New Club Magazine is Out

[LouieMCman]

Very good idea! Sign me up for First Class. Pay for mine with the 22 years of interest on my dues!

Louie

[Paps]

I received good news on the roster today. I chatted with Pat Williams and he will get me one as soon as they are out, [about two weeks] I do have to send in the 7 bucks which I would have anyway, and had thought I did, but I am happy to even have the opportunity to get one. Thank you Pat ! For those of you who may not have ordered one, there is still a chance. Email Pat at the following email addy and request one.
[ pkwilliams@earthlink.net ]

On the note of postal delivery. I have had a problem here and there receiving my mag in the past but I always got one in the long run. Once the mag was months late and the organization mailed me another to replace it. About a week after I received the replacement mag, the first one they sent arrived. It arrived alright, but !!!, it was opened and the page corners were bent for marking. It was as if one of the postal workers took time out to read it before finally sending it along. First class mail won't stop stuff like this from happening. Paps

[RSmith]

Four days is better than four weeks

Good Morning Paps -

You are absolutely right. If a local Postal Worker wants to open your mail, read it, fondle it, etc, First Class delivery will not stop the crook.

BUT .... The Main Post Office in Chicago advised us, just yesterday, that First Class delivery, within the 48 States is 1 to 4 days from the "point of mailing." And if it is not promptly delivered, the package is "RETURNED TO SENDER." Yes, we all have our "mailing nightmare stories" but First Class brings far better service, day in and day out, than bulk mail.

Our current AMCA "BULK MAIL PERMIT" does NOT have the "RETURN TO SENDER" option. And we, who are STILL waiting for the Spring magazine, that was mailed back on February 15th, think FOUR day delivery is MUCH, MUCH better than 4 weeks and STILL no magazine within the Continental U.S. Heck, we live right in the center of the country!

And Sweden received their copies LAST Saturday!?

Especially, (like Vincent8 wrote), when the magazine is the MAIN benefit/reason for belonging to AMCA. Our organization has plenty of funds to make sure the members receive their Official Publication promptly. We have enough cash-on-hand to build our own $300,000, free standing , AMCA Library. ($300,000 in Cash -See page 68 of the Winter issue, of the AMCA magazine.)

Instead of having the magazines buried among other bulk (Junk) mail, which is delivered when possible - (i.e. - Clothing Catalogs, Drug Store Sales Fliers, Free Newspaper sections, Local Weekend Auto Sale Ads, etc.), our board should see that they are sent First Class.

[KNUCK]

I think you have made a very good point. Those in a position with the power should look into this. I will predict that next quarter we will have this same conversation over again, just like we did last quarter. I would like to know the cost difference if someone has any experience in this area. Maybe with over 10,000 copies it isn't worth the price to go First class.

[Paps]

I think you make a great point RSmith. I wonder why media rate would not work efficiently