Hi Shiraz. Thx for your cell number. I will give you a call on Monday to discuss some of the issues. I acknowledge that you have reached out (to me) to understand the position of the Club and some of its members, so no one can accuse you of not having tried to access the Club...I appreciate it. I have also requested a meeting with Paul, the Killarney manager to meet with the chairperson of the Exclusively///M Club in this coming week to resolve some of the BMW Festival issues contained in this post. My reply is not directed at you, although I do make reference to the issues that you raised, consider it a general response:
Since the matters are raised on the forum, I will attempt to illuminate the position of the Exclusively///M Club but I am not its chairperson neither do I serve on its Executive body, so my comments cannot be on behalf of the Club. I am just a member who wishes to help explain and clarify. Although not everything I am going to say will be comfortable, but I will try my best to remain positive.
It is also not going to be a short reply, so indulge me for awhile...just put it down to someone, who like hearing my own voice. I will accept that criticism.
The work that you and Carbon130 do for the BMW community is valued. Trying to pull off a BMW festival is a huge responsibility and requires tremendous resources and the co-operation of many parts of the BMW community, so your engagement to make it succeed and to rally support for the festival is no mean feat.:thumbsup:
Carbon130 is a loyal Exclusively///M Club member and has supported many of the Club events and helped ensured its success. So no one (as far as I know) in the Exclusively ///M club have issues with either of you. Comments just happened to be aimed at you, since you are assisting with the organising of the event. It could have been directed at anyone who is the most visible agitator or marketer of the event. Let me also hasten to add that I personally had great co-operation from Killarney on events that I organised at Killarney...I was treated fairly and professionally and at times the Killarney staff went out of their way to accomodate my urgent requests...and for that I am grateful. Perhaps the Club should have communicated our message more clearly from the onset to avoid the current tension...but as they say...hindsight is not an exact science (something to that effect).
Just take a step backward and allow yourself to see what the Club is trying to say. You articulated the issue for the Club precisely when you say:
shiraz said:
All that had to happen when the news broke about this event was to get all the heads of the relevant clubs, workshops, accessory shops etc…. together one day at Killarney and go through the days events. Everyone puts their ideas forward and an itinerary for the day is finalized and everyone gets their allocated spaces for their displays….simple.
Essentially, the Club is asking a simple question. Did the above happen?
If it did not happen, "...this is a real messed up situation..." is what Tigger was implying in his post above...I don't think malice was intended in his post. The Club members are just trying to understand the process that was undertaken.
I will not remark on your comments about Cape Town people and the Exclusively M club...which is unfortunate, but you have courage to make such statements not knowing the members of the Exclusively///M Club or having had a discussion with the chairperson (Rohan Appolis) or the Exco of Exclusively///M as per your above suggestion - since you appear to be a member of the Festival organising team.
For your knowledge. I am a born & bred Capetonian and know Killarney way, way better than you can imagine. I also lived in Johannesburg for more than 10 years and having being involved in motorsport (there as well...actually more street dicing than anything else).
The concerns I have about the lack of transformation; restructuring and vision at Killarney you would not begin to grasp, but that challenge is soon going to be launched and passionate BMW people like yourself will hopefully join us. We can do with your passion for motorsport in Cape Town; and your desire not be contaminated by all the "bitching", since I also hate so much of the motorsport bullshit in our country.
Remember, that the Exclusively///M club members, come from various walks of life and owns a BMW or a mini or a Civic (yes, we have those)...heeeeee...and are not "exclusive" in any way. Some of the members are accomplished business entrepreneurs, some are in the formal and informal trade, some in politics, some in sales while others are involved not because of their profession but purely because, (like you) they are so passionate about BMW and what the brand symbolise - performance and driving the ultimate machine.
You say in your post:
“ I would hate to think that some plain oke in his old beemer is held in less regard than those that drive the newer models. i’ll be glad if someone were to tell me that this perception is wrong.â€Â
Yes, that perception is wrong the club is open to all and encompass all types of BMWs. It is only “exclusive†as it concerns “motorsport†which is what the ///M denotes in our Club name.
In 2009 alone, the club contributed significantly to charity and helping young people to see that there are better social alternatives to crime, violence and gangsterism and that there is indeed a future in our country and in motorsport in particular.
The last breakfast run of the club drew over 40 BMW/mini vehicles and there would have been more if some members were not at work or having had to travel too far to make it in time for "breakfast". I mention these points so you can understand we are not very different from you, we are in the same passionate BMW fraternity that wants to fair well in our endeavours.
You are absolutely right to assume that the process (to plan the festival) should have been a "simple" one. But the Club did not excuse it-self from participating it was excluded from participating after an attempt was made by the Club to be an integral part of the organising of the event.
