Suds slingers sought!

[MANICMECHANIC]

Well, gang, another rally is almost in the books. We are a couple hours into the last shift in the Biergarten, we've run out of both Yuengling varieties, as well as Miller lite, and as far as we can determine at this time the total number of kegs consumed is a record. We did get a second shipment yesterday and that also is almost gone.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank everybody who volunteered to help sling suds. Being as I'm getting memory challenged, (and I don't have all the names written down) let's just say a huge THANK YOU from the entire beer team, and we hope at least some of you will consider joining forces with us again. You all have done a great job, even with the conditions. Thanks again!

Jim (Mad Dog)
Tom (Bullitt 7801)
Dan
Rev Willie
Randy (manic mechanic)

[83467]

Well said Randy.
In addition to thanking all of our volunteers, I would also like to thank our fellow MOA members who understood the conditions that we labored under, and were patient and cheerful. There are so many things that we cannot control, so we adjust and survive. Those 15.5 gallon beer kegs are HEAVY! Hope to see you all in Missouri .
Ride safely,
Jim aka MAD DOG. Beer Co-chair

[fauster]

BEERMAN!

Loved the selection of PA beers and the serving volunteers were great.

For reference, Troegs and Appalachian Brewing Company are both located in Harrisburg PA. From my tour of Troegs, I learned that the public water supply in Harrisburg is almost as good as it gets for brewing. Go figure.

Last night, my wife found some paper debris in the washing machine after I laundered my rally clothes. It was the remnants of my last few beer tickets. Midnight came up too quickly on Saturday night.

[83467]

Thank you for the kind thoughts. I insisted on Yuengling.
Think that THREE MILE ISLAND had anything to do with the fantastic water? HAH!
BTW, maybe midnight on Saturday came too soon for you, but I certainly have a different take on the whole issue! Made it home on Sunday, {Ct.} still recovering, would and will do it again and again, until I can't. I love the BG interaction.
Jim:: beer garden co-chair

[clowry]

Thanks Jim, Randy and everybody else for another outstanding hospitality area! Dave and I thoroughly enjoyed working with you, and will do so again next year!

[RevWillie]

I just wanted to add my thanks for the volunteers that worked the Beer Tent this year. We sold more beer than I have ever seen at a MOA Rally, and the working conditions were brutal. The crews worked so hard and they had great attitudes.

Another MAJOR THANKS goes to the Beer Chairs (Tom,Dan,Randy, and Jim) I have had the honor of working with these men for many,many Nationals, and they make the Beer Tent work every year. I have enjoyed my service with them and will always remember their good humor and their ability to make the Beer Tent work, no matter what conditions are thrown at them!

Not sure if I will be able to work with them again in the future, but I will always remember their good friendship. It's been a good 22 years in the Beer Tent (I believe York 1989 was my first year behind the taps)

Yes Jim, those kegs were heavy this year. My right finger still has a nice bruise to remind me to get those fingers out-of-the-way!

Thanks again for the brews and the fun!

Rev.Willie

[RevWillie]

I've been reading in the Forum today all the commentary about the Rally, and most of the posts were talking about the heat and the facilities. One problem that I have not seen mentioned is the lack of members stepping-up to be chairs or being volunteers. This Rally was my 20th National, and a awful lot of the chairs have been doing the same job for years and years. Experience is a good tool, but if that "veteran volunteer" is being called on to work hours and hours at their job, then burnout becomes a cruel result.

Saturday night, after we closed the doors to the Beer Hall, the Beer Team "management" had a chance to rest and talk about the Rally. The obvious problem is that the same people have done the same job for many years, and there does not seem to be any replacements in the pipeline. Tom Buttars has been a Head Bartender and Beer Tent Chair for years, and he is also serving as MOA Treasurer, and that is why he is "retiring" from the Beer Team this year. Jim Foucher is the Energizer Bunny it seems like, but he does not have anybody learning his job that he has done so well at for so many Nationals. Randy Boris and I were Head Bartenders for years, but he was elevated to a Chair a couple of years ago and he was working the Beer Tent all the time. Nobody has come forward to take over his Head Bartender position, so the Beer Management team lost another leadership position that was very much needed. Dan Carneval has been keeping track of the supplies and paperwork for years, but do we have anybody that has any idea how to do his job?
The last person is me. I have avoided becoming a Chair for years because I have been a Chair once before (Redmond '01-Rally Train), and I know how the job will swallow you up. I have been the Head Bartender for a bunch of Nationals, which is a operations management job, but there is nobody so far that has learned the job to replace me. All of us also are Ambassadors,wile e's, and people who have friends that we would like to see @ the Rally, so we have other time commitments at the Rally.

I know that I hit the physical/psychological "wall" on Saturday afternoon, and the Rally became NO FUN at that point.. I might have served my last shift, I might serve again. I just know that the Rally took a LOT out of me and I do not know what the future holds for me with MOA. We need people who can replace these valuable volunteers that have so much experience, so that we do not have to start at Square 1 at each years' Nationals.

Folks, a lot of good volunteers/Chairs have been doing their job for a long time, and we need some members to step up and take our positions over at the Nationals in the future. The Rally has just finished, but the planning for next year will start immediately. We need new blood, and we need it before July 2012. Think about the situation and contribute to MOA with your energy and responsibility.

[bmwrider88]

I've been reading in the Forum today all the commentary about the Rally, and most of the posts were talking about the heat and the facilities. One problem that I have not seen mentioned is the lack of members stepping-up to be chairs or being volunteers. This Rally was my 20th National, and a awful lot of the chairs have been doing the same job for years and years. Experience is a good tool, but if that "veteran volunteer" is being called on to work hours and hours at their job, then burnout becomes a cruel result.

