[gary osborne]

This coming year will be my third Austin event. I don't know if that makes me a newbie, oldie or just a confused-be. In any case the first year was a big bust for me. I came late and left early because I didn't know anyone and mostly just wandered around by myself. That is not an indictment on the group BTW. It is the new guy's responsibility to reach out and join in not the established group's job to seek him out and drag him into the fun kicking and screaming. In any case, I got plugged into the Houston Club shortly thereafter and now consider many of these guys and gals to be among my best friends and almost like family. Due to that, this last year in Austin was a blast in SPITE of the obnoxious traffic. That said, the fact that it was fun in SPITE of the traffic does not make it perfect......just fun in SPITE of a negative.

Can you believe that was just the set up of my comment.....LOL?

With my limited involvement up until now, I am a little confused. Is this an official TCC Statewide meeting where our President is elected and other critical business is decided for the upcoming year or is this an Austin Club event that everyone in the state is invited to? (I'm not being a smart a$$....just trying to understand). Some of the comments on this thread would indicate that I am not the only one confused although I THOUGHT I knew before reading this thread.

If it is the latter, we (the non-Austin members) just need to say "thank you" for all of the hard work the Austin Club puts in and keep our suggestions to ourselves. It is their event and we should be appreciative of the fact they allow us to come. Our presence surely limits their options and adds to their workload. Nothing like having a guest in your home complaining about food, drink and the temp settings on your thermostat.

Now IF this is the official Annual TCC Event where TCC business is discussed and decided and just happens to be held in Austin, then perhaps everyone needs to step back and reconsider their postions. Just because it is held in Austin should not dictate that only Austin members need to carry the full workload nor should it be considered hands off for the rest of the members around the state.

I don't have a better place to suggest (I can find the Houston airport but that is about it) but I sure would like to see it move around the state and experience some other places. I would also welcome a much shorter drive from the central location to get to some interesting and traffic free roads. Living in Houston, I typically have to drive a good 30 - 45 minutes to get to some fun roads and would like to move further out of town for that very reason (if the new location would not be so far from the airport).

Now if my original understanding is correct (that this is the official State Meeting) AND the hotel has been booked, then I would agree that we are too far into it to even consider moving it for 2007. However, there needs to be some discussion in something other than an Internet Free-for-all about how the location and workload will be addressed in future years. While I like the absence of organization in smaller groups, in a larger group you will never make everyone happy nor come to concensus. I might suggest that a committe is formed with delegates from each club and allow them to come up with an acceptable plan and then just announce the outcome (or have a vote in Austin with only two or three options to choose from). In any case, you will have some who love the plan, some who hate it and a bunch who couldn't care less as long as the event happens.

Time to stop the arguing and find a peaceful resolution. This is a big ol' state and we have some dynamic Cobraphiles in the group who can surely collectively come up with acceptable options. I would gladly help in any way that I can....even if it is just making beer runs for the decision makers while they hammer this out. One thing is for certain. I bet a face to face discussion would be far less hostile and far more effective.