So you want to be a JONAT Sector Coordinator
by Mark Stephenson, Arizona SC, with input from successful SCs of JONAT 2004

Overview

A JONAT Sector Coordinator (SC) is the person in charge of creating an interesting tour through his or her part of the country.

As inaugural JONAT (Jaguar Owners North America Tour) moved from passing comment to a real event, there was a lot of discussion about how the sectors should be handled and what should be done along the way. The organizers and the Sector Coordinators (SCs) had a lot of great ideas from simple to grandiose. Initially, some of the grandiose plans were warmly received, until the logistics and effort of implementing them were considered. At that point a number of SCs said, in effect, whoa, we didn't sign on to be Julie, the cruise director of the Love Boat.

We reached a number of consensi(?), but one of the first was...

Rule #1: Keep it simple.

This is not the Colorado Grand or the California Mille. They cost thousands of dollars and take thousands of man-hours to organize.

That doesn't preclude SCs from going hog-wild on their sector, just know that you'll be creating a lot more work for yourself not only during the planning, but as you drive the route with your group. Complexity and flexibility are nearly incompatible, so if you try to nail things down to the minute, the worry about keeping people to a schedule will steal your enjoyment from the event. The most complex part of the Arizona Sector 2004 was coordinating two groups of people arriving near the Grand Canyon at about the same time and taking a bus to the rim. It didn't go well. That leads us to...

Rule #2: Be as flexible as possible.

Here's an example: You would like to have everyone spend as much time together as possible. You have choices:
a) make reservations well in advance for the number of registered entrants at a restaurant,
b) show up unannounced at the restaurant and wait for tables to be arranged, or
c) indicate a preferred eatery and let everyone fend for themselves.

This is a tough call. The first option requires timetables, hurrying entrants along, and worrying if everyone's running late. Option c is the easiest and you'll find that things tend to organize themselves. Unless there's some reason to expect the restaurant to be packed, b and even more, c, make your life a whole lot easier.

The most important rule didn't become apparent until nearly half of JONAT 2004 was completed. It was a seemingly trivial thing that had to do with the viewpoint of the SC.

Rule #3: Plan your sector as a local link in a continental chain rather than a continental tour that's passing through.

Huh? What's the difference? It's the difference between impressing outsiders with the wonders of your region versus taking a tour to places that the local club members and Jaguar owners want to see. The fact is that many tourers prefer to experience the local flavor, rather that the tourist traps. These things are obviously not mutually exclusive. Even though most Arizonans have been to the Grand Canyon, it's impressive enough that we'll go back. However, if we had been there a few months earlier, it wouldn't be a good choice.

Why the emphasis on locals? JONAT 2004 taught us that only a handful of people are going travel more than a sector either side of their home sector. Less than 20% did more than one sector. We didn't really expect anyone to drive the entire 12,000 miles, but we did expect more people to drive further. In Arizona, it was 3 participants of 11. JONAT morphed from the original concept of a continental tour to a continental relay with Jay, the stuffed Jaguar, as the baton. Perhaps that will change with JCNA's involvement, but if 2004 is any indication, if you focus exclusively on inter-state/-provincial travelers, your sector will suffer.

Rule #4: You are in charge of your sector.

Being an all-volunteer organization, we are decentralized. We'll have a couple deadlines and will work with all the SCs to determine when the JONAT is passing through your area. You'll need to work with the SCs on either side to determine when and where you'll link up with them. Beyond that, you are the creative genius behind your sector. We have an e-mail list set up for the SCs and ASCs to discuss strategies. If you've ever set up weekend trips for your local club, this won't be much different.

Simple, flexible, and catering to the locals are concepts you'll see repeated frequently as I cover the details of organizing your link in a chain that will extend from coast to coast and from the Mexican border into Canada.

The Basics of Route Planning

If you're a person who loves to drive and show people the highways and out-of-the-way cool places you've discovered, you probably have a bunch of ideas popping into your head about now. Hold those thoughts. We have a few simple parameters you need to take into account.

