Mr. Beck Goes To Washington

I am sitting down to write this at 2 am after returning from Washington DC to Logan airport - what a flight! It was not enough that we were 2 hours late getting off the ground, or that we flew right through a lightning storm - we even had to wait after landing because the jet breezeway was broken!

What was I doing in DC, you ask? Well, I have taken a new job there as a Research Associate at the Renewable Energy Policy Project (www.repp.org), pursuing my interest in sustainable development and renewable energy. Since I am now living in DC, I will not be running for President of the Boston Chapter for 2001.

Before I go, I'd like to share my perspective on the goals and accomplishments of the Boston Chapter over the past year, as well as to thank the many people on the Board and Staff and all other people who have volunteered their time to make this a truly great Chapter.

One of the goals high on the Board's agenda was giving something back to the members at a time when the Chapter is financially well off. We threw a summer picnic and invited everyone to come, and gave the driving school and autocross committees free rein to use a portion of their income to improve the value of the events for participants without raising entry fees. Another way we give back is by making the Bimmer arguably the best chapter newsletter in the BMW CCA. Not everyone comes to an event, but all members receive the Bimmer for their reading pleasure.

A second goal has been to increase female participation in Chapter events. We have continued the Women Only Tech Session, have discussed holding a women's safety skills driving school as a future possibility, and with the help of Autocross Registrar Aimée Reveno, held a very successful women's promotional autocross event in October.

A third goal, and one we have been working at for a few years, is to hold more events in the Rhode Island area. Bob Sweeney came on board as the Rhode IslandActivities Chair, and has been working fervently to find a venue for the (new) Rhode Island Autocross Series. We were able to hold one event this year, and hope to have a full series next year. We are also having a tech session at Newport Imports in Rhode Island, as we did last year. The more members that get involved the better, so if you live in or near Rhode Islandand want to help get the ball rolling, please contact Mr. Sweeney today, especially if you know where there is a big empty parking lot!

A fourth goal was to finish old business, in the form of revamping our seriously outdated bylaws after discussing their revision for years. This came to pass, and in the process Board representation for all Chapter driving events and Chapter communications (the Bimmer and the website) was created in the form of the appointed Director of Driving Events and Communications positions, respectively. These new positions should help integrate the Board and Staff, as all aspects of the Chapter are now represented at the voting level.

Related to this is a fifth goal that I took the lead on, which was diversifying and adding to the staff so that no one person became overwhelmed with their duties. Given that we have a relatively small staff, each person is essential, but at the same time it's nice to have some backup to avoid burnout. The duties of Webmaster and Bimmer Editor were split, and now both Greg and Justin have their sanity intact (I think!)

In addition, Justin has brought on a proofreader, and I hope in the next year will add an Assistant Editor. We also expanded the Autocross Committee to 10 volunteers and moved the event to a new venue. The Boston Chapter Autocross Series is now in its 7th season and is very popular - it sells out months in advance and provides fun for a lot of Chapter members. Last but not least, we are forming a bona-fide Activities Committee to assist the Vice President in his/her duties.

A sixth goal the Board has discussed for some time is increasing member outreach. One aspect of this is making the Chapter more visible to the public and pulling in more new members. To this end, we had a membership booth at the prestigious Castle Hill Concours this year. The booth, manned by our staff, attracted a lot of interest and was quite successful in getting word of the Boston Chapter out to people that otherwise would not have known about us. Another aspect of member outreach is staying in touch with our members. We have been quite successful doing this with our new Chapter Activities E-mail list. This list was born out of last-minute Ice Racing updates a few years ago, and now is over 500 strong and has allowed us to announce and fill late breaking events, such as our first go-kart event at F1 Boston, with ease. To add yourself to the list, send an e-mail saying "SUBSCRIBE" to hughes@boston-bmwcca.org.

A seventh goal that is always there is to add to and diversify Chapter events. We added a Karting Chair to the staff, not only continuing the New England Grand Prix Challenge at a much better venue, but expanding our karting activities into a multi-event go-kart racing league! Something we talked about for some time, and now has become a reality, is the first ever East Coast BMW CCA Club Racing School held at NHIS in October. Though of course I am writing before it happens, by all accounts I am sure it will have be a tremendous success. Many thanks to Luka, Sue, and Denis for pulling this together!

So, as you can see, we have had a full agenda, and have done quite a lot over the past year to improve the Chapter and its services to all members. There is much more to say that I didn't cover here, but the bottom line is that without the great Board, Staff, and other volunteers, none of this would happen. I would like to thank everyone who has supported the Chapter through their time and efforts. Take a moment to read through the masthead of the Bimmer, and make it a point to thank these people when you see them, or just call or send an e-mail to express your appreciation for their efforts. They will certainly appreciate it!

Finally, I would like to thank each and every Board, Staff, and Chapter member for your efforts, support, and friendship while I have been a part of the Boston Chapter. I have made a lot of friends in the 5 years I have been with the Chapter, and will miss each of you as I move South to the nation's capitol. All is not lost though, as I am still within driving distance, and will likely see many of you at Watkins Glen or Tremblant in the years to come. I will likely get involved with the National Capitol Chapter, so you can come visit me at Summit Point if you like!

Again, thanks to everyone. Be well, drive that Bimmer as it was meant to be driven, and keep the shiny side up!

November/December 2000 Bimmer

President's Page: Mr. Beck Goes To Washington by Fred Beck

The Editor's Red Pen: Changes Are Afoot! by Justin Hughes

November/December 2000: Bimmerscopes by Lady Dixi Isetta

November/December 2000 New Members by Barry Tarr

Zymol / Foreign Motors West Concours d'Elegance by Dan Mull

2000 Boston Chapter Autocross Series: Slippin' and Slidin' at Devens by Justin Hughes

Boston Goes To A Picnic by Yale Rachlin

Preschool Paranoia by Justin Hughes

2000 Castle Hill Photo Gallery by Amy Hughes and Ron Sisco

2001 Candidate Statements by Greg Scott

More Boston Bimmer articles by Fred Beck

President's Page: Calling All Members October 2000 Bimmer

President's Page: Bonjour, Chapitre de Boston! September 2000 Bimmer

President's Page July/August 2000 Bimmer

President's Page June 2000 Bimmer

2000 Charitable Contributions: In Memory of Parker Spooner June 2000 Bimmer

There are 51 more Boston Bimmer articles by Fred Beck