Can we talk about karting?

[Jake]

So I'm hearing rumblings that karting is cancelled this semester because y'all want to use the funds for "more social events" like tailgating and such.

I'm only stirring the pot here because it sounds like car-club-money is going to be used to do some not-car-club things. I really, really enjoy going karting with MM, but frankly, I can grab a Groupon for $35 and go to Summit Point. The "are we going karting?" part disappoints me but not that much. The logic behind it, though...

If we were told that the money was going to be used to get a fuckton of students to VIR and you were renting a van to do it, cool. If no karting meant two big autocrosses this fall instead of one, awesome. If it meant a group 4x4 trip, do it up.

But don't tell us alumni that you're going to cancel one of the bigger events of the semester because you want to tailgate and throw parties. Buy your own damn beer.

[Senor_Taylor]

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. Nothing I say is set in stone because I'm just the secretary. I'll repeat what I've said before: I've been told we lose money Karting and that we don't have funds for other things, so I'm in favor of cancelling one 2 hour event (which I really enjoyed) to have funds for other things. From what I understand, Karting is like $1000? (let me know if I'm wrong) There's a whole lot of stuff we can do with that. I constantly hear that we don't have money, so it seems pretty logical. Y'all said we should do more social events like years passed. We can do a ton of things with that money, and I'm certainly not able to pay for all of it out of my pocket.

One year to save up money to do other big things in the future doesn't sound bad. I wish I could actually look at the financial stuff and see what's going on, but I can't, so I'm flying blind here on the word of other officers, so please, don't hate me.

[Jake]

Keep in mind, you're not paying for everyone to GO karting... you collect the money up front, have some stragglers that pay day-of, and cut a check when we all leave the venue that day. Pretty sure the total outlay is $1,600 ($40 times 40 people) - we charged $40 for alumni and $30 for students in years past, and got 20 students and 20 alumni to go. If we didn't have enough student participation, we allowed more alumni and friends, and charged all of them $40.

So, doing that math, you are at most spending $200 in club funds if you have 20 MM students attend. If you have more alumni/friends than students, that number goes down.

[Senor_Taylor]

Interesting. Is there a maximum we can bring? Say we bring 50 people? I'm sure we could get a lot of current students this year.

[JPolen01]

I wish I could actually look at the financial stuff and see what's going on, but I can't, so I'm flying blind here on the word of other officers, so please, don't hate me.

First off, there really aren't any 'financial' documents to look at. Second, ask one of your other offices to look at it. It's no secret. All the officers should be aware of every aspect of the club at all times.

[Jake]

Interesting. Is there a maximum we can bring? Say we bring 50 people? I'm sure we could get a lot of current students this year.

We always did 40 because it allowed ten teams of four people. You'd have to call G-Force and see about more than that. The rental fee was (I believe) for the facility, so it may be possible to have more people if they have more karts.

[D_Eclipse9916]

I am open to dropping karting like Jake said, only if it is for motorsports related activities.

Don't want to do karting, but want to host a drag night? Want to do a 4x4 adventure and add $150 of club funds to buy some burgers and a couple things of beer to be shared (only if this is bringing in guys that wouldnt normally 4x4)? If this increase participation, woohoo! Not everyone is into karting/autocross/road racing, but it is a motorsports club.... Keep the $$ spent related to cars and show how the money is being spent wisely.

However, I am against using $100 to buy a keg of natty so you guys can party at a game without funds out of pocket. Dues also popped up (inevitably again) to $50 this year did they not? Are costs rising $5 a year for something I am not seeing?

[Senor_Taylor]

On the whole "buying a keg" part, I was leaning more in the direction of buying the burgers and such for tailgating and what-not. I personally wanted to get an MM sign made for our events. I should let one of the more in-the-know officers post.

[Jewels]

On the whole "buying a keg" part, I was leaning more in the direction of buying the burgers and such for tailgating and what-not. I personally wanted to get an MM sign made for our events. I should let one of the more in-the-know officers post.

If you are an officer, you should be "in the know". Do you jackhole's talk to each other? Also, Taylor, it seems you talk out of turn a bit and then back track what you said. Can you please stop doing that? If you have no idea what's really going on, can you try to stop leading us to believe different?

[Sully]

Ok so here's kinda my stand on it. I feel like karting is one of the quintessential events thr club does. There's no other events that get as many asses in seats and racing against one another. Autocross is great but you need a car or have someone lend you there's and you're only racing against yourself for a minute at a time. Karting, you're going wheel to wheel with friends or new acquaintances. That experience really helped solidify my freshman experience with MM even though I'm from richmond and had been to gforce plenty of times. As jake said, I can go on my own and it's actually cheaper to do so cause I have left over race credits but going with the new members and old members racing people that are actually challenging is way more fun. Now i know I've always been the karting extremist so i guess idk what current members want to do, but what about new members who haven't experienced it yet? How do they know it's not worth it?


Now as far as funds. Karting loses $200 if collected as $30 for students and $40 for alumni if i recall. You could possibly raise each rate $5 and you just solved that problem.

