Meeting Minutes April 9, 2025 6:35 PM – Meeting Commenced
Attendees: Andrea Smith, Dann Gramm, Av Silverman, Jeff Croteau, Mark Shane, Glenn
Champagne, Robert Jacobsen, Peter Palermo, BettyMae Mosley
Late Arrival: Kevin Moran
Glenn Champagne proposed moving to a closed/executive session at the adjournment of this meeting. BettyMae Mosley proposed the motion, and Mark Shane seconded. The motion was approved by all present. It was noted that minutes would be recorded for this session.
March Minutes Approval: The minutes from the March meeting were reviewed. There was a question regarding the “Website Refresh” section in the fifth paragraph. Key thoughts for the website refresh include updates, which Glenn Champagne will send out tomorrow, followed by a call for a vote. The Teams update is pending Kevin Moran’s arrival.
Presidents’ Meeting: Glenn Champagne reported that 17 presidents attended a Zone 1 presidents’ meeting featuring 2 speakers from the Porsche Club of America. He has slides to share, and per Michael’s request, these will be shared via screen sharing rather than email (To Be Determined).
The Clash at the Glen: Discussion regarding the race format for The Clash at the Glen and the net outcome. The DE/racing format will have support, and run groups will be assigned half-hour sessions (Glenn Champagne to connect for details). The NER (North East Region) would be responsible for the race format and the administration associated with both the race and the Driver Education (DE) portion. Assistance will be available, and two other regions have expressed interest in sending two paid individuals to conduct due diligence and an obervers report/
- Next Steps (DE Focused): Jeff Croteau and Glenn Champagne discussed the next steps. Jeff Croteau will assemble a team next week consisting of Adam, Paul, and Dave B. Rico, the former Zone 1 representative, will be the co-chair and has been asked to connect with the team (ask Rico as many questions as possible). A letter of intent is required, and the proposal should be sent back. The exact selection criteria are needed. It is expected that after further conversation, a determination can be made regarding the feasibility and capability. Glenn Champagne can share information via Freedcamp (ask Louis for access).
- Questions Regarding Run Groups and Safety: A question was raised regarding the run groups, noting that the colors vary and there is a limited understanding of the program. This will be a three-day program, with an endurance race on Sunday. Intel is available and will be sent out. Another question concerned car safety, which is managed by Rico.
- Registrations and Pricing: NER will handle registrations for the DE portion, while the PCA organization will handle race registrations. As the host, the region sets the pricing for both DE and the race. Jeff Croteau was asked to inquire further about the race pricing. The cost to operate a race is more substantial, particularly regarding the number of flaggers required per station (double the usual number).
- Next Steps for Communication: The goal is to gather the necessary data and move forward. It was suggested to create a PowerPoint presentation with clear information, which Jeff Croteau can send out for input from others. Glenn Champagne will send the initial information to Jeff Croteau for distribution.
Treasurer’s Report (Andrea Smith): Andrea Smith shared the total values of the accounts. CD rates have changed, and updated financials will be resent with necessary fixes and reclassifications. She also provided insight into the overall total income. Some administrative work needs to be completed, including reclassifications, and a vote will be conducted via email once the updates are finalized. Mark Shane inquired about the $500.00 subsidy for new members and Andrea Smith confirmed receipt. The new Square device has been received and needs to be set up. The paper form for the address update was completed online, confirmation was received, and the password/PIN are set. A new W9 will need to be signed to update QuickBooks and other relevant addresses. Mark Shane motioned to approve these actions, and Jeff Croteau seconded. The motion was approved.
VP Admin (Mark Shane): Mark Shane reported on two recent events. The Newcomers Event received valuable feedback, noting room for improvement. Attendance was limited due to the location, and registration filled quickly. Regarding the second event for the year, there is consideration to hold it at a different location, as the 40-50 person limit at the previous venue was not ideal. Dann Gramm suggested that another 15-20 people could have been accommodated. Exploring Natick as a potential location to attract more business was suggested, while aiming to stay within the same geographic area.
