's always nice to see Joe Ray.

[Vinnie P.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

To echo everyone else's comments...another outstanding event by the Florida Chapter...I don't know how they do such a fine job year after year...anyone who has chaired a regional meet or National convention can tell you the work load is just about overwhelming...and Ed and his entire crew just keep coming back for more!!! Hats off to everyone involved! Thanks to Joe Ray for his kind words...hope everyone will enjoy what I have planned in the next issue.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

Yes, the meet went very well and attendance seemed good too. Thursday, about 3 pm, there weren't many cars on the judging field and we worried that our northern friends were having difficulty making their way south. But, Friday and Saturday proved that to be a false impression. Ed not only ran the show, but had an old parts booth going as well. At Sundays show, put on by Classic Corvettes of Orlando, he begged off coming up to make an awards presentation late in the day as he really looked like he'd had it and preferred to lounge in his cart. Can't blame him.

Good job done by all.

Stu Fox

[James W.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

A big thanks to Gene Manno who presented the C2 Advanced Judging Seminar. He withstood the blaring music from the carnival next door during the Saturday afternoon portion of the chassis presentation. Thanks Gene for your patients, it was well worth everyone’s time who stuck it out to the finish. See attached photos from Saturday.


Regards,

James West
Omaha, NE.

[Dick W.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

Maybe I will make it next year. I have registered to come the last three years, and the closest I have been to getting there was sixty miles from home this year. Oh well, there will be another year.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

We missed you Dick. Your booth 567 would have gotten you a lot of play as that is the busy lane where everyone gravitates to before going to the swap meet field.

Right near the field entrance stood a little red 68 convertible that few paid much attention to. Owner was listed as Rick Hendrick with an original window sticker listing "Special 427 engine option" for some $934. or so bucks and change. It was a beauty and I'd say easily as nice as the Yellow one that went through Mecum for $610,000, specially if it had near the documentation. I was surprised how many glanced at it briefly with out registering as to just what it was.

Stu Fox

[Roger P.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

I made the 3 hour drive up to Kissimmee from Miami on Friday to attend my first NCRS Regional. Other than a little rain, I had a great time admiring the beautiful Vettes, and also checked out the vendors and swap meet. I took a lot of photos of all the cars -- especially the C2's. Now I have a visual reference so I can make some adjustments on my '65. I didn't see too many familar name tags during my Friday visit as I was hoping to put faces and names together from the TDB, but I plan on attending next year and hope to meet more members in person. On my way back home, I spent a few hours at the Mecum Auction and saw some terrific cars there as well. For a car guy, it was a great way to steal a day from work!

[Tom R.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

I had some discretionary time Friday pm (no judging assignment) so attended the Mecum auction and was overwhelmed by its growth. What from a few hundred cars while at the Old Town campus to 2200 vehicles at the Heritage Center along with manufacturers represented and BIG tents all over the place. HUGE!

But it cost $. It cost $7 to park a car, $15 for admission (all this assuming your joe corvette without connections). But had great conversations with ten managers (Mecum managed) running into Andy Bolig (editor, Auto Enthusiast) and just other auction goers.

Can't help but believe its got to be bleeding the NCRS Florida Chapter's hosting of the Regional event.

[Shannon U.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

Agreed that it was a good event but I STRONGLY URGE an improved plan for accommodations for both the town hall discussion with Roy and the advanced judging school for both individuals and families. I was VERY, VERY impressed that Roy was so concerned to involve ALL interested participants that he did a re-run version of his session!! We are relatively new NCRS members, but at least I was lucky enough to submit my registration early enough to make the list for my selected judging school (but my spouse with a separate recorded NCRS number and separately paid dues was not listed) but when my requested class of OJ was "too full" I was forced to switch days. I have no idea if I will receive the AJS credits for my dilemma....I hope so as it cost us over $900 just to attend the meeting. I was told that "it will not be a problem" but I am sure that some people did not attend the AJS as they were not on the list (my spouse included!). I plan on holding off on my next registration until I confirm that I did not make this expensive trip' just for fun'.

[Gerard R.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

We missed you Dick. Your booth 567 would have gotten you a lot of play as that is the busy lane where everyone gravitates to before going to the swap meet field.

Right near the field entrance stood a little red 68 convertible that few paid much attention to. Owner was listed as Rick Hendrick with an original window sticker listing "Special 427 engine option" for some $934. or so bucks and change. It was a beauty and I'd say easily as nice as the Yellow one that went through Mecum for $610,000, specially if it had near the documentation. I was surprised how many glanced at it briefly with out registering as to just what it was.

Stu Fox

Any pics ?

[Tyler T.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

Agreed that it was a good event but I STRONGLY URGE an improved plan for accommodations for both the town hall discussion with Roy and the advanced judging school for both individuals and families. I was VERY, VERY impressed that Roy was so concerned to involve ALL interested participants that he did a re-run version of his session!! We are relatively new NCRS members, but at least I was lucky enough to submit my registration early enough to make the list for my selected judging school (but my spouse with a separate recorded NCRS number and separately paid dues was not listed) but when my requested class of OJ was "too full" I was forced to switch days. I have no idea if I will receive the AJS credits for my dilemma....I hope so as it cost us over $900 just to attend the meeting. I was told that "it will not be a problem" but I am sure that some people did not attend the AJS as they were not on the list (my spouse included!). I plan on holding off on my next registration until I confirm that I did not make this expensive trip' just for fun'.