My bigger question (for the treasurer or the people that know) is what happened to all the dues money? I know you have to buy shirts and what not but karting is only a financial burden if it's not planned correctly. Well its always a financial burden but it's worth it. You can usually make a deal with gforce to only give them half the money (edit: as a deposit) and I'm sure you could negotiate to give them even less if you tried.

And Taylor, you mention saving up the money. From others comments, it sounds like the money is already all gone so I'm not sure how you're saving. Dues are the main source of income in the fall so if they're gone, then nothing has been saved.

I'm all for MM being a social club and a drivers club. After all we all came together because we share common interests (mainly rustling jimmies on the Internet) and it would be nice to get it back to how it was where everyone is friends and hang out and party together. And party the night before an autocross and show up 20 minutes late hung over and spend the down time sleeping in the back seat (wasn't me, just the car I co-drove) but i don't see why club funds have to be spent to do all that. Hang out, party, but what elaborate parties are you guys throwing that's costing money? If you throw a party, invite your mm friends. They don't have to be 100% mm exclusive all the time (because that would be a total sausage fest)

Idk, I'm sure i ranted but i just like to be in the know as finding MM is what turned around my whole outlook on college my freshman year. I know I'm an alumni, and in other clubs that means nothing, but as has been stated every year by other, we are very alumni centric in part due to the nature of our sport and barriers to entry of motor sport world's. It's also been said every year that if current officers let us(alumni) know about current situations like where the money is going and what needs to be bought, alumni may be willing to make donations to get the club through. If money is being thrown around to pay for parties though, that's another story but that's why we need to know.

(Oh and when I say we, i mean the alumni who have jobs and money...I'm still an unemployed broke college student )

[Jake]

Very well said, Matt.

Even if you have an "MM party" or "MM tailgate," can you not just have everyone bring five bucks and still keep events as they have been?

[Kaan]

Matt earns his grumpy old man badge... :thumbsup:

[Sully]

Also, burgers and dogs don't cost that much. From experience, we've always bought the cheapest stuff. And it's not mandatory to have food although it can be nice. I'm not saying don't, but just be mindful. I guess it would help to hear from someone with the financial insight though.

[Senor_Taylor]

I'm going to class. I'll be back later to catch up on everything. I think Ryan's about to post.

[Senor_Taylor]

On the whole "buying a keg" part, I was leaning more in the direction of buying the burgers and such for tailgating and what-not. I personally wanted to get an MM sign made for our events. I should let one of the more in-the-know officers post.

If you are an officer, you should be "in the know". Do you jackhole's talk to each other? Also, Taylor, it seems you talk out of turn a bit and then back track what you said. Can you please stop doing that? If you have no idea what's really going on, can you try to stop leading us to believe different?

I'm not very good at articulating my thoughts, sorry.

[rherold9]

No, Julie we never talk to each other...

One officer just goes on whim and decides all... And we just want to spend money on stupid shit.

Come on, seriously?

I understand where everyone is coming from. I personally think karting is my favorite event. Do we have enough money right now? No. Even if we fully emptied the Paypal account we'd be short around $200. We could try to get money up front and maybe try to have you all as Alumni sponsor again but we'd have to charge $40 for all (students and alumni) but we wouldn't be able to do this until Spring imo as this years winter will be starting in the next month.

We are trying to keep club attendance higher, make MM a more recognized club, try to get more people out to realize we aren't just a bunch of dudes jerking out dicks around a bunch of cars but actually do fun, social, events. I'm not saying we are going to use all the money for this but some of it will go towards things of that nature. Other money is going to the autocross in the Fall and we are thinking of doing other events.

[BLINGMW]

Short $200? So just open it up and see if you can get a few alums to commit and prepay. :dunno:

...we are very alumni centric in part due to the nature of our sport and barriers to entry of motor sport world's

Certianly wasn't that way for the first few years of the club's life....
(*insert GET OFF MY LAWN meme here*)

[rherold9]

So we should just use every single penny for Karting then have nothing after? I have to disagree.

I think it will be more along the lines of us just going to SPK one day with several people and not actually renting out a whole place.

[BLINGMW]

So we should just use every single penny for Karting then have nothing after? I have to disagree.

You're probably right. Honestly I assume the current regime has a plan, and that I'm waaaaay out of the loop.

[Sully]

You'd be short on the deposit or short on the whole payment? We've never had enough for the whole payment upfront since I've been there. i think one year Jake had to front the deposit for like a week but I'm not saying to do that. No one expects the officers to pay for/front things out of pocket although it happens and I'm sure it's helped in the past.

Don't take things too personally. This happens pretty much every year. Alumni just like to see officers intentions and it's hard to gauge if we don't talk to you.

Chan, centric may have been a poor word choice. But i think it's good there are so many alumni who are still active and around for support. I don't really know how the early years were but the thoughts that come to mind as far as things that have a barrier or may just aren't as easy to find/discover are things like track events. I know you guys all worked and did track events but i feel like mm has a pretty strong presence in the paddock and it helps members who may not have a car to track, see Dj with the race car or any of thr other guys who do TT or HPDE.