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Post by jbrown62r on Aug 9, 2014 23:13:58 GMT -5
Hi All I’d like to start a chat about some of the opportunities that are lingering in the Northern Nevada Moto scene. Most don’t understand the dynamics that push and pull our great sport through good and bad times. There have been many key players over the last 30+ years and it’s time for another changing of the guard. It seems that a lot of changes could be made and with some new leadership and energy the next generation will have a great MX scene to play in.
As our local economy continues to improve so have many of the key players individual businesses. I for one have seen a large increase in business and cannot commit the time that is needed to be a good leader in the Moto community. Several of the SMRA board members will need to be replaced, as well as several of the Club MX775 board members.
It’s time the people that want to keep having races start getting involved. Go to a OTHG meeting, a RMA meeting, SMRA meeting, or the Club MX775 meetings. The next Club MX775 meeting will be on AUGUST 12th(always the second Tuesday) 7pm at Round Table pizza on 4th st. (Between Keystone and Vine) We will be disusing options for the fall, when the next practice or ride day will be, and discussing what positions need to be filled.
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Post by plosey on Aug 9, 2014 23:27:09 GMT -5
Hey guys new to the Scene here in Carson City, Just started riding again been a long time. Im 30 and looking to get back into it.
I dont have a lot of time but enough and am interested in the meeting on tuesday..
Im also looking for what places everyone rides, maybe a list of the area.
Bike: 2006 Kaw. 450F
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Post by fkcycles775 on Aug 11, 2014 23:56:18 GMT -5
I hope everyone who has been to a race at the fernley mx track will come to the meeting tomorrow night. We need people to get involved to help keep the sport alive for the kids coming up. Hope to see lots of you there.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2014 0:23:40 GMT -5
I am working 12-16 hours a day. So I might not make the meeting. So....
Here are a few things we should bring up at tomorrows meetings. Changing the structure of how the club is run. A NON PROFIT club. You participate in a club to donate your time. Not for COMPENSATION. A NON PROFIT club can't run if they have to pay all there members to run a NON PROFIT club. If any of this does not make sense, just start from the beginning.
So yes, changing of the guard is in order.
Building a track is hard work. But we do it because we love to MOTO. And we want others to enjoy a day in the dirt with family and friends.
If I DONATE my time at Fern I do it for the love of Moto and in return maybe a few free practices/races. But I don't do it for compensation.
Being compensated cuts into the cash flow of the NON PROFIT CLUB. It's hard to hold future practices/races if after paying for all the diesel, water, equipment, equipment transport, bathrooms, trophies and NON PROFIT employees you have $200.00. That is just bad BUSINESS. And a recipe for FAILURE.
The girls in the short bus, flaggers, gate personal, and medic are the only ones I see getting paid. Most equipment operators are racing. Or their kids are racing. So being comped to practice/race is more than fair.
And most importantly..... NO ONE gets comped that did not help with track prep. Or help during a practice or race. If you don't like it, go ride Exit 28 or Nor Cal. Pretty simple business plan. Nothing is for free SUCKER. So if this sounds like I am talking to you, I might just be... So unless you names is JS7, Dungey, Villopoto, Barcia, Reed, Millsaps, Gottas, Mudd or Moss. You sir/madam are paying up...
Here are a few words we can go over at the meeting....
club noun, often attributive \ˈkləb\
: a group of people who meet to participate in an activity (such as a sport or hobby)
: the place where the members of a club meet
: a sports team or organization
do·nate verb \ˈdō-ˌnāt, dō-ˈ\
: to give (money, food, clothes, etc.) in order to help a person or organization
: to give (blood, a body organ, etc.) to a hospital or other medical organization so that it can be given to someone who needs it
free adjective \ˈfrē\
: not costing any money
: not held as a slave or prisoner
: not physically held by something
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Post by jbrown62r on Aug 14, 2014 10:54:54 GMT -5
Great post Dave! I made one just like it back in 2010. The reality is what do you do when nobody shows up to volunteer? The work still needs to get done. So you make calls to the people who will do the work and ask them to work for as cheap as possible. Take a Dozer operator, these guys make well over $30 per hour at their regular jobs. When they are at the track working 12hr days Thursday and Friday and only make $200. I would say that is less than $10 per hour... Now add in the time they spend Saturday and Sunday helping fill in the staffing gaps I would say PLEASE find somebody who would do all that every time you call. Maybe people think the water truck drivers shouldn't get paid. Since both Fernley and Stead are pretty much slabs of concrete it takes water, and lots of water just to be able to work with the dirt. The water truck drivers start the night before the equipment guys(usually Wednesday night). So they get 6hrs of work at night, then come back for 2 days of running non stop usually doing the last load at 10pm. Lucky for them, they get to work most of Sat and Sun trying to water in between motos trying to keep the track as nice as possible. Then they get gripped at for putting down to much water, or not watering often enough. All of that to make $200-400 bucks. PLEASE find us some more people that want to do that. I can show you how I have cut pay rates, bargained with suppliers to keep cost as low as possible. You or who ever takes over will find out just how easy it is to get people to work for free, and I'm sure it will work out better for them than it did for me.