A. No unpaved roads. This probably goes without saying, but entrants will be driving everything from classics to modern Jaguars. Some are touchy about flying stones chipping the paint. You might get away with a few hundred unpaved feet that people will tiptoe their Jags through, but if there's any alternative, take it.

B. Avoid more than 300 miles of driving or five hours of seat-time per day (whichever is greater). I planned a 296 mile day in 2004. It was exhausting in an XK120, although 50 degree temperatures, a 60 mph crosswind, light jackets, a couple rain showers, and no top didn't help. A good target for a fun, leisurely journey is seven hours from the time you plant yourself in the driver's seat in the morning 'til you reach your destination in the evening, including stops. It gets back to that flexibility thing. If everything moves along as scheduled, you can check into your hotel early, but if something interesting or unforeseen occurs and you want or have to take extra time, you have wiggle room.

C. Make a loop. Because most of your participants will be running only your sector, create an interesting and different route to the start and end points. Some sectors will start or end in the home city, so you'll only have to worry about one end.

D. Expect at least one weekend day on your sector. Another lesson learned from 2004: A sector that runs midweek will have an abysmal turnout. Therefore, for 2006, we are trying to ensure that every sector includes part of a weekend. This means that a sector will usually be 3-4 days long with one handoff occurring mid-week and the other on a weekend. If you put together an exhilarating route with interesting sights, and you talk it up enthusiastically, you'll be surprised at the Jaguar owners, who will take time to take a road-trip adventure with people they know in cars they love.

Some of you may be skeptical that you can find folks who'll hit the road mid-week. Here's how it worked in Arizona. We had a four-day sector, Wednesday - Sunday. Our ASC (Assistant SC), almost met (long story) the SC from the Colorado sector on the road Tuesday. We had planned to do the same but had a couple last minute car-prep things to complete and reached the Colorado-Arizona handoff point a day early (Tuesday afternoon). Wednesday was planned as a full day exploring Mesa Verde National Park . The six of us made the official handoff Wednesday evening. The Colorado pair continued on with us. We picked up one driver Thursday morning and another Thursday evening. Quite a few people took off Friday and met us at lunchtime at the Grand Canyon. A couple more left after work Friday and met us at the hotel Friday night. By then we had 11 cars and almost 20 people. Our handoff to the next SC was Sunday evening, but it really could have been much earlier because we were all there at lunchtime. Most people didn't wait for the handoff festivities and took the five-hour drive home. Full Arizona Sector Report.

Can I Start Planning Yet?

With those basic concepts in mind, yes. It's too early for dates and details. In fact, early on, in will be too early to know for sure if JONAT will come through your area. In 2004, JONAT was totally "grassroutes." News of the tour spread by word of mouth. We had a bit more road than we had people to organize. We fully expect that our association with JCNA will give us the contacts to create a complete route. There's even a chance that we'll have volunteers too scattered to include everyone in the loop. Not to worry, though. We have ways we can tie everyone in. I'll cover those in the next section.

The first step to SC-ship is to send a brief e-mail to the JONAT Selection Committee (jsc@jonat.org) to let them know you're interested. Don't get heavy on details because they are likely to change. The JSC will want to see:

1) A hypothetical 3-4 day tour through your area. If you have links to the sites you'll visit, add them. Remember that the tour is traveling counter-clockwise around the continent, so make sure you're going in the right direction.

