IKF Proposals - What do you think?

Rick Dunwell

Deb, I'm impressed that you would see to it that the proposals make it on the website. However, since when does the "karters'" opinion matter to the Board of Directors? In 1999 the BoD voted AGAINST the membership on more proposals than I can recall. Where was the "peoples' voice" heard there?

[ August 13, 2001: Message edited by: Rick Dunwell ]

Deborah Davidson-Harpur · Joined: 19 Jul 2001 Posts: 1128

Well, I don't know about the votes in 1999, as I came on the board as of Jan 2000.

I can tell you that when the memberships votes came back to me in 2000, I looked at them long and hard, especially in divisions where I do not participate.

Jack Hoegerl addresses the system in the Aug. issue of KN on page 7

This exact issue has been discussed since I have been serving on the BOD. At that time I was told by several directors that some of the reasons they vote no on an issue, when the membership voted yes were: 1) legal ramifications that were not previously thought out. 2) additional information that came in after the proposals were submitted and 3)voting yes on this proposal would affect another class in a negative manner, and was not previously addressed. I am sure there are more, but can't think of them right now.

Did you vote on those issues? If you did.. good for you, but if you were among the 81% that DID NOT vote, perhaps the directors thought that not enough people voted in the first place and that a 20-1 or 30-4 or 1-20 or 4-30 vote was not fair representation of the division as a whole. Most of the time in my personal experience, the people that hoot and holler the loudest are the ones who never took time to vote in the first place, or who never bother to write or call IKF with their concerns.

Bottom line is this.... Is a IKF BOD member supposed to be PSYCHIC and somehow just "know" what is going on in all the different divisions without input from the members that a rule change may affect? If your answer is yes, then let me know so I can put YOUR name on the list of people who want to volunteer their time to serve on a committee and we will see if your answer is the same in a year.

Somehow out here in Internetland, no matter if it is IKF, SKUSA, WKA or another sanctioning body, it is always the big evil organization against the poor little member. People forget that the members ARE the organization and that perhaps if they volunteer THEIR time, they will see things a different way.

Hope you can come and voice your opinions in person at the IKF BOD meeting in Oct in Seattle, WA!

[ August 13, 2001: Message edited by: Deborah Davidson-Harpur ]

Deborah Davidson-Harpur · Joined: 19 Jul 2001 Posts: 1128

Just got through explaining to someone exactly how to get their opinions on the published proposals in... guess there is a bit of confusion.

1) for input on CURRENT proposals, mail or fax or email ( ikfikf@aol.com ) your input to the IKF BOD by the week of the 20th of September to insure they get on the agenda. The meeting is the 1st weekend of October, and the office staff need time to assemble the paperwork.

2) for suggestions for NEW proposals, send them to either Your IKF Commitee Members, a IKF BOD member, to the office or do like I do and send it to everyone! Proposals are made at the Spring Meeting, but you can make your suggestions anytime, I would reccommend reminding whomever you are dealing with that you want this as a PROPOSAL in April, and that you want it on the list of items to consider.

Deborah Davidson-Harpur · Joined: 19 Jul 2001 Posts: 1128

Chris, I am looking into this right now.

The IKF office will be sending you out the issues you missed.

Since you joined May 25, you were just one day shy of making the mailing list for the July issue. WHY you didn't get August is being investigated.

The address list goes out about the same time as the final drafts of the magazine, and we have a kind of long lead time.

If in the future, you do not recieve things that you have heard from others that you should have recieved, call the IKF office and ask! Or, if I am still on the BOD (my term is until the end of 2003) call or email me and I will see what I can do.

Someone was nice enough to post all the proposals on this forum... so read it and send in your input!

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

Chris Helps · Joined: 25 Jul 2001 Posts: 328

Hi Deborah

I joined the IKF in May, and I have not received any proposals. Actually, I haven't received Karter News either, other than the copy which came with my membership patch.

Chris

Rick Crow · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 49 Location: Albany NY

In 2-Cycle Speedway add a "Junior I Heavy" class at 270 lbs.
Reason: there is currently only one Junior I class. It would
provide a second class of the Junior I drivers. This would
provide second entries as well as encourage more Junior I's
to attend the Nationals.

This one sticks in my craw a bit. They establish a heavy class.NOT because a class is needed for heavier kids to be competitive, but because IKF wants to sell two entries? Unbeleaveable!!
rick

[ August 17, 2001: Message edited by: Rick Crow ]

deborah d-harpur · Joined: 31 Jul 2001 Posts: 164 Location: harbor city, ca

Rick I know I got 2 phone calls on that exact proposal.

The call I recieved were from parents who wanted their kids to be able to run twice in the same weekend to get more track time.

