Davenport, so the rumor is........

[fillibuster]

quote steve slocombe: "I've talked about 'more democracy' under the Your AMCA Board thread in the past, and discussed it at the Club Steering Committee. As the Board is mostly Chapter Presidents, having the 50+ Presidents vote on Board candidates could be a first step towards fuller representation of the membership. We still need much better communication in the Club, and it has not improved this year." end quote

Steve, I respectfully disagree. Communication HAS IMPROVED this year, and you should give yourself a little more credit (not a lot, just a little!)
Just talking about things on the forum here has brought us answers that calmed many wild rumors. RF has not taken the crazy bait, nor have you, and others have also maintained a calm demeanor that we need to arrive at less-than-sensational conclusions.

The only thing sensational about our club is our machinery. Yes, there are exceptional people in participation, but people's influence suffers from tarnish when they step above the core with overblown theatrics.

That said, we cannot operate responsibly in chaos. We need leadership to attend to the dirty job of managing events with the intent of producing the fullest enjoyment for everybody, now, and in the future.

.... wonder how them dep sherrif's felt about their job?

[exeric]

With no disrespect...It is in me eric and with all the other AMCA members. We provide the atmosphere and not the AMCA. It would happen without the AMCA "CLUB". Local people with old machines would get together and unite to thier passions and and have "meetings" or get togethers(local dougnut shop or coffe house or someones shop). It doesn't take a "club" to make it happen(thats what i would do). Get rid of the AMCA and people would still get together(and start again) to enjoy thier machines. Simple as that and i don't need a BOD or anybody else for that matter to tell me( us?) what is or if i belong or not(case in point,can't belong to my chapter unless i'm an AMCA member)...Com'on, tell me you wouldn't graduate?(is that the right word? LOl) to people with early bikes? it's in your blood as all of us and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that...I mean really.... len.
P.S. no boss bashing here, i am the boss and i treat my employee's on how i would want to be treated,,simple as that and i would would like to think everybody thought that...but i guess that's not the case, is it? it would be a much better world if we did,,i'm doing my part...and there is no "BALONEY" I walk the line i talk....old school...so to speak(although i dislike that term LOL)

Len, I guess the point I was trying to make is; the AMCA churns along putting out magazines, and sanctioning national meets without interruption. They have been doing it for many years without a break in service and that is a luxury that seems to be constantly under fire by a disgruntled element of our membership. I don't have an inside track on what goes on with the BOD so I'm just like the overwhelming majority of members who gratefully, and quietly (not me of course) enjoy the benefits of the volunteers who make all of this possible. Every organization is going to have blemishes, bumps, and mistakes but that seems (to me) inconsequential, relative to the superlative services I get in return. Constructive rabble rousing is good for any organization, but there is another kind that has an alterior motive and you see it from time to time here on this forum. As I said earlier, there is an element of person here that likes politics more than motorcycles and I suspect the alterior motive is power. Eustis, and Davenport seem to bring that element out.

Len, I'm sorry, I probably misunderstood you're intent. You sound like a good guy.

[LouieMCman]

I've talked about 'more democracy' under the Your AMCA Board thread in the past, and discussed it at the Club Steering Committee. As the Board is mostly Chapter Presidents, having the 50+ Presidents vote on Board candidates could be a first step towards fuller representation of the membership. We still need much better communication in the Club, and it has not improved this year.
.

Steve, having chapter presidents vote on certain things is something I recommended a few years ago at one of the first Presidents meetings, and on a thread here on the forum, and was received by the national officers with hostility. But I think it's the only logical first step to have 11,000 members represented by 60 instead of by 8 or 10.

So how do we do it???

[chicagohen]

Louie, I'll offer an overly simple idea that people may want to think about. The BOD is the "executive" branch and the chapter presidents would become the "congress" of sorts. I wouldn't expect the chapter pres to be involved in dictating regular club operations but would be consulted prior deciding on matters that have a large financial impact on the AMCA like buying the Torque Four, expenditures for museum involvement and the amount of club money and physical assets that were transferred to the Foundation.

Once again it seems like so many problems revolve around the judging which seems ridiculous as I've been recently told that it involves only about 1% of our membership. I have tremendous respect for Richard S. and I don't doubt that the current BOD has nothing but the best interests of the AMCA at heart. But I also have no doubt that there are other underlying problems that have been caused by recent past BOD decisions and short of open BOD elections, IMHO, there needs to be some oversight put in place.

[Spag]

[QUOTE=Steve Slocombe;113043]Dear All, I wasn't at the Board Meeting but heard first hand reports such as Red Fred's. I was at the Presidents' Meeting, and formed the impression that personal animosity between the Blackhawk Chapter President and the Club President was getting in the way of business.

Steve,
I don't know how you got the impression that there was personal animosity between me and the Chief Blackhawk Chapter President at the President's meeting or anywhere else. I certainly don't have any animosity towards him and never did. I believe Red Fred's and Lonnie's accounts of events at both meetings is accurate.

Richard Spagnolli

[Tommo]

Richard Spagnolli,

Thank-you for taking the time to reply to the incident at Davenport and your presence on this forum as the head of our club will be greatly appreciated.
In the past so many Board members have assumed that all club members are members of a Chapter but a very large number of us are not and this makes this forum a very important place to us.
It is the only place we have to find out what is going on in the club and yes because of lack of information some very wild and incorrect statements have been made.
Communication is the name of the game and if during your tenure as President you do nothing else, please try and get the lines of communication operating and please give the rank and file some notice in advance as to what is happening or about to happen.
I'm sure your presence on this forum would go a long way to opening these lines of communication.

