Perception

I've gotten some comments during several conversations with Car Show people about recent commentary made about Bonney Eagle. Some of the comments made have been agreed with, others have not. Anybody who has been doing Car Shows in Maine for more than a few years knows what Bonney Eagle once was. They also know it can be that again but needs the right leadership.

The core of the problem is everybody has what they think is a good idea. They work hard on their idea, they push and pull, yank and tug until their idea is put forth. A Committee runs with it for 4 years or until what they think is a better, idea comes along. Bonney eagle has no standing Committee to run the Show, it Changes as often as the Student body.

The first Bonney Eagle Car Show I went to was in 1992, which means that a couple of the "Tuners" were still shitting their pants or crawling around on the floor. They had 2500 cars on the Grounds and raised $50,000.00 in 1 day, to be put toward the Sports Complex you see today. The great thing about that, was the Participants got to enter their cars at no cost. Thats right, free admission to all participants.

After all the upgrades to the grounds the Show was forced to make some major changes and a new group of people were running things and the Show was moved to the Cumberland Fair Grounds. Bad weather, poor management and other things caused several years of complete or near complete disaster. Then they moved back to the School and I stopped going as Admission was charged to the paticipants.

To say that the Show is gone by the way side would be more than appropriate. To say it has been turned into a shadow of itself is correct. To say it has a lot to learn is not quite right in fact we can learn from its past on how to run a show, just as we can learn from its present day incarnation on how not to run a show.

I have been watching Bonney Eagle since 1992 and it never was a good Show for anything but getting Flyers for other Shows and seeing some great cars. To think otherwise is basically a delusion as the Participant vote system is in effect and we all know how that works.

Bonney Eagle, 31 years old but only bad for the last 10. Anybody that has been here for more than a few years would know that. If it is as bad as all that why bother going. I don't.