SCTA financial report October/November 2013

[SPARKY]

   Hmmm  lets see several things come to mind----

Shakespeare's "Me think thou protest to much!"   

"It is dangerous to throw rocks in Glass Houses"   

[38flattie]

Sparky, a couple of quotes come to my mind too:

“An educated person is one who has learned that information almost always turns out to be at best incomplete and very often false, misleading, fictitious, mendacious - just dead wrong.”  Russell Baker


“Information is not knowledge.”    Albert Einstein

My problem with the info is it's incomplete, and I have to wonder what the motive of making this public, is?

[Sumner]

... want SCTA/BNI to live forever. I live on the East coast and never thought about joining a club because going to a meeting West coast is not practical. I don't believe in just signing up and riding on other people's work. How does a guy on the East Coast join a club and do his part? BR

....I'm a member of the Road Runners, yet I live in Colorado, 1200 miles from the cub. I receive the club minutes every month, can vote on issues, and am kept informed of the SCTA happenings.

I do have to perform club duties once a year at El Mirage,but I consider that a pretty good deal!

So, it can be done, if you're serious about it.

Not all clubs require you to do duties at El Mirage if you live so far away.  I've been to EM twice and did duties there once and will also try again in the future but I don't necessarily have to.  Sooner or later you will probably want to experience EM so plan a trip and try and do duty work at the same time.  Unlike the salt where you can't see all the action from one place about any place you have duty at EM you can see the meet and your duty isn't every minute you are there.  You would probably want to go to one of the 2 day meets so chances are if you did do duty it would only be 1/2 of one of those days and then there is also the setup and inspection day to experience.

Some of the clubs are pretty big and even the club members that live in CA don't all do duty every year.  

I also don't know for a fact if all clubs send club meeting minutes and copies of the SCTA meetings but the one I belong to does.  At least that way you are getting info and can decide if you need to try and be more active in acting on it.

If I remember right my yearly dues are $95 but that also includes my SCTA membership, so I'm supporting a club and SCTA with that.  I also join BNI...

http://www.scta-bni.org/pdf/2012%20BNI%20membership%20form.pdf

.... which I wouldn't have to but the $70 gets me:

JOIN BEFORE SPEED WEEK AND YOUR MEMBERSHIP WILL INCLUDE: A BNI membership card,
Bonneville Nationals Speed Week entry pin, embroidered patch, Bonneville National Speed Week poster, SCTA
Rules and Records book, Bonneville Nationals Speed Week program, BNI decal and 4 issues of the Straightaway
News. (These items will be shipped as they become available. Some items may ship separately.)

Most of those items I'd be paying for anyway at SW.

If you have never really read what SCTA is and how it operates please take a second and do so:

http://www.scta-bni.org/AboutUs.html

Sum

[Dean Los Angeles]

Sounds like I need to wave a dead chicken over my head and wear the secret underwear to get the SCTA financials.

There is no reason why this shouldn't be public knowledge. I never saw SCTA financials in the years I was a member.

The income and expenditures should be open knowledge. What is spent and who benefits is vital information for all non profits.

Not accusing anyone, but you can read daily about non profits that have been screwed by improper use of funds and outright theft.

And the next time you want to donate to a charity, go to http://www.charitynavigator.org/ to see how much of your hard earned money actually goes to the program.

I have heard the Wounded Warrior Project mentioned here, and they spent a pathetic 57.9% on program.

Charities listed are rated not only for financials, but "Accountability and Transparency".

[Sumner]

Sounds like I need to wave a dead chicken over my head and wear the secret underwear to get the SCTA financials.

There is no reason why this shouldn't be public knowledge. I never saw SCTA financials in the years I was a member.

The income and expenditures should be open knowledge. What is spent and who benefits is vital information for all non profits....

I don't really see the reason for the post since the information is readily available as a member.  Not sure why it wasn't available to you when you were a member?  Maybe because now with e-mail to members and the availability to convert minutes and such to PDF files it is easier now than then???

Are you saying that they should go onto various public forums and post this information?  Which ones?  How often?

