Planning an SSCC Event


So you would like to plan en event but are a little timid about how to go about it. Well, it's not that hard. The SSCC is always looking for new and interesting thing to do. If you have that special place that you've visited and you think the members might like it also, mention it to one of the officers to get it on the calendar. Any of the officers or members that have sponsored will be more than willing to make suggestions or lend a helping hand.

You need a place to go, a route to get there, stops along the way, a place to eat and a route home.

Since we are all about Corvettes, an outing that includes a nice drive always works well. Back roads with great scenery never hurts. How far away is too far? For a day trip, try to keep it under 50 miles, 100 miles round trip. Try to plan at least one stop on the way. Everyone likes a pit stop and time to chat. If you figure in a 15 minute stop, it usually will grow to 30 minutes by the time you get everyone back in the cars so figure that into your schedule. A coffee shop or fast food stop is good because folks can get a coffee or a snack and take a bathroom break.
If the destination is a museum, visitors center, vista, etc, plan on about 1-2 hours at the venue and then a short trip to a restaurant. You want to be at the restaurant near a normal meal time.

And while we're talking about restaurants, it's best to talk with the manager about your plans. Ask them if they can take a reservation for a group, how much lead time they need. Can they split the checks. Can they seat the group together. Maybe, your destination has a lot of possibilities for dining and you can have a list for the group and we can all split up into smaller groups and go to a variety of restaurants.

It's always nice to have the route established. The best thing is a dry run done by you and your copilot. Take notes as you go noting turns, land marks and, if possible, milage. Both point to point and cumulative totals are helpful. If the route takes you through towns or cities and there are traffic lights, it is really tough to keep everyone together. It's good to locate a spot to regroup, like a shopping center parking lot, rest area, or even just a straight stretch with a wide berm. If you can have the route printed up for everyone, even if some members get separated, they can find their way to the next way point.

When the big day comes and you take the lead of the caravan of Corvettes, remember that the cars in the back always need to travel fast to keep up. If you are cruising at 50 mph, they may need to go 70-75 to catch up at time. It's always best to keep the speed about 10 mph below what you would normally travel at so the back of the train doesn't have to break the speed limit to keep up.

Make sure your copilot has a cell phone so if someone gets really lost, they can call for directions.

Now for the summary:
  • Get an idea
  • Lock in a date
  • Take a dry run
  • Set times, meeting places, rest stops and restaurants
  • Send the info to the Web Lackey and get it published on the SSCC site
  • Type up the directions
  • Have a blast!