Joseph Plauger - Treasurer

[plaugs_golf]

Hello, my name is Joseph Plauger and I am running for Treasurer (just in case the title didn't give that away). I will be a Junior this upcoming year and I will also be switching majors... I was a CS major, but through certain circumstances and many learning experiences, I am not going to make it into the major. I will most likely be venturing into CIS next year, depending on a few things, but that is my plan as of now. If ya'll have any advice, hit me up, please.

Alright, enough about my personal life. Madison Motorsports is the greatest club ever, we all know that... but how can we make it better? As Treasurer, I am not going to be leading the club. My job will contain all the typical Treasurer duties, which I feel confident that I can do. I finally have a car, so I am able to run around and deliver $$$ to whoever would need it or wherever it would need to go. I have taken a business class before and, since I don't have much money to call my own, I have quite a lot of experience with knowing how to spend it wisely and think before throwing money at something that just wouldn't be smart for the club. 

I would love to be able to help raise money for the club through fundraisers and potential other ideas. I have also been looking around at other past applications for Treasurer to see what other people's ideas were. I came to the conclusion throughout my searching that I would just ask all of you wise, old, experienced alumni what worked, what didn't work, and for some ideas that maybe you wanted to work but didn't get the chance to do. 

This year, Madison Automotive Apprentice Program (MAAP) has been huge for MM, providing us with a great place to work on our rides for a couple hours during the day, get some of the best coffee in Harrisonburg, and just hang out. I spend about 10+ hours there every week, usually doing homework in the back room, but sometimes helping Cole or Michael with a 356 Speedster, VW Beetle, or whatever other project cars they have in there at the time. MAAP is just such an amazing opportunity for MM and I would hate to see nothing much come of this. Since I spend many hours a day there, I would be able to help tie the two organizations even closer together, which I would absolutely love to see. 

Switching gears a little bit, I wanted to address something that I feel like has kind of gone out the window with this club a bit this year... the excessive breaking of laws and overaggressive driving on the streets. I haven't personally witnessed much of it, but I have heard many stories and I am very against it. It's good to have fun and enjoy your cars, but breaking the law is something that we just don't tolerate. It can get us in a heap of trouble and it's just wrong. There are places and times to go 100+ mph and race side-by-side with your friends and/or enemies... drag strips, tracks, autocross events, etc.. I just want this club to be a place where we have lots of fun and enjoy many things, but also a club that is respected within the community of Harrisonburg and JMU, especially with the police officers of the area.

Building on that, I just had a thought. Maybe we can do an event (maybe fundraiser) with the police force either at JMU or Harrisonburg where we organize some sort of car meet or autocross, something that gets the officers involved with us so that they can see personally that we are all great guys (and gals) who just love cars and hanging out. I don't see anything bad about building a relationship with the police force around here and the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. What do you all think?

Please, by all means, ask away. I'll be happy to answer any questions and concerns you might have.

Thanks!
Joseph Plauger

[Rupertfl]

Beautiful


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[GTBrandon]

I love the idea of a fundraiser with the Harrisonburg Police Department.

Great write up btw!

[*insertusernamehere*]

Plaugs! Good stuff! Any other ideas on how we can raise some money for the club? There are a few things like car washes that have never come to fruition it would be interesting if you all pulled it off.

I really like the idea of having an officer than can help MM grow closer to MAAP, so much that I could almost see it being a 5th position. You're more than willing to do it all in one and big props for that, go forth! All the more reason a PR/Sec can easily put together social stuff.

One thing to note, you and the other 3 officers are all leaders in every capacity of the club. We assign titles to help give a framework for how to distribute responsibilities but really I'd expect that everyone to help out with everything cohesively. But if we can't manage to do that, refer back to the structure lol.