It isn't like they are making anyone attend events or join.  There are dozens of people holding non-paying positions in SCTA and as club officers that have made land speed racing available to us.  I guess I just don't get the 'conspiracy theory's that seem to keep popping up. 

Have I always been happy with every little detail of how they run the organization or meets.  No, but I'm sure as hell glad they have been doing it and I'm way to lazy to try and put on a meet.  Went down that road a couple times putting on motorcycle races and that was a no-win situation also,

Sum

[jl222]

  Why are BNI members excluded, they are the ones that have paid for El Mirage for years and the main income for SCTA

  And the big SECRET for years is HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN THE BANK and other investments.

   Also that's a very undetailed profit and loss statement lacking the exact expenses.

    If SCTA HAS NOTHING TO HIDE at least give the above info to SCTA members.

    Desotoman...have you ever known the above info.

    If nobody knows the total HOW WOULD YOU KNOW SOME IS MISSING

    TIME FOR AN INDEPENDEND AUDIT.

    Yeah, hope financial info doesn't appear on Land Racing.com

    JL222

      

[jl222]

This is from the most recent SCTA meeting.  It shows some startling news - at least it's startling to me.  Remember, by the way, that SCTA is a public non-profit organisation and therefore stuff like this is available to the public.  I didn't "steal" it nor take it from unsubstantiated sources.


SCTA:  Excerpts from Friday night’s SCTA-BNI Board and Reps Meeting:
 
Mike Manghelli passed out a financial document showing two pages back-to back income and expenses separated into two types.  When the numbers are considered together both membership and racing incomes and expenses they total up to the following losses to the SCTA in total (this excluded BNI subsidies)
 
2010 –loss $46,500.00
2011 –loss $69,000.00
2012 – loss $55,000.00
These numbers are confirmed by Delia Riley.
 
Roy Creel did some quick accounting and he came up with a cost to the SCTA of $158.00 per vehicle to race and the SCTA is currently charging $65.00 to the entrant.
 
BNI:  Excerpts from Friday night’s SCTA-BNI Board and Reps Meeting:
 
This accounting of the year to date shows income of $689,652.17 and expenses of $716,365.96 leaving a negative balance of -$26,713.79.  Russ Eyres also included a report dated 08/01/2013 through 10/25/203 as a separate item.  This captures most of the activity during Speed Week.  This report shows an income of $282,690.89 and expenses of $518,898.06 creating a substantial negative balance of -$236,207.20.

Also included in this report were comparisons from 2010, 2011 and 2012.  The report was very revealing showing the following results:  
2010 Income $752,770.69 Expenses $795,740.64 Balance -$42,969.95
2011 Income $721,739.07 Expenses $859,203.89 Balance -$137,464.82
2012 Income $936,626.85 Expenses $950,963.06 Balance -$14,336.25

The following is not specifically in the minutes but if the numbers that are listed in the SCTA treasurers report and the BNI treasurers report are considered together this are the total losses for the SCTA-BNI:

2010: Loss -$89,469.95
2011: Loss -$206,464.82
2012: Loss -$69,336.25
Total Loss $365,271.02
And 2013 is not looking good
 

  Is it just me or what  Income for year to date 689,652.17
                                 - Income from speedweek 282,691.28
                                                                  = 406,961.28 where did this income come from

  And $518,898 expense for speedweek with income of 282,691

  An independent Audit is needed of all the books for the last 3yrs.

                JL222

[Bob Drury]

  What a way to start a Monday... think I will pull the covers back over my head... OR could this be the second coming of "the smell of burning feet being held to the fire"?
  Where is Jack when we need him?  Oh yeah.........    Bob    

[Sumner]

...
  Is it just me or what  Income for year to date 689,652.17
                                 - Income from speedweek 282,691.28
                                                                  = 406,961.28 where did this income come from

  And $518,898 expense for speedweek with income of 282,691

  An independent Audit is needed of all the books for the last 3yrs.

                JL222

Have you read the whole thread?  As has been mentioned the above figures were pull out of a complete report and do not include a number if items that were in the whole report.  If you read the complete report you would have a very different picture. 

