A first at the Gettysburg show.

[Shop Rat]

As I said my "thank you" to one of the owners at the Gettysburg show, he thanked me and my team for volunteering our time to judge his car. It was a nice gesture.

All in all a great show at Gettysburg. Terry Bond introduced me to our new President. I got to see Bookreader (I took her CJE class), Wayne (and I got to meet his wife Gloria for the first time and she is a very nice lady), Dave and Karen Berg, Joe Vicini, ex98thdrill, novaman and his dad Ron, Peter J., Matt Hinson and I got to meet charlier (we were standing beside each other in Bookreader's CJE class and charlier noticed my name tag and introduced himself). I was sad that I didn't get to meet windjammer, but he promises that we will meet up at Hershey.

The food was good and hot. (The group that does the breakfast at Hershey should ask how they kept the food hot since they don't seem to know how to do that. I am not a fan of cold eggs. )

There were only two things that could have been better.

Rather than give out the judges assignment lists they taped the list to a table and that table was not out in the main hallway where everyone would have seen it. Many had no idea what team they were on.

The other thing was that the check in table was also not in the main hallway, it was smack dab in front of the one door into the dining area. Again, many out in the main hallway had no idea where the check-in table was. So there was a mix of people milling around that had and had not seen the lists and had and had not signed in trying to get in to get breakfast when the door opened. They should have checked people in and then had them wait in the hallway where the door into the dining area was.

[charlier]

Shoprat, it was very nice to meet you at the CJE Class as well as Bookreader who gave a Great class that all judges should attend. It was also great to chat with Wayne briefly the night before. I too was sad that I did not get to meet windjammer in person. Also missed seeing Peter J. who I thought I would see sometime during the event.

I agree that the food at the Judges Breakfast was Good and Hot.

I have few suggestions for all future AACA Meets.

- Open the doors for the Judges breakfast 30 minutes before breakfast is served. (ie. Breakfast starts at 8am, doors open at 7:30am) That would give most of the people attending the breakfast time to get in, find their table, have some coffee and review their judging assignments that are placed on each table. This would REALLY help the Breakfast start and more importantly end ON TIME.

- Appoint someone at each breakfast with the job of "Clock Watcher" This person's job is to insure that the events at the breakfast move along in a timely manner and that the breakfast/meeting ends ON TIME. If due to the size of the breakfast or it's agenda it cannot be completed in the time allowed then careful thought should be given to extending the length of the breakfast before the meet and publish that extended breakfast time in the meet schedule of events.

- During the Judging School at EACH MEET part of the presentation should include an announcement that if a judge also has a car that will be on the show field they should make plans to get it on the field BEFORE THE JUDGE's BREAKFAST BEGINS. If a Judge's Breakfast runs late and there are CJEs between the breakfast and the start of judging it is nearly impossible to get a car onto the show field unless it is done before the breakfast. This is probably common knowledge for experienced judges but brand new judges REALLY need to know this and ARE NOT BEING INFORMED about it. Doing so will lessen the stress on new judges, allow them to take the CJEs and most importantly not be late for the start of judging.

[Shop Rat]

charlier, Those are such good ideas I copied and pasted them and sent them by e-mail to Joe Vicini.

I especially like the part about being able to go in, find the table where we are supposed to be and be able to sit down. Many of us, at the age some of us are, have issues with standing for long periods of time. I have problems with the tendons in both feet. I can walk just fine, but just standing is very hard for me.

And for the Team Captain it would be great to have extra time to sort through the paperwork.

[novaman]

This was what I saw they could have done. Won't work at many places but at the E hotel, you had to come one of two hallways. They could have setup table farther up and around the corner of both halls, allowing you to come down the hall, find your name on the list (handout are definately better), sign in then proceed on down the hall and around the corner to where the doors were that we entered.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Hi, Charlie.

I was helping out at the "AACA Family/Membership" Booth most of the day. My TR6 is on loan to the Museum for the summer so just stop by the booth at meets and buy some more Prowler tickets while you are there...

Regards,

Peter J.

[Guest Siegfried]

You are correct about getting your car on the field before breakfast. I've been doing it that way since I started judging in '95. Messed up once and never did the car out of judges parking. Once was enough. Really hate to lose out on $25.00.

Ideas to speed up the start of breakfast are very good. Hershey never seems to have a lot of these problems, but then again Hershey has almost the same crew year after year.

Just a thought, but why not check out how Hershey does it, make notes, and pass them on to the regions that do events only once in awhile? Seems to me that an experienced region should be tapped for their expertise.

[Brooklands]

Re the Hershey show - - - an easy way to have judges miss breakfast, or just not sign up, is to have them stand outside at 06:30 in the cold, and could be rain, waiting to get in. Emphasizes the need to open the doors earlier and use the empty space inside and assure no outside waiting.

Anyone seen the forecast for October yet ?