The first tech session at Kachel Motors last weekend included three sessions: one on DE tech inspections, another on the business’s electronics work for cars, and a third on custom 911s, which was reported as interesting and casual.
Registration patterns for events have been undesirable, with only 10 people signed up in the week leading up to the event, followed by a late surge of 30-40 people. The possibility of increasing email velocity prior to events to highlight them was raised. A special one-off email might be beneficial. The question of whether other events see similar registration patterns was posed, suggesting a check of social media platforms, though email is believed to have a positive effect. Dann Gramm advised against sending too many emails, given the large number of unsubscribed members.
The first Porsches and Coffee event this weekend is still scheduled. There has been no communication from the mall regarding cancellation. It was felt that a last-minute cancellation would be problematic. The SOBO event had a successful turnout, with attendees bringing their own coffee. The club’s event is different, and the decision is difficult if only five cars attend.
The Sunday tech session viewing has 19 registered attendees. A reminder was sent to the membership. South Shore is happy to accommodate the event, which will proceed rain or shine at the Kingston location and will include a pizza truck. The tech session will take place in the afternoon and is considered an event not to be missed.
Peter Palermo and Mark Shane are visiting a potential venue for a summer party on Friday and are also checking out a second venue for a tech session that is competitive with Qcar and does vehicle wraps. Qcar has not yet been contacted, and a decision will be made on how to approach them for more engagement. Mark Shane will make the final decision on one or both venues. Kimball Farms was mentioned in relation to car accommodation, etc.
Past events had a neutral cost to participants versus the cost to run them. The idea of giving back more to members was proposed, considering whether it would be acceptable to incur a larger loss on these types of events if a more expensive venue is chosen, to allow for scaling up. The possibility of non-profit pricing will also be explored. Dann Gramm sees no problem with a space that offers protection, whether permitted or not. Peter Palermo described a private tent area with food options (BBQ, clambake menu), a driving range, batting cage, and an ice cream buffet, with tiered/scaled access (check the site for more information), including a covered tent, private space, menu, and family activities. BettyMae Mosley agreed. Glenn Champagne requested confirmation from the national organization regarding safety aspects and what is permissible. Peter Palermo and Mark Shane will confirm these details. Bumper boats, bumper cars, and a private tent space are available, and a bouncy house could be obtained if approval is granted for the standard package. Dann Gramm recalled a summer event in Wrentham that had too much space and no centralized gathering area, cautioning against having too many activities and ensuring opportunities for members to socialize. The goal is to socialize, share the work, and promote events. Creating a Porsche and Coffees event with a dedicated space and exploring other concepts, such as the Topsfield Fair space, for entertainment were suggested. Av Silverman mentioned an indoor space as a weather contingency.
A gentleman willing to sponsor a Porsche and Coffee event has been secured (Jeff Croteau/Mark Shane to provide the name). He will provide food and coffee and have literature available. Andrea Smith suggested drafting a donation or in-kind sponsorship agreement (Mark Shane to confirm). Mark Shane has the dates, which will be in May/June, and advertising details will be confirmed closer to the time. There are no expectations from the sponsor in return.
Membership Feedback: The only feedback received by the General Manager was the absence of participants from the Ramble and Concours chairs. It was noted that for next year, their attendance should be ensured. September was suggested as a good time for another event.
Membership: It was reported that the North Region lost a member (Dann Gramm to provide the name) who contributed significantly to AutoX. The idea of creating an award in his honor was discussed, potentially for course design, given his involvement. A $250.00 donation to a charity was suggested. Alan Davis and Chris Ryan will determine how to best recognize this individual. A section to house focused features on members and continuing the North’easter column to preserve the legacy were proposed, potentially with its own dedicated space. Peter Palermo suggested opening up submissions for the column, with Chris Ryan working with the submitter to ensure content availability. These submissions could also be bumped up to PCA submissions when they send out information. A question was raised about Ted’s potential interest and passion for taking over the submission process and adding his own columns, with flexibility regarding the space.