And I don't have my e-mails of the minutes and wouldn't post them if I did but if I recall money in the bank was in the details and BNI members are not SCTA members so why should they be sent SCTA related business?  Come on guys even if you had all of the figures would you actually go and do something? 

The simple answer is join a club, simple as that,

Sum

[jl222]

...
  Is it just me or what  Income for year to date 689,652.17
                                 - Income from speedweek 282,691.28
                                                                  = 406,961.28 where did this income come from

  And $518,898 expense for speedweek with income of 282,691

  An independent Audit is needed of all the books for the last 3yrs.

                JL222

Have you read the whole thread?  As has been mentioned the above figures were pull out of a complete report and do not include a number if items that were in the whole report.  If you read the complete report you would have a very different picture. 

And I don't have my e-mails of the minutes and wouldn't post them if I did but if I recall money in the bank was in the details and BNI members are not SCTA members so why should they be sent SCTA related business?  Come on guys even if you had all of the figures would you actually go and do something? 

The simple answer is join a club, simple as that,

Sum

  I belong to a club and I SURE AS HELL would try to do something about it as the here and now.

 I don't attend meetings as it's a 5 hr drive one way, but if a SCTA member is reading this how about asking for a vote from your club
at your next meeting proposing an independent audit for the last 3 yrs. and brought up by your club reps at a SCTA meeting.

  BNI members are not SCTA members but without them there would be no SCTA.

  As you have read the report where did the 406,961.28 income come from

          JL222

[Nortonist 592]

Well, if its any help JL222 I bought a couple of programs at SpeedWeek.  That account for $20 of the income.  Now if we can just get everyone who bought things at SpeedWeek to chime in here I'm sure it can all be sorted.  If an independent audit is proposed and passed who will pay for it?  You?  Maybe you know some auditors who will work for free?   

[jl222]

Well, if its any help JL222 I bought a couple of programs at SpeedWeek.  That account for $20 of the income.  Now if we can just get everyone who bought things at SpeedWeek to chime in here I'm sure it can all be sorted.  If an independent audit is proposed and passed who will pay for it?  You?  Maybe you know some auditors who will work for free?   

  After spending 518,000 for speedweek  SCTA can damn well pay for an audit.

                 JL222

[LSR Mike]

How many dues paying BNI Members are there? a  I think its well north of 1,000 Where is their voice?

IMHO a different part of the problem with the organization....worthy of it's own thread.

Slim isn't there a vote function on this Board? you could run all 10 questions and get "Un"weighted voting results everyone could see...

[Stan Back]

Let's build the scaffolding and get on with it!

No one forces anyone to join BNI.  They do it by choice.  They can have a voice by boycotting the events.  They can organize their own events.  It's easy to put on an international event with one paid employee (yes, there's per-diem and expenses for lots of people).

SCTA club presidents and club reps go to monthly meetings and give their members the scoop.  Most of the attendees are long-time members of the organization.  There have been ongoing measures to contain expenses the last few years. 

Take a look at SpeedWeek -- how many, including SCTA members, don't think it's a bargain for what you get?

But, what the h-ell, let's string them up!  Even if the info is incomplete.  Let's be outraged!  H-ell no, there were no politics involved in posting this!  Light the torches and

Stan Back! 

[38flattie]

Let's build the scaffolding and get on with it!

No one forces anyone to join BNI.  They do it by choice.  They can have a voice by boycotting the events.  They can organize their own events.  It's easy to put on an international event with one paid employee (yes, there's per-diem and expenses for lots of people).

SCTA club presidents and club reps go to monthly meetings and give their members the scoop.  Most of the attendees are long-time members of the organization.  There have been ongoing measures to contain expenses the last few years. 

Take a look at SpeedWeek -- how many, including SCTA members, don't think it's a bargain for what you get?

But, what the h-ell, let's string them up!  Even if the info is incomplete.  Let's be outraged!  H-ell no, there were no politics involved in posting this!  Light the torches and

Stan Back!