OK thanks for the good words. A couple of points.
1. Your letter did not indicate both you AND your spouse wished to attend the Sat AM Seminar. (There was no am session?)
2.OJ spots are not by order of registration, they are under the control of the team leaders.
3.Since you registered as a family and made no notes that you both wanted consideration I entered the info as a single. Make sure you make that distinction in the future when filling out the paperwork for any NCRS event.
I assume Terry will be updating the AJS points from the sign-in roster in the near future, its not something we normally do. We did it last year because we have had problems with unregistered individuals attending for AJS judging credit and too cheap to register.

I will agree the seminar/schools have been a weak point in the past. It is something I insisted we address this year but was disappointed in the result. We have made some changes for next year that should bring needed changes. Since this is an area that is not in our complee control we will need the assistance of Roy to bring about these needed changes. The one thing I would like to see is a shift from the one class fits all to seminars tailored to the judged classes. Since we are blessed with many master judges attending the event lets shift some of those to teaching seminars (with judging points) and let some new blood into the teams. I know other event have to scramble for judges and this would be a way to get more people trained, I find it somewhat disturbing that a team leader would stuff his whole team with master judges and not include some newer people in the process. So to end this we do hear your voice but also remember this a club and you have just as much responsibility to make the experience better for those comming into the hobby as I do. I worked 6 12-16 hr days making the event happen, quality help would be greatly appreciated,

Tyler

[Joe R.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

ok thanks for the good words. A couple of points.
1. Your letter did not indicate both you and your spouse wished to attend the sat am seminar. (there was no am session?)
2.oj spots are not by order of registration, they are under the control of the team leaders.
3.since you registered as a family and made no notes that you both wanted consideration i entered the info as a single. Make sure you make that distinction in the future when filling out the paperwork for any ncrs event.
I assume terry will be updating the ajs points from the sign-in roster in the near future, its not something we normally do. We did it last year because we have had problems with unregistered individuals attending for ajs judging credit and too cheap to register.

I will agree the seminar/schools have been a weak point in the past. It is something i insisted we address this year but was disappointed in the result. We have made some changes for next year that should bring needed changes. Since this is an area that is not in our complee control we will need the assistance of roy to bring about these needed changes. The one thing i would like to see is a shift from the one class fits all to seminars tailored to the judged classes. Since we are blessed with many master judges attending the event lets shift some of those to teaching seminars (with judging points) and let some new blood into the teams. I know other event have to scramble for judges and this would be a way to get more people trained, i find it somewhat disturbing that a team leader would stuff his whole team with master judges and not include some newer people in the process. So to end this we do hear your voice but also remember this a club and you have just as much responsibility to make the experience better for those comming into the hobby as i do. I worked 6 12-16 hr days making the event happen, quality help would be greatly appreciated,

tyler

Amen! Amen!

[Terry M.]

Re: Florida NCRS Regional

A little clarification is in order. The Advanced Judging Seminar is an ALL day event if you want judging points -- There is no option to attend EITHER the Morning or Afternoon sessions if you want the points. If you attend half day,and don't care about the points -- that is fine, but you will be taking someone else’s position from them.

The restriction to 60 people is not new. We have always at all meets attempted to limit the attendees to around that number simply as a matter of logistics. In an outdoor environment it is difficult (at best) for a group larger than that to hear the speaker and impossible for those on the periphery to see what the speaker is pointing to. Add the "music" playing from the Old Town system on Saturday and even 60 people is too many. Our efforts next year might be better directed to controlling the sound system than the numbers of people.

All that said, I believe the AJS are an educational opportunity. Many attend for that education, and not for the points. Both days the afternoon Seminar ran overtime and I had to chase people away. However, being an educational function it is not in the spirit of education to deny people attendance.

The efforts at making a prepared list of attendees ran into the difficulty of several members of the same family wanting to attend the AJS, and also required selection of the AJS before people knew if they were judging or on what day. Thus some who registered for the AJS abandoned the Seminar in favor of a judging selection. I lost some presenters as a result of that, so even my best efforts at organization failed to some extent. I am now of the opinion that a rigid pre-selection process is unworkable, but at the same time some equitable means of limiting the AJS numbers needs to be found. I am open to suggestions in that regard, and not just for the Winter Regional Meet – although due to the large numbers of attendees that meet and the National Convention present the greatest numerical challenge. All that said I thought the efforts at organizing people were worth trying, even if they meet with less than stelar success. We don't know what will succeed if we don't try something.

I do have a plan to review the sign-up sheets against meet registration before I post the points, but it will take some time -- and those chasing points will have to be patient. That plan is already behind my schedule because my work piled up in my absence, and my employer regards NCRS activities as recreation. Amazing point of view, isn't it? The issue of assuring only meet registrants are credited with judging points will be resolved with the electronic registration system in place.