Thank-you for hearing me out.
Yours faithfully, Peter Thomson

[Ohio-Rider]

Great post Tommo, Your suggestion would clearly help eliminate second and third hand stories from starting about what’s happening in the club, which quickly turn into gossip.

I still haven’t read an official reason given as to why the Blackhawk chapter decided they didn’t wish to be a national meet any more. Maybe it's none of my business, but I’m curious.

[Spag]

Steve,
The Board had no indication the Chief Blackhawk Chapter was contemplating going from a National Meet to a regional meet in 2012 until Rick Najera, National Meet Coordinator, received a letter from the CBC. The Davenport Meet was approved as a National Meet in 2012 by the Board in 2011. This is common practice for the Board to approve National Meets a year in advance.
In an effort to understand why the CBC made the change, we invited the Chapter President and his committee to the Board meeting in Davenport to ask why. The Board never received an answer because the CBC President wanted to record the session and the Board has never recorded a session in the past and advised the President that he would not be permitted to record the session. The CBC President and the Vice President were advised of the Board's decision by myself and Board Counsel, John Wendel, in the lobby of the Comfort Inn in Davenport. What happened next is described in the previous posts by Board members Red Fred and Lonnie. The Board still doesn't know why the CBC made its decision.
Richard Spagnolli

[Jerry Hatfield]

"....I have never met an honest lawyer...."

I have. His name is Herb Harris. Herb fronted the money for me to research and write "Flat Out! The Rollie Free Story." We worked together for seven years on a verbal contract. We finally decided to put everything in writing in case one of us ever rides his motorcycle too fast and departs the scene. A written contract explains things for our survivors. Of course, Herb and I are both Texans. Maybe this makes a handshake agreement more practical for us.

[Edd]

Here is somethink to think about for a simple solution to vote on the BOD.

Our "neighbors to the north", the CVMG sure has the election problem solved. They hold an annual general meeting each Oct or Nov to elect the executive committee.

Any member of the CVMG shall be entitled to Attend, Speak and Vote at the Annual General Meeting and any other General Meeting of the Group. ( what a great idea ! ! ! )

Looks like they even have (or will have) Teleconference facilities provided and made known to the membership. ( I like that part they let the members know)

I am sure there are some flaws as in any bylaws but they certainly have a great avenue to correct them by letting ALL the members have a say and ability to serve.

[chicagohen]

Red Fred,

I look forward to seeing the transparent financial statement of the AMCA's current gross and net worth. Thank you for mentioning that it will be forthcoming in short order.

[Pete Gagan]

As a past president of the AMCA, a director on the Foundation Board, and a member, I'd like to offer a few comments if I may. The club and its structure is not perfect. I agree, and always felt that there should be more membership input, but in reality there isn't that much interest by most members. It is difficult to get suitable volunteers, let alone anyone who wishes to campaign for any of these jobs. When I say "suitable", I think anyone can understand the need for a secretary to be able to read and write intelligently, a treasurer to be able to add and subtract as well as understand accounting and so forth. The president, as titular head, must have a good foundation in business practices, as running the AMCA is like being a CEO of a medium sized company without the financial rewards. The job also requires a great deal of diplomacy. Speaking of financial rewards, a couple of airplane tickets a year really doesn't cut it. When I was president, my additional travel costs amounted to approx. $5000.00 a year for six years, covered by myself. Our current president is in the same boat I was, and so are other board members. They and the system are not perfect, but think of their sacrifice before throwing too many rocks.
Your dues do not cover costs of the magazine and other services, because there are fewer volunteers than there used to be and services have to be paid for. The money has to come from somewhere. Vendor fees are currently under the gun. If that is withdrawn, it would be dues increases, scrapping judging, charging gate fees at swap meets, or something else unpopular. Its a catch 22.
Respectfully, Pete Gagan

[Edd]

but in reality there isn't that much interest by most members

I think you should start talking to more members. Everyone I have ever talked to want elections by the members UNLESS it was a board member. It does not matter if several do not vote that is their right.

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Ed, I'm less sure. We have about one third to a half of our Club belonging to Chapters, and the last membership survey showed a high proportion not participating in judging, and a smaller proportion not attending any National Meets. For many members, receiving the fine magazine four times a year is all they're looking for, so we have a silent majority perhaps satisfied with what we're doing now. But I'll keep asking members of ways we can improve our Club.

[bikerdds]

Steve, there is a way for the board to show they are interested in what members want and allow their direct participation in a way that is not Draconian or a direct challenge to how they have operated the club in the past. Open the board up to two at large members who submit resumes to the club and are published in the magazine. Allow the members to vote for them via ballots attached to the magazine. It would show good faith. The board might just be surprised and realize their antiquated way of doing things has room for us, the general membership instead of an elite group with no direct responsibility to the club as a whole. Just asking chapter presidents on the board is not the same. Many chapter presidents are not necessarily the best bet for the national board, and it puts more distance in the transparency process.
They should audio or video each board meeting. Publish this on the Forum along with financials. You would see a swift change of attitude by the members and stop this rift that has developed if there was a real attempt at transparency.
If the board continues the way things are now, there for sure will be more national meets becoming regional meets as the only way to get the national board to realize they have a dictatorship and it is time for it to end the current and past way business has been conducted. Ed Glasgow hit the nail on the head.