Current CORSA....

[4carbcorvair]

Just got my Feb. Communique' today. Early.... It is colder today. It is snowing. Maybe it is freezing over. :D Sorry... lol

The CORSA/Weaver debate is still going on.

I had contacted CORSA a year or so ago when issues of the Communique, or lack of content came up. I had contacted CORSA and mentione re-running the old Tech, Stock-is and whatever sections to fill up a few pages. It's content that has already been edited and printed. It would pretty much just need to be re-run. We do have a lot of new members since these issues have been published. It's been years. I do not recall the answer I got at the time.

Fast forward to a week ago. I contacted Mike McGowan to suggest the same. As I had mentioned, there are some new people and it's a great refresher for others.

"Ron, as long as we have good new material to publish, I am reluctant to
re-print articles that many members already have. The tech articles are
always useful and that is why we reprint all of them in the CORSA Technical
Guides. We have just finished another volume adding 11 more years of tech
tips, all categorized for easy use.

Volunteers are also working to begin a project that will scan all the old
CORSA publications to be available online for members.

Thank you for your suggestions.
--Mike McGowan, CORSA Executive Editor"


Thoughts? Opinions? What other ideas do you have for the Communique? Maybe we could compile a list of suggestions and forward that list?

[Scott H]

I recently had an email conversation with a CORSA BOD member regarding this too.

Here is part of my email response to him:

The biggest resources CORSA has are the Communique and the Tech Guides. To make the Communique better there needs to be more articles in it and some of them need to be written by some of the younger guys who are doing modern modifications (like the stereo mod you had in this months issue, although that was a pretty mild system). Contact the guys doing pro-touring cars, or air-bags, etc. This will give the younger crowd more enthusiasm for the Communique and therefore justify the cost of joining CORSA. I realize people sometimes just don't write and submit articles for the Communique, a good example is the Fan Belt Toss. There was NO article written for it. What a shame it was a great show. But until the Communique gains momentum again CORSA is going to have to go out and recruit articles for it. Don't only do the modern younger guy stuff of course, you still have a predominantly older audience that still wants to see it how it has been up till now and that is good, but it's time to mesh the two spectrum's together.

The tech guides are basically a print version of an internet wiki. You can have a PAID wiki. Wikipedia is the most famous free one, there is also a chevywiki you can look at for an example of what I am talking about. CORSA could have as one of it's membership benefits access to a paid CorvairWiki (the tech guides meets the internet). This could be easily kept up to date with new tech articles and would be able to keep up with new technology and lessen the printing and upkeep costs of the tech guides. You can still sell the tech guides in print version and cd versions as well.

Another good idea is to have online paid access to all past and present communiques in PDF format, that would be well worth the cost of CORSA!

Those two assets are the KEY to getting CORSA back into the current trend of whats happening, as I see it.

[MonzaDave]

I find myself agreeing with Weaver more than I disagree. My view is that the Communique (if it even continues to exist) is a community magazine with people articles. Tech articles belong in a greatly expanded web presence. There are others in the Corvair community who agree with me, but the powers-that-be are very resistant to what they see as radical change. I even went so far as to set up a shell for a comprehensive website.

[4carbcorvair]

I also agree with Mr. Weaver. Things need to change. Most seem to agree it needs change. However, no-one is willing to change.

[Scott H]

I also agree with Weaver. Shake it up...we need a good revolution. After all we are talking about the Revolutionary Corvair!

[4carbcorvair]

I have tried 3 times to get a Maine CORSA chapter going. Unfortunately, despite the size of the state, there are not many Corvairs here. Rust has taken it's toll on most cars here. Therefore, Corvair owners are scattered all over the state. The minimum requirement from CORSA to start and maintain a chapter is 10 CORSA members. The most I have been able to actually commit is 6. Could I have gotten the 10 member by other means? Yes. People from other states had offered to join so we could meet the requirment. I shouldn't have to go to this extent to form a club to meet these requirements, IMO of coarse. A club that consists of 5 members that supports CORSA is a lot better than no members supporting CORSA. Again, IMO.