Saturday night, after we closed the doors to the Beer Hall, the Beer Team "management" had a chance to rest and talk about the Rally. The obvious problem is that the same people have done the same job for many years, and there does not seem to be any replacements in the pipeline. Tom Buttars has been a Head Bartender and Beer Tent Chair for years, and he is also serving as MOA Treasurer, and that is why he is "retiring" from the Beer Team this year. Jim Foucher is the Energizer Bunny it seems like, but he does not have anybody learning his job that he has done so well at for so many Nationals. Randy Boris and I were Head Bartenders for years, but he was elevated to a Chair a couple of years ago and he was working the Beer Tent all the time. Nobody has come forward to take over his Head Bartender position, so the Beer Management team lost another leadership position that was very much needed. Dan Carneval has been keeping track of the supplies and paperwork for years, but do we have anybody that has any idea how to do his job?
The last person is me. I have avoided becoming a Chair for years because I have been a Chair once before (Redmond '01-Rally Train), and I know how the job will swallow you up. I have been the Head Bartender for a bunch of Nationals, which is a operations management job, but there is nobody so far that has learned the job to replace me. All of us also are Ambassadors,wile e's, and people who have friends that we would like to see @ the Rally, so we have other time commitments at the Rally.

I know that I hit the physical/psychological "wall" on Saturday afternoon, and the Rally became NO FUN at that point.. I might have served my last shift, I might serve again. I just know that the Rally took a LOT out of me and I do not know what the future holds for me with MOA. We need people who can replace these valuable volunteers that have so much experience, so that we do not have to start at Square 1 at each years' Nationals.

Folks, a lot of good volunteers/Chairs have been doing their job for a long time, and we need some members to step up and take our positions over at the Nationals in the future. The Rally has just finished, but the planning for next year will start immediately. We need new blood, and we need it before July 2012. Think about the situation and contribute to MOA with your energy and responsibility.

Hi Willie,
hey bro, this is the problem with ALL of the *organizations* i have been involved with, no matter how big or small they may be,
to wit:
1% does all the work and planning, and 99% enjoy the benefits and/or complain about how it went bad or might have been better or what they didn't like.

if you face somebody down and point-blank them, most folks will volunteer to help out. on the other hand, these same folks will A: never realize and/or B: take for granted that an event of this size (OR ANY SIZE) takes ALL year to put together, and that just a couple people are completely responsible for every little detail that thousands then enjoy.

i simply cannot dedicate the time for this every year or i'd stand up for that which you ask. in my past experience, which has been in my local area, we've had a second or third generation coming up who have then stepped in to take over. just lucky i guess, as it doesn't seem to be happening for you guys.

anyway,
this event is HUGE and tho i am certain there may have been any number of small glitches, the overall appearance is that the thing was amazingly seamless and well run, well thought out, and obviously carried off with full-on love of the whole thing.

my couple small stints in the been tent were a complete gas, and i also enjoyed working over at the stage with Lee and Phil. this was my fist BIG MOA event and i just HAD to volunteer a bit for it.

whatever anyone may say in a negative tone, please disregard it as you guys ALL ROCK. hopefully, someone will come forth to carry on the rock solid legacy you guys have laid down.

Tom

[MANICMECHANIC]

Thanks for the props and comments, Willie, but I must offer some minor corrections. I was not at the biergarten all the time - there was about 18-20 hours during the week that I did manage to get some sleep and a couple showers, and I did sneak off for maybe 2 hours to check out the rest of the rally, and then Saturday some time to do laundry. But I was there for the rest of it, or so it seemed.

Looking forward to seeing everybody again. I threaten every year that one of these days I'm going to a National Rally just to go to the Rally, and I'll probably be bored silly. It would be nice to spend some time at a seminar or two, or hang out at Airhead Central or with the Black Sheep (if they'll let me!) It's not the job, but all the other folks I get to meet along the way that keeps me coming back. But as you alluded, we (all the committees) need some help, because we are getting burned out.

Randy

[RevWillie]

1% does all the work and planning, and 99% enjoy the benefits and/or complain about how it went bad or might have been better or what they didn't like.

if you face somebody down and point-blank them, most folks will volunteer to help out. on the other hand, these same folks will A: never realize and/or B: take for granted that an event of this size (OR ANY SIZE) takes ALL year to put together, and that just a couple people are completely responsible for every little detail that thousands then enjoy.

in my past experience, which has been in my local area, we've had a second or third generation coming up who have then stepped in to take over. just lucky i guess, as it doesn't seem to be happening for you guys.

anyway,
this event is HUGE and tho i am certain there may have been any number of small glitches, the overall appearance is that the thing was amazingly seamless and well run, well thought out, and obviously carried off with full-on love of the whole thing.


Tom

Thanx for the points Tom, and I know about the 99/1 factor concerning volunteers (although it is more like 90/10 for the MOA Rally). We who volunteer to help the Rally have a interesting view behind the curtain of "seamless and well run", and get to see friends from all over for that once-a-year chance to laugh and cuss and enjoy the family.

I joined BMWMOA in the Spring of 1974, and I went to my first National Rally at Table Rock SC that year. I have been a big fan of the National Rally since then and Bloomsburg was my 20th. I remember the "First Generation" members writing about the lack of the "next generation" of Rally volunteers in the "Owners News" back in the Nineties, and I realized that we had to stand up and keep the Rally going.

OK, time flies, and now the "Second Generation" of MOA volunteers are having to ask: who is going to learn our Rally Jobs?
Yep, it's getting time for some of the "Third Generation" to figure how to keep the machine rolling!

Been to 2-4 National Rallys? Do you have a favorite job at the Rally? Have you come out of these rallys with lots of good stories and good friends? Hmm, you could be a volunteer/chair/veteran volunteer for the upcoming Nationals.

It is time to start thinking about passing the torch