[plaugs_golf]

Well, that's the thing, I was looking to hear from you guys on what would be good for fundraising, because I've heard so many ideas, but they seem to repeat each year in the application posts... which leads me to question if they actually work? Or what ways could they be altered to actually make them work? I would love to do car washes and other ways to raise money for the club, but I want to do them right. I don't want to throw out an idea that won't work realistically.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Well, that's the thing, I was looking to hear from you guys on what would be good for fundraising, because I've heard so many ideas, but they seem to repeat each year in the application posts... which leads me to question if they actually work? Or what ways could they be altered to actually make them work? I would love to do car washes and other ways to raise money for the club, but I want to do them right. I don't want to throw out an idea that won't work realistically.

I think for the most part the car show, thanks to it wonderful growth, has treated us very well so we haven't had an aggressive need to raise more money. But there are a plethora of automotive events MM could take advantage of it had even more money. So if you all would like to strive for that, figuring out how to make failed or not attempted fundraisers work next year that would allow you to take some new ventures. 

I'm glad you referenced things we have or haven't done in the past, its a great way to get a start because MM has thought of... A LOT. So maybe you all can collectively dig through the forums, see whats come up in the past, read the threads and see what you can do about it.

[Rupertfl]

Plaugs I love the enthusiasm about raising money for the club in more ways than just the car show. More moneys=more funs

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[Senor_Taylor]

Being an officer is a big commitment. Are you sure you can juggle Switching majors, MAAP, Being an officer, Club Golf, and the rest of your life? You can't half-ass this, thing, man. You can't really run for office and then be gone every other weekend for Golf or MAAP stuff. Things need to be cut out. As treasurer, you need to be available all the time at the drop of a hat because the club can not operate without the money box.

We don't "need" fundraising because that's what the car show is for, but I like the idea of trying. Perhaps think of some things to do with the money before raising it, or else you'll waste the money and be hurting when it's all gone. If you guys do the show correctly, it can net you a few thousand dollars.

1) Can you handle at least 10 hours a week for MM Officer duties?

2) Do you have ideas to spend money raised to help the club?

3) Will you be able to:
a) Keep a running inventory of all of the club's stuff and keep the Treasurer thread updated?
b) Keep a running budget for the club and forecast expenses for the car show and karting?
c) Handle purchasing supplies for the car show, reimbursing members for autocrosses, making deposits at the bank, ***Setting up Karting***?

[Jake]

I agree that the carshow is typically the big fundraiser for the year, but back in my day *waves cane* we did do other smaller fundraisers that were successful and helped add to the coffers a bit. We did a basketball stadium cleanup a few times that was an easy way to get people together and raise a few bucks. I think something with HPD is interesting and could go a long way in building positive relationships with the department - or hell, the JMU PD if HPD doesn't want to play ball.

[rydercp]

Great write up, Joeseph. I like the ideas!

[plaugs_golf]

Being an officer is a big commitment. Are you sure you can juggle Switching majors, MAAP, Being an officer, Club Golf, and the rest of your life? You can't half-ass this, thing, man. You can't really run for office and then be gone every other weekend for Golf or MAAP stuff. Things need to be cut out. As treasurer, you need to be available all the time at the drop of a hat because the club can not operate without the money box.

We don't "need" fundraising because that's what the car show is for, but I like the idea of trying. Perhaps think of some things to do with the money before raising it, or else you'll waste the money and be hurting when it's all gone. If you guys do the show correctly, it can net you a few thousand dollars.

1) Can you handle at least 10 hours a week for MM Officer duties?

2) Do you have ideas to spend money raised to help the club?

3) Will you be able to:
a) Keep a running inventory of all of the club's stuff and keep the Treasurer thread updated?
b) Keep a running budget for the club and forecast expenses for the car show and karting?
c) Handle purchasing supplies for the car show, reimbursing members for autocrosses, making deposits at the bank, ***Setting up Karting***?

I am pretty confident that I can handle switching majors when it comes to this position. Club golf takes up two weekends of the semester for me if that. I don't do anything outside of the tournaments with them anymore honestly. Home is so close to JMU that I am able to run something back to someone in an emergency, even if I was home for the weekend. 

Noted. If I get this position, I will put in a lot of effort to run it correctly, and if I ever get a little confused at first or I am not sure of something, I won't be shy. I'll ask the other officers for advice as well as the alumni. 