Here is a fun look: do·nate verb \ˈdō-ˌnāt, dō-ˈ\
: to give (money, food, clothes, etc.) in order to help a person or organization, Ty and I paid for the shirts, Transponder stickers, Registration with the state and fed, QuickBooks, Computer, websites, BLM permits, Fuel to Fernley Lions club and City council meetings every month, ect,ect.
: to give (blood, a body organ, etc.) We have given blood and worked through injuries just to provide a race track. Ty gimping around right after ankle surgery was impressive. Norma scoring races between being sick from food poisoning and still smiling when parents chewed her out was admirable. The list is long of the physical giving I have seen from our crew.
free adjective \ˈfrē\
: not costing any money NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE. I have given and given and asked little in return, unfortunately what I have been given is not wanted.
: not held as a slave or prisoner being a Volunteers can feel like being a slave, except they can quit, and do often.
: not physically held by something Some get to leave when they want, the rest of us have to stay until the job is done.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2014 23:41:30 GMT -5
JB last Fern practice the watering started on Friday. Saturday came with a 7am practice start time. I arrived at 7:15 to MOTO. What did I find? Both water truck sitting in front of the starting gate. With ZERO water on the track before practice and nobody riding. Where was the crew? The crew that you are paying? I ended up jumping in the big water truck. Filled up and had water on the track at 7:40 am. I think practice started around 8:15am. That day the track prep was good. But due to the late start with water it stayed dry all day long. The track should have had water on it around 5:30am.
So if you are paying guys to run equipment at what point do they take it serious? I have never been to a track where they have a start time but it's delayed because the crew is not there or ready.
But none of this really matters. Because I don't see how the club can continue down the path it is heading. When club members are making more cash than the club makes a profit it pretty hard to pay the bills.
You say you can't get free volunteers? I say you have the wrong club members. With that being said.... Maybe it's time to move on with Fern. If the costs out weigh the profit it pretty clear that it makes ZERO business sense.
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Post by jbrown62r on Aug 17, 2014 12:23:00 GMT -5
Some more info for you Dave
Tim, Stan and I started watering Thursday evening. 5 loads in the 4k, and 8 loads in the 2k truck. I have no excuse for why they were not ready and working at 6am. The person that was running that truck truly volunteered his time and never asked to get paid. Many of the crew members were ready, and its not right to through them all under the bus. It doesn't matter what my plan B was, because the point you are trying to make is that you have a better way of doing things. You will find new people that work for free,always show up on time and always stay late making sure the job gets done.
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Post by gregg86n on Aug 17, 2014 12:58:20 GMT -5
Dave, I find your last post very disturbing. So I tried to put a pen and paper to it. I'm old and my memory and math ain't so good. but this is a rough estimate. I did the first 2 practices for the new club for free. I did the Old Timer International for free. I did the last practice for free. For a total of 203 hrs of volunteer time. I did get paid for the 2 Stead races and the 2 Fernley races. Total hrs. 350. I made $1700. Average hourly wage, $3.07. Good luck Dave, your going to need it. If anybody is willing to work 553 hours in a water truck for $1700, please stand up!!! Not to mention the many events over the last 12 years FOR FREE with the Nevada Old Timers. This is why I am now officially retired. People don't understand what it is like to truly volunteer. Its sad to see peoples personal hatred towards one another out weigh their love and passion for the sport. It also saddens me to see people not willing to pay or let alone work for their sport. For crying out loud, what ever you do, don't raise the price!! There's been many people in the past that have paid the price for you.
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Post by cingred on Aug 18, 2014 17:34:18 GMT -5
The fact of the matter is that putting on races, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, is a thankless job. People can express themselves on this website, or with their wallets. I used to say to friends, hey man, ride the desert, its free. And you know what, most people still will, when nature busts out the water truck. Hard facts are this; Tim puts on events, practices and keeps SOMETHING open for us to ride. Unfortunately, no one has even stepped up to form another club, promoters group or anything of the sort to get races put on. On top of that, we have so few options, locally. Winnemucca is a cool place to ride, but I think that the distance is too big for some, if not most. The ClubMX775 meeting was held last week and apparently there were only FIVE additional members that showed up to voice their opinion. Racing around here is in dire straits and it isn't necessarily up to a core few to field all the BS when it comes to putting on races. Tim, Jeremiah, Ty, Stan, Judy, Layne and the rest of the club members have put hard work into providing motocross racing for this area. If you don't like whats going on, get involved, on a deeper level. Please.
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Post by trainor39n on Aug 20, 2014 1:26:10 GMT -5
Im a water truck driver but I also run the loader at the last couple of events and I was up in tell 11:00 or 12:00 at nite with very little sleep and im 16 years old. So do you have any idea how much it sucks to do that and then git up at 5:00 in the morning and then have some fun and run the water truck all day. Yes I could have been up earlier and done it but I didn't and for about 4 days of work and I only got 200 out of it for running two pieces of equipment and I could have been with my family but I love this sport that much that I missed spending time with my mom (and she is the only parent I have left) cus I don't see her in the morning and I don't see her much cus I spend time doing this sport we call motocross!
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