Communications (Peter Palermo/Kevin Moran): Peter Palermo and Kevin Moran are working with Chris Ryan on the website and social media for next year, focusing on dealerships and ambassador points of interest. BBQ options were also discussed. The priority is to have the most updated registration lists for both events. Initial numbers show 19 registered for one event (membership will help push out an email) and 4 or 6 for another
(Miami). Efforts are underway to strategically prepare the social calendar for the Cars and Coffee event and a potential North Shore location for collaboration and member engagement, with optimism for increased event numbers.
Travel to events and member engagement are ongoing, and an update on the media support schedule was provided: Ramble 4/26; Track at Thompson 5/24; AutoX and BBQ 7/19; Concours and Gala 10/4 (venue is locked in for marketing and logistics).
Rally/Concours/Ramble/AutoX (Jeff Croteau): No updates for Rally/Concours. No response has been received from Doreen regarding the Ramble on the 25th (Andrea Smith confirmed they spoke to her). Chris Ryan ordered 175 t-shirts for the 2024 AutoX season, with a $1,000 allocation (Andrea Smith confirmed). An incentive of t-shirts for the first 30 early sign-ups was planned, but the total confirmed is 60 t-shirts, to be split between two events, with the remaining 30 for subsequent events or sale. The cost was noted as high (Dann Gramm), suggesting a comparison of prices. 4-6 volunteers have committed for the Autobon performance.
19 out of 30 have committed to the Calabogie event, with no deposit due until April 30th, and renegotiation to remove the 25-person minimum is being attempted.
Regarding old helmets, a quote was received for 2020 models discounted due to their age. Tim hopes to secure 6 helmets if they are viable for 6 seasons. Jeff Croteau motioned to approve the payment, Mark Shane seconded, and the motion was approved.
The process for obtaining certificates for the Devens events and the Calabogie event needs clarification. The contact person for coordination will be asked for more insight (Adam will be contacted).
Porschenet Email:
The possibility of using the Porschenet email address as a true email account, rather than an alias, was raised, to allow transitioning off personal email for board communications. Glenn Champagne suggested Ryan might know the limitations of the email server regarding space and the number of users. It was agreed to form an ad-hoc committee (Mark Shane, BettyMae Mosley, Kevin Moran, Andrea Smith, etc.) to review this. It appears an email was created, and assistance is now needed.
Sponsorship Chairs (Glenn Champagne): Concerns were raised about sponsors who have not paid; these need to be removed from the website, and paying sponsors should be added. There was considerable discussion about removing non-paying sponsors and establishing tier levels for recognition, referencing EPE as an example of over-solicitation. A collaborative approach to building sponsor relationships is desired, and assistance in this area is needed. Robert Jacobsen mentioned a similar template developed for the websites (car-specific), where each tier received website placement, suggesting this as a starting point for someone to focus purely on sponsorship.
Further discussion regarding sponsorships of events such Porsches & Coffee followed. Mark Shane works at Haggerty and contacted internal colleagues to speak to the club, but they are too busy. However, Anker suggested asking Haggerty for items to distribute. A suitable contact person at Haggerty was found, who indicated that 2025 sponsorship is complete, and a proposal for 2026 needs to be prepared. Swag/marketing materials (keychains, sunglasses, bags, etc.) are potentially available. A reasonable number for distribution across different groups (50 social, 50 AutoX, 50 other) or a swag bag was suggested. Dann Gramm thought this was a good idea for Cars and Coffee events. Mark Shane asked if they should request 500 items to gauge Haggerty’s response.
Motion to Adjourn: Mark Shane motioned to adjourn, Dann Gramm seconded, and the motion was approved. Peter Palermo had left the meeting due yo a previously scheduled commitment.