That proposal would have come from a specific BOD member, or a committee member. The IKF as a board does not make proposals, keep that in mind when you read the proposals. also. Since I am VERY active on the BOD and have not heard of this evil plot against the karting community, I would have to venture to guess that perhaps you are reading the proposal in a different light than the person who proposed it. Perhaps you should contact the BOD member that proposed it and ask them directly? All of our numbers are in the front of every issue of Karter News. Contacting the poeple who seconded the motion may not get you anywhere, as if they are like me, who seconds any proposal a committee asks me to so that I can get input from the membership on the issues, they may not have a specific answer . Then again it might... give it a try!

Rick Crow · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 49 Location: Albany NY

Thanks Deb for your reply and suggestions.I haven't seen any black helicoptors with IKF painted on the side in the last few days.
but I'm playing it safe and putting tin foil in my helmet.
IMo if the parents want extra track time they can rent a track to practice on if this is the primary reason for adding the heavy class. This essentially adds almost another hour to what typically is a very long day at National events.

rick

deborah d-harpur · Joined: 31 Jul 2001 Posts: 164 Location: harbor city, ca

Well, since there is an energy crisis in California, perhaps our secret spy system is down, along with all the flight control stuff. Let me know when you spot another 'copter.

As for the tin foil, heck, why don't you put some hair lightener in there at the same time and get some nice summery highlights? That way you would see MUCH quicker and easy to see results!

John Denman

quote:
Originally posted by Deborah Davidson-Harpur:
So far we have recieved very few letters from the members on the 9 proposals put out to the membership this year. Remember that your input needs to arrive to the IKF office by the week of Sept. 20 so they can be addressed at the IKF BOD meeting in Seattle.

Hope to see some letters from the IKF members that participate on ekartingnews.com

[ August 14, 2001: Message edited by: Deborah Davidson-Harpur ]

Sorry Deb, but you never proposed to me.

Like most, I stop cruising websites that never change. Maybe I missed it in the Karter News, but I was not aware of new proposals.

I will do my part and look at the proposals, and comment where appropriate, but I would like to ask you to encourage more updates to the IKF web site.

greg smith · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 43

As for proposal #8.... is there a particular class IKF wants to eliminate?

Deborah Davidson-Harpur · Joined: 19 Jul 2001 Posts: 1128

I believe the intent of that particular proposal is to eliminate all the classes except the ones listed.

There are people who believe that if there are less classes to run, there will be an increase in the classes that are left, leading to larger participation overall.

I personally do not agree with that theory, but there are those that do. When I took a look at the entries from this years RRGN, I counted off the grid sheets how many entries would be lost if we eliminated the classes proposed. The total was 97 entries.

Of course, at Motorsports Ranch in Texas next year, there will be a variance in which classes are heavily participated in, but I don't see how I could in good concience cut classes that result in 97 karts possibly not being on the grid for the Promotors of the 2002 RRGN.

The idea that less classes will make the regional program easier to run timewise, doesn't do it for me either. I have seen SCK, NCK, SWRA and PKA work out the time problems by combining classes where possible. It seems to me with the way things are today, we would welcome every entry we could with open arms, a friendly HELLO and invite them back to race with us again. Not turn them away, and cut the class they have been happy running for years because we want less classes in our regional schedule. But that is just my personal opinion, and I am sure there are those that strongly disagree.

One thing we do agree on is this: Input is needed from participants ALL YEAR. When the proposals are made in April, they are then printed, after they are printed, you either vote for it as it is printed, or if you disagree with a portion, you vote no on the whole thing. That's why for many years, there were several proposals saying just about the same thing, trying to get to one particular wording that the members agreed with. It is VERY unusual that there are only 9 proposals like there are this year, many times there have been over 30.

Look in your last few issues of Karter News. That is the OFFICIAL publication of the IKF and ALL proposals, etc are printed in it. The proposals are listed in the table of contents.

Look forward to receiving your letter at the IKF office on your input. Be sure to put your IKF number on the letter!

ddh

Debbie Kuntze

Deb DH, remember, we don't get to vote this year! At least that was the last "written" word about the proposals I read in KARTER NEWS. (I could be wrong, my head is swimming lately, so much to do and no time!)

Deborah Davidson-Harpur · Joined: 19 Jul 2001 Posts: 1128

Instead of voting on a ballot mailed to you, your written opinons are considered.

Some of the directors think that this is almost the same thing (keep in mind, Jack H and I were the only BOD members opposed to this change) so basically, the letter you sent in IS your vote.

Debbie Kuntze

Hate to say it in hindsight, but telling the membership to WRITE in at the top of the proposals would have been a good idea. Would have saved you a lot of work and typing here, telling people. Lot's I had spoken with thought they were just SOL on their opinions.