I'll be able to handle whatever amount of time is needed for MM officer duties, which I know will probably fluctuate week to week. Is it realistically 10+ hours a week for Treasurer? I understand that's what I should budget regardless since it is an officer position. I will also do my best to get all of my duties done as well in advance as possible so that I am not scrambling last minute in order to complete something and end up half-assing it. 

The most efficient way that I can see spending our money (in addition to what we already do) would be to grow the club and the participation in it. Going to more events, like Katie's Cars and Coffee as a group, visiting car museums, taking advantage of the events that MAAP will offer, attending and spectating races, etc. All of these are cool things that we can offer the members of MM for a big discount, or even free if we raise a lot of money. Advertising that would probably draw quite a few people in. 

It would be very tough, and it might take a year or two to get off the ground, but I was thinking that potentially we could have both a fall car show and a spring car show. It's a very ambitious task, but I feel like it could be a big potential money gainer for us. It would probably start off small, with the spring show being the more dominant one for a few years, but it can grow to where we eventually have two big car shows a year. Again, this is abitous, yes, but I do believe that it is doable with the right planning and sponsors and everything.

Yes, I will be able to keep inventory and run a budget and doing all the necessary tasks that a Treasurer is appointed with.

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I agree that the carshow is typically the big fundraiser for the year, but back in my day *waves cane* we did do other smaller fundraisers that were successful and helped add to the coffers a bit. We did a basketball stadium cleanup a few times that was an easy way to get people together and raise a few bucks. I think something with HPD is interesting and could go a long way in building positive relationships with the department - or hell, the JMU PD if HPD doesn't want to play ball.

Yeah Jake, I am really interested in getting either of those two PD's involved, or even both. It would be a great connection to have and I think it would relieve some tension between us and them since I feel like most car clubs have a bad rep within the police field. All they see are young college students with fast cars, and that doesn't go well sometimes. There is a reason our insurance rates are through the roof. Establishing that relationship would help that I believe.

[Jake]

Hell, pitch a "Beat The Heat" autocross format to JMUPD and have them bring a few officers/cars to a Verona autocross.

[JPolen01]

AFAIK there is zero tension between MM and JMU/Harrisonburg police. Not that forming a relationship with them is a bad thing at all, but I don't think we need to go into this trying to dig ourselves out of a hole. During my 4 years there was never a run in with any police and MM that I am aware of.

[plaugs_golf]

Fair enough, there hasn't been really any tension at all between MM and the PD's. It would just be nice to build a relationship there. I agree, we aren't digging ourselves out of a hole. We would just be forming a relationship that would do nothing but benefit us.

---

Hell, pitch a "Beat The Heat" autocross format to JMUPD and have them bring a few officers/cars to a Verona autocross.

That would be a lot of fun. I'm sure the officers would really enjoy that, instead of just watching from the edges like they always do

[Senor_Taylor]

Great response, man. You've got my support if you promise to devote yourself to the club. I'm sure you will. If elected, listen to Jackson and do everything you can to make his life easier. That should be your goal always in life.

I think something good for you to organize is renting a van and taking everyone to a Nascar race or something. Just remember, don't ask anyone if they want to do it, then plan. Plan it all out, say you're going, then ask who's going.

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[GTBrandon]

Hell, pitch a "Beat The Heat" autocross format to JMUPD and have them bring a few officers/cars to a Verona autocross.

Ohh that's a damn good idea, I still want to fight with JMU a little over letting us use a lot one day for our own Autocross like VT, Clemson, etc. but I know that will take A LOT

[ViPER1313]

One thing I would like to see (if it does not exist) is a full accounting of the year in a spreadsheet. Total existing club funds, money earned from dues / car show / forum ads, money spent.

[Eco_Boi_Stephen]

One thing I would like to see (if it does not exist) is a full accounting of the year in a spreadsheet. Total existing club funds, money earned from dues / car show / forum ads, money spent.

Yeah if that doesn't already exist, that's not okay.

[Jake]

Agreed, would be good to have the books all tidied up and in one place, with as much history as we can drum up.