Hey guys, I see a lot of comments and concerns about this meet. But mostly....actually, it's all from people who did not attend the first of the year meet (foty). For those who didn't attend, just click on the link that is on the first post of this thread, all the info from the last meet is there. You will get a sense of what happened at FotY and most likely can expect at MotY. Of course it will be different in terms of location, weather, but the events planned will also be changed as well to keep things new.
I see that there is a lot concern on whether or not people from NorCal are capable of planning a SoCal meet and if it would make sense for people in SoCal to handle a SoCal event. MaskedMan answered it best by saying that this is not a SoCal event but a entire California event that just happened to be in the SoCal area. But I don't want to bore you with too much needless info, so here's the main reasons why this meet is already being worked on and planned by myself and Derrick (with the help and input from others).
1.) MotY is NOT like any of your other typical parking lot meets. Again, please refer to the FotY aftermath thread to see for yourself. So please stop thinking that it will just be meet/greet/pics/food/go home. It most likely will NOT be held in a parking lot at a mall or shopping center but an actual public location for hosting events. The ideal location will be where there is little to no traffic, ample parking spaces, a BBQ pit or grill, wide open spaces for the planned events, and a nice scenic backdrop for pictures. Ha! Try finding a place like this in LA!
So consideration for the location(s) is being carefully weighed for all of the above reasons before being selected.
2.) MotY will be based on a time schedule in order to promote timeliness and organization. FotY was suppose to be only a 4 1/2 hour event, but ended an hour later than scheduled (thankfully it wasn't that dark). Even then, with the time spaced out the way it did, we weren't able to go on a cruise or take decent daylight pictures. I take partial blame for this, so for MotY I will be personally responsible for major required items so that the day's schedule can continue as planned. Also, a schedule of events allows others to plan their day completely. Thankfully, summer will give us more daylight
to use so I'm sure MotY will run smoother (and probably later) than FotY.
3.) MotY is also a family-friendly event. I've been to far too many meets where one member would bring a guest along (a girlfriend or buddy) and basically either abandons them there, or spends the whole time with just that one person. Not to bemoan the topic, but to show up at a car event and not engage others or participate as a group kind of defeats the purpose of coming to a car meet. This is why there are planned events where everyone, regardless of whether they own a Celica or not (or are even old enough to drive) can participate and not feel like just a lonely spectator. Sure it might sound cheesy and some of the more "cool" members will balk at the idea of joining in, but I'm sure returning FotY attendees will tesitfy on the..."rewards" of partcipation.
4.) Finally, MotY (like FotY) will be the product of hard work, lots of planning, and realistically (and unfortunately) a lot of MONEY. And not just for those planning this event, but for everyone who has to drive +400 miles (one way!) to show up for a few hours then drive back that same day...there's a lot at stake here. You're talking about $80 on gas (both way), $40 for a hotel and another $25 for food. So to make things easier (and less painless) the cost of things like T-shirts, essential supplies/food, awards will be covered by the event hosts. We don't ask for reimbursements, collect fees, or take donations (although volunteering for the BBQ was how we did FotY). Attendees are just asked to show up and enjoy the days events. And honestly, what more could you ask for?
So I hope this answers many of your questions on how and why MotY is being handled by only a few people. We don't want too many cooks in the kitchen or too many backseat drivers. Just keep checking the 1st post on this thread for continuing updates. Again, MaskedMan and myself are open to ideas and suggestions and will most definitely be asking for extra hands to help out at the meet itself. But rest assured that you are in capable hands
...griff if u come ill give u a dollar...
