The Northeast Region Board has voted to make major changes to the way that our club communicates with the membership. The key elements of the new approach include renaming the position of “Newsletter Editor” to “Communications Chair,” streamlining communications by integrating website/outbound emails/social media, and eliminating the monthly printed Nor’Easter after the December 2017 issue.
Why did we do this?
New features. We have been receiving a lot of positive comments on the updated website (thanks Sterling!). We are going to make it better by utilizing more advanced features available only online that can connect us and keep the information more up-to-date. We look forward to your feedback and thoughts on how to make it work best for you.
More accurate information. Due to the inherent lag in print communication there have been occasions when the Nor’Easter had outdated information causing confusion. Some articles have been on the website, not the Nor’Easter, and vice versa.
Use of new technology. Like an article that is now online? Forward it or share it. Like a picture? Download it!
Better use of our resources. The Nor’Easter costs $36,000 a year to print and mail. We can use this money to offer new events (a summer picnic is planned for 2018), reduce fees, and increase our charitable donations. Additionally, designing the layout of the magazine and working to get it printed uses a significant amount of volunteer effort – effort that our current editor has graciously performed for the past seven years and roughly 80 editions (thanks Adrianne!) !
What will the new communications look like?
Monthly emails will continue as in the past. If you are not receiving these, please make sure that PCA National has your current email – our emails go to you through them to protect your privacy. Email Sterling ([email protected]) if you need any help updating your information with national.
Improved website. Take a minute and look at the website now. You will see 6 tabs right now. Here’s what you’ll find under each of these tabs…
- Home – this contains the latest news from our club and other articles of interest to our membership. Scroll down and read what interests you. And there is a sidebar for upcoming events.
- Events – this displays the full calendar of all future events with links to complete information for each event.
- Activities – this contains the information you need about each of the club’s activities. Want to be a concours judge? Need a DE tech form? Need to look up your autocross class? Find it here.
- The Nor’Easter – we are looking to evolve this into more of a “month-at-a-time” report of the club’s activities, imitating, in some ways, the current, printed version and presented in magazine format. It will include write-ups/pictures of the previous month’s club events, the columns written by board members and articles of interest to the members. For the comfort of those used to the printed version, it will have links to the calendar and general information. Each month a new “issue” will appear and the old one will be archived, as has been done since 2007.
- The Mart – online classifieds. Sell cars. Sell parts. Share info about shops and services. Help us keep it constantly up-to-date.
- Information – as before, board members, committee chairs, by-laws, contact info, how to help by volunteering.
And an improvement we are working on: member to member communications. It is not yet worked out completely but this aims to allow two way communications between the club and its membership and between members themselves. Need advice on autocross? Post it here. Looking for a part or a repair shop? Same. Want to meet up with others to go to an event? Let everyone know.
What happens to my subscription?
We are very thankful to all those who have current subscriptions to the Nor’easter. We would like to donate the subscription money received after June 30, 2017 to Homes For Our Troops, our club charity. If you subscribed during this period and would prefer a direct refund, please let us know and we’ll be happy to help you. All recurring subscriptions will be discontinued.
And please note that this is your club! We encourage your participation and engagement by submitting articles and providing feedback. We are all volunteers, like you, working to give you a better communications platform so please use it. Let us know what content you like about the current Nor’easter and how you use it so that we can make sure we build upon that success and history.
Longtime PCA member and Club Racer Dave Maynard passed away peacefully earlier this evening at home with his family. He was my closest friend, a friendship that started in and around Porsches and race tracks, spanning thirty years.
