"To all concerned
"I have been reading Bill’s Blog forever and find it quite entertaining. I don’t always agree with Bill or every opinion on the blog but this is the United States of America and freedom is a good thing. Hopefully Bill will see fit to allow this generalized letter to appear in it’s entirety so that you all can enjoy th e ramblings of a quite crazy person.
"Having been in this hobby longer than some of you I have seen many changes come and go. The one constant in all this has been the participants themselves. Some of us are grayer or chubbier but we still show up no matter the weather or price of fuel, we are always the constant. We have also changed. We are now older and somewhat wiser. But in some cases we need to change a little more.
"The advent of the Spectator Code of Conduct has been a good thing and it’s implementation at some of the shows is a very good thing. Whether or not it will ever be fully accepted has yet to be seen. So now you ask yourself, “where in the world is this fruitcake going”. Not far.
"After sitting back and watching the freeform thought processes and the behavioral patterns of some of our fellow hobbyists, it has become quite clear in most cases, or as in some cases, more like being hit in the face with a brick, that we need a Participant Code of Conduct or if you will allow me,
The 10 Commandments of Participant Conduct
I. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors class.
II. Thou shalt watch your language.
III. Thou shalt not vote in groups.
IV. Thou shalt not make disparaging remarks about other Clubs.
V. Thou shalt not make disparaging remarks about other vehicles.
VI. Thou shalt not openly argue over a personal matter.
VII. Thou shalt use a polite tone of voice when addressing a show organizer.
VIII. Thou wilt not campaign for votes at a participant vote show.
IX. Thou shall treat all spectators with respect and decorum.
X. Thou wilt behave like human beings during the awards presentation.
"Now you see how nuts I really am. Let me explain these in a way that we all can understand this insanity we call a hobby .
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors class, is pretty easy to understand , stay in the class your assigned and go in the class you belong in. Stop poaching or jumping and things will be good.
"Thou shall watch your language, how much needs to be said here. Duck, duck, goose is about the only fowl language we want to hear. The F Bomb needs disarming.
"Thou shalt not vote in groups. People, we all know the buddy system is rampant but don’t slap us in the puss with it. Voting in pairs is ok but when the party is 4 or more it looks as obvious as a wart on your nose.
"The next 2 I’ll do together and maybe it could be combined as 1. Nasty comments, said aloud, about a vehicle or a club or for that matter a person are hurtful and not why we came to the show. These comments should kept to the confines of a private conversation or not be said at all.
Try and be aware of who is within listening distance before you open the pie hole.
"Thou shalt not openly argue over a personal matter, keep your dirty laundry in the basket, club politics and personal issues are not wanted. Find your happy place and go there.
"Thou shall use a polite tone… if you have ever been berated by a total stranger you know where this comes from. If there is an issue that you wish to address, be nice. If the organizer treats you respectfully return the favor, if they treat you like dog doo on there shoe , be nice. Not nasty.
"People we all know who they are and we can stop them . So I won’t even go to #8
"Thou shall treat all spectators with respect and decorum. The spectators are the shows gravy. They come, they spend, they sometimes vote, they leave. For the most part spectators are respectful of the vehicles, when they are not, ask them to step away, ASK THEM. If it’s a child, address the parent, there is no such thing as a bad child just bad upbringing. If this still doesn’t work then ask to see an insurance card for the info you need to file a future claim …work’s every time.
"Last but not least is number 10, Thou shall behave like human beings during the awards presentations. Applause is good , shaking the winners hand on their way by is good, cheering for a first time winner is good. Yelling out, whistling, cheering like it’s time for the strippers is a little old and way to childish. Behave yourself. Most didn’t get a trophy and in some cases could care less about getting one but out respect for the winners we have stuck it out. Speaking of which why do some of us l eave during the presentation. That could be considered rude or disrespectful.
"Through the past couple of seasons I have seen all of this and more. Screaming club members, cursing profanities that would stop a sailor in his tracks. The list could go on forever.
"And voices in my head have stopped cheering so I guess that’s all."
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