[corvair1960]

Hey Guys. I want to say a few words on the word CHANGE. The current BOD is willing to make some changes but like many changes it will not be easy. There is a movement now to move CORSA out of the 80's and into the 21st century with upgrading the web site and adding more content to it. There is also a tiered membership plan that is being worked out that Jamie Reinhart developed. The Bod is discussing the pro's and con's to try and develop the best solution. We want to see a multiple level membership plan but we don't want to do it half A%$ as they say! We want to give the membership a class act program that benefits both CORSA and the member. I encourage anyone who has an idea to help CORSA to email one of the directors directly. My email is corvair1960@cox.net. My home phone is 401-766-4355. My cell is 401-692-0852. I would love to hear any ideas you may have. We are only part of the solution. You as the membership is the other part. Without you CORSA does not exist. Thanks all.
Jason Cesana
Eastern Director CORSA

[UNSAFE]

I'm curious why some of the CORSA bod are not more active on the internet forums ?

AeroNed signed on here and said he'd be monitering this forum but I haven't noticed a post yet.

Just think if Tim or Sarah made a cool video telling all about CORSA and the upcoming convention and put it on Youtube.

If they partnered with Youtube they would really increase their viewer #s.

It seems like a great way to reach out for new members to me

I was getting a little burnt out on the whole deal. I used to race home at lunchtime just to get my Communique and read the want ads during lunch. They used to have lots of ads. I know the main reason for the decline in ads was the internet. That should say something about the internet.

Then I couldn't believe that they were using magazine space to let people complain about Pheonix Charlie. I didn't get it ? He was paying for ads and if it wasn't for Charlies ads there would hardly be any others. So what if you couldn't understand him. He shoulda been able to use Chinese if he wanted to.

Then I wondered if things were so bad why was CORSA still giving away scholarships and restoring cars.

How much money could CORSA save if they stopped inserting ballots with only one name to vote for on it ? I never did send one back if there was only one name to choose from.

Then all the ranting about the membership cost rising right about the time the content was declining.

Then everyone convinced me that the insurance was what I was really paying for and not the magazine . I liked the magazine Ok but I didn't need the insurance for over a year .

I'm just a car guy and all procedure stuff and minutes of the meetings go unread .

So - in protest I took a one hiatus after about 20 straight years of being a member.

I will be renewing in Feb !

[Scott H]

For what it's worth, I'm throwing in my . I'm gong to run for one of the Western Director positions.

[Scott H]

I got my Feb Communique today and in it I see someone liked my Corvair Wiki idea.

[4carbcorvair]

And guess who's going to get the creidit for the idea.....

[Phil Dally]

I also agree with Mr. Weaver. Things need to change. Most seem to agree it needs change. However, no-one is willing to change.

Jack would have changed things.

That's one reason why he got the boot IMHO!!

You go Scott...I'll vote for you for sure.

[Scott H]

I have tried 3 times to get a Maine CORSA chapter going. Unfortunately, despite the size of the state, there are not many Corvairs here. Rust has taken it's toll on most cars here. Therefore, Corvair owners are scattered all over the state. The minimum requirement from CORSA to start and maintain a chapter is 10 CORSA members. The most I have been able to actually commit is 6. Could I have gotten the 10 member by other means? Yes. People from other states had offered to join so we could meet the requirment. I shouldn't have to go to this extent to form a club to meet these requirements, IMO of coarse. A club that consists of 5 members that supports CORSA is a lot better than no members supporting CORSA. Again, IMO.

I'm going to suggest we change that minimum number to 3 (A Prez, a VP and a Secretary/Treasurer).
I think we should make it easier for a new chapters to start up. Especially if it is in an area of sparse population or in an area of the world that not many Corvairs exist.