Arizona 2003 would read something like
Day 1: Pick up tour at Mesa Verde NP and drive to Four Corners. Travel across the Navajo Indian Reservation to Page.
Day 2: View Glen Canyon Dam. Drive to Grand Canyon and spend the afternoon there. Eat dinner and take a twilight drive to Williams, AZ.
Day 3: Join the Route 66 Fun Run in Seligman, AZ and travel with them to Kingman
Day 4: Continue with the Route 66 Fun Run to Golden Shores, AZ and hand off to the next sector at Lake Havasu City, AZ

2) Activities your club is seriously considering as part of your tour segment. We'd really like to encourage that. It's our way of paying back JCNA for their support. Check with your club members and see if they are interested in organizing something. A dinner with club members, even if they aren't participating is a good idea. Even better would be a JCNA-sanctioned event such as a slalom or concours. A sanctioned rally would be the perfect match because the rally route and the JONAT route could be one in the same. The tie-in could mean a better turnout for both events.

JONAT is following our own advice. We're starting at the JCNA Annual General Meeting Sunday, April 2, and ending at the Western States regional meet July 14.

3) Cooperation with other clubs in the area. Remember, the sectors are going to be 3-4 days. At our end of the country, the next club can be that far away, but in the east, clubs are more densely packed. If you can include other clubs in your plans, the JSC will look favorably on that. It can be a joint sanctioned activity or dinner with one club one night and another club another. Contact neighboring clubs and see if they are interested.

4) At least one Assistant Sector Coordinator named. See if you can scrounge up some trusty assistants. The main reason for ASCs is so the tour isn't left hanging if you are unable to continue as SC. A good ASC can be a great help in other ways, too. The Arizona ASC lives in Northern Arizona and laid out and checked first half of the route while I did the second. If you are coordinating with neighboring clubs, an ASC from each would be ideal.

While there are no guarantees, the JSC would definitely give preferential treatment to potential SCs who can meet these criteria.

What if I'm not picked as a SC?

There is only one scenario where I see someone not being accepted into the exalted ranks of SC-dom. That would be if someone nearby has a better plan. First of all, don't take it personally. We can't have two people running the same sector simultaneously. The solution is to contact the SC so you can offer your services as the ASC. We don't want the route or the activities to get stale, so if you didn't make it this year, we'll give you a hard look for the next tour.

The other scenario is if, due to time constraints and other club offers, the continental loop doesn't pass through your area. That doesn't mean you can't be a SC. We'll to tie you into the tour as a link or spoke, with your contingent meeting the tour at some point along the way. You have options -- more than the average SC. You could have your group drive up and back or create a small triangle that meets the tour, travels with it for a ways, and then heads back. Better yet, you could meet the tour at a handoff point and have three groups come together. Talk about a party!

Deadlines

JONAT, being all volunteer, is a very decentralized organization. Your sector is yours and you can run it however you want, within reason. The only structure we'll impose on you is deadlines and a few bits of paperwork. Deadlines are critical; paperwork we'll cover later.

August 15, 2005: The last applications for sectors should be into the JSC by then. We'll then bust our tushes to let everyone know by August 22 how the route will wind around the continent. The sector assignment process has already begun, so the sooner you present your proposal, the more likely you are to get what you want.

September 12, 2005: Let us know the handoff dates and times (morning, noon, evening) you've worked out with the SCs on either side of your sector. The handoff is where control of JONAT changes from one SC to the next. We need to get those set as soon as possible so clubs can request sanctions for events planned to coincide with JONAT and JONATers can schedule vacation time. The more you can beat this deadline the better, but understand dates may change until we get the entire route set. We promise to have that done by October 3.

November 14, 2005: Turn in your itinerary. This includes maps, dates, times, activities, and suggested restaurants and lodging along the way. (Not as hard as it sounds. See below.) Many people like to know what to expect if they are taking precious vacation time for it. The holidays are a time when we get wrapped up in family and revelry, If we don't complete this before then, it might not get done until after the first of the year. Many employers require employees to sign up for vacation time before the end of the year, so this will give them ample time to weigh their options.

Keeping changes to a minimum will make everyone's life easier, but the handoffs and routing won't be cast in concrete at this point. We'll still be over four months from the start of the tour. Minor shifts in handoffs can be made with the agreement of the other SC involved. Your proposed route may have to be tweaked. You'll need to let us know of changes so we can keep things current.