Participation for the club is not only about socialising, paying gate fess, showing our cars, tracking and having fun and space allocated for advertising; it is about shaping the outcome of the event; about ownership; about being able to say "we" all of us, can be proud of what we have achieved, and we look forward to the next one.
One of the reasons why the BMW festival is such an important event for us and that it will be held at Killarney; is because it will be the FIRST Beemer festival of its kind in the Western Cape.
Carbon130 mentioned that the manager of Killarney spoke to him about the event a year ago. You see the Exclusively///M Club had been debating and planning a BMW fest also for more than a year ago and mentioned it to the manager of Killarney. Major plans were a-foot to launch the event in 2010 to coincide with the Soccer World Cup. I posed the 2010 slogan (off the field on the track). Various venues and festival sponsors were explored and most importantly it was decided that when the event do take place, financial provision and contributions would be made for the poor communities of Cape Town around Killarney or our chosen venue, in some form or the other, in line with the Exclusively///M Club's charitable ethos. The vision of the BMW festival was shared by individuals like Zaki Hendriks, Matthew Quinton and Don Tarr (from BMWfanatics) long before we all thought about the idea. Someone like Zaki and Matt was prepared to put their own sweat and money into the event to make it a blow out success. They shared with us their intellectual property about the festival and we all agreed we will make it fly this year.
You say in your post:
“I won’t lie and say that you won’t be missed on the day but it will still go on, I have already set a date for the next one so that we can try and undo any mishaps that happen with this first one.â€Â
This is also an unfortunate position and perhaps it is said out of frustration but also from ignorance about our Club’s modis operandi... Of course, we did not envisaged running the Festival ourselves, we thought about strategic partners, such as Killarney, BMWfanatics, BMW clubs in the Western Cape and Gauteng and the general bussiness community. We even started a roll call of all the BMW clubs in the Western Cape to ensure we do not miss anyone. The event is considered with such cardinal importance that it could not be done alone; it had to be shared by the broader fraternity as you rightly suggested in your posted quotation.
Finally, allow me to make a few quick observations about the broader motorsport picture in the Western Cape and the way forward.
Killarney represents the physical location of motorsport in the Western Cape Province, it is suppose to help (and I believe it does) with promoting, protecting and regulating proper motorsport values and it is the only venue in our Province where ALL of the motorsport enthusiasts can meet on 4 wheels or two wheels with any car they possess. Killarney makes motorsport accessible to us all.
However, it is not the soul and heart of motorsport. That you will find on the streets; the informal breakfast runs; corner meets; in the car Clubs and on a forum like BMWfanatics whether it is only two years old; here is where the passion for the BMW roundel is cultivated and spread.
I do hear you when you suggest: “If all the negative energy wasted by getting upset for nothing, is turned to positive, it will be amazing what we collectively can achieve.â€Â
This point is important for you to realise where the “gut†expression of the Exclusively///M Club comes from. Killarney do have a legacy of exclusion and when the Exclusively///M club was excluded (excuse the pun) it was reminiscient of that old legacy, and no wonder our black club members reacted the way they did.
So, any event that is planned in partnership with Killarney has to recognise that legacy and what we have to do (emotionally) to overcome it. Firstly, we cannot allow Killarney to provide leadership for such an important BMW Festival event, how could they, if they do not have an implicit history of inclusion and creative and innovative leadership that can transcend our differences? There are various aspects of transformation relating to Killarney that deserves serious attention such as representivity; how decisions are made; what happens to the funds generated by Killarney; issues around governance; ownership; land use; benefits to the previously disadvantage community around Killarney; the role of the various players @ Killarney as well as reporting to provincial and national Government and the motorsport community on development and its transformation goals; upgrading of the track and venue; fresh and new landscaping ideas in line with international standards and the transformation charter appropriate to motorsport.
Of course none of these transformation matters are essential (now) in our discussion about the BMW festival but it forms part of the bigger picture and is part of the motorsport (emotion) that Club members have when they engage with Killarney.
Rohan and I will have to facilitate that transformation discussion with the chairperson of the Killarney Board, such a conversation is simply above the job description and status of Killarney employees (no disrespect intended). I have referred to Killarney in my post in the singular noun (the place); the legacy we know is “the placeâ€Â. I accept and recognise that no person in particular at Killarney (the place) is implicated in the old cultural legacy. I am sure the governing body of Killarney (the place) is trying everything in its power to reverse that old motorsport legacy and have many successes in this regard to share.
I do not anticipate an adversarial behaviour between Killarney and myself (and whoever wants to participate), when we engage on matters of transformation and restructuring, to the contrary it will be in all of our interest to talk to each other and embrace the motorsport future together.
But in order for us to get over the current hurdle, the discussion between the Exclusively///M Club, the Killarney manager and yourself will only be about the Festival and our immediate concerns and how to proceed, so the BMW Festival can be a success.