[MCHinson]

Brooklands, Welcome to the AACA Discussion Forum. That is a great suggestion too. Hershey Region does a great job, but that is one improvement that I would love to see.

[Ron Green]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: charlier</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

- Open the doors for the Judges breakfast 30 minutes before breakfast is served. (ie. Breakfast starts at 8am, doors open at 7:30am) </div></div>

Out of curiosity; were the doors not open at 7 AM (breakfast at 8) for the judges breakfast at the Gettysburg meet? They were supposed to be.

[MCHinson]

I don't think so, but I really don't know because I was at the back of the line. It seemed that the line was at a standstill for some time and then it started moving shortly before 8 o'clock.

[Ron Green]

During the final meeting prior to the actual event there was a discussion at opening them up at 6 and it was decided to definitely have them open at 7. So I am confused as to what may of happened.

Our region has our big local show this Saturday (where we make $) and I will try and ask what may of happened.

[R W Burgess]

Ron, I was in line too, like Matt, and I'm pretty sure they didn't open till around 8:00am.

[Shop Rat]

Wayne, You are correct the doors opened about ten minutes before 8. We were close to the doors. It was fun trying to get several lines down to one and threading past the table that was in the way of the one door that they opened.

[Guest Siegfried]

Good point. 06:30 is early, and oh my gosh, rain to boot. Never got caught in that. Guess it will happen someday.

Yes, the doors could open at 06.00 for that matter, and we could file inside. There is lots of room to stand around while we wait.

[charlier]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Shop Rat</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Wayne, You are correct the doors opened about ten minutes before 8. We were close to the doors. It was fun trying to get several lines down to one and threading past the table that was in the way of the one door that they opened. </div></div>

Here are a couple of other thoughts for future meets.

The table at the door to the banquet hall had two lists (I believe) A thru M and N thru Z for table assignments.

Maybe those lists could be broken down into a few more lists like A thru C, D thru F, etc.

Those lists could them be posted outside the banquet hall after table assignments are worked out the day or night before the judges breakfast.

Then the night before and the morning of the judges breakfast people can find their table assignment more easily/quickly.

This technique could go a long way towards eliminating or at least cutting down on the line/backup of people trying to get into the judges breakfast the morning of the event.

Some hotels offer free message services on their TV systems to groups staying at their hotels.

Groups can have messages posted regarding meetings and other group activities.

The region/chapter hosting an AACA Meet could simply give the judges breakfast table assingments to the hotel

to display on their message system. These messages play throughtout these hotel complexes on certain TV channels

that are shown in lobbies, etc and on TVs in each room. This might be something to consider in addition to posting the table assignments near the location of the judges breakfast.

If there is a need to track or account for the number of people coming into the breakfast the attendees of the breakfast couple be given tickets of some sort which could be handed to some at the door very quickly on their way in.

Maybe some of these suggestions are not possible or feasible, then again, maybe they are. Just some thoughts that might be helpful.

[ex98thdrill]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here are a couple of other thoughts for future meets.

The table at the door to the banquet hall had two lists (I believe) A thru M and N thru Z for table assignments.</div></div>This is true, but when you have a national meet you have so many people stretched in many directions where it sounds easier than it is. In the case at Gettysurg you had a banquet room in the middle of the new and old portion of the hotel, so you had people coming in two different directions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The region/chapter hosting an AACA Meet could simply give the judges breakfast table assingments to the hotel

to display on their message system. These messages play throughtout these hotel complexes on certain TV channels

that are shown in lobbies, etc and on TVs in each room. This might be something to consider in addition to posting the table assignments near the location of the judges breakfast</div></div>That is a good idea, but there's two things you have to consider.

1. How many people watch TV when you have a lot of activities going on at a meet?? We didn't.

2. It is a nice idea, but unless you have a hotel big enough to put everyone in (Eisenhower was not), the concept is good, but still wouldn't reach everyone.

I'm not attacking your thoughts, but I know that when you're chairing a meet, on the morning the event you have to make sure the field is set up, registration packets that weren't already picked up, are in place, people are there to park car trailers that show up late, people are there parking cars on the showfield, concessions are getting set up for the day, shuttles are established, merchandise areas are set up, judging administration is in place, etc.

I'm not taking a shot at Gettysburg Region, but understand from a management standpoint they have bigger fish to fry that are more important. I fully agree that the judges should be fed in a timely manner, but if the cars aren't parked in their proper place on the showfield, and ready to be judged, and all the support elements on the showfield that are needed to support the judges, car owners and spectators, the breakfast is immaterial.

Last year in Melborne, Art Griffin had it set up where the breakfast was advertised at 7:30 but they let people in at 7. I got there at 7, was able to walk right in, and was able to eat breakfast. Personally I like that plan, but it will be up to the discretion of the facility putting on the breakfast, and the Chief Judge. The problem is if you advertise the meal at one time, and everyone knows that you're serving breakfast earlier than the time stated, you're still going to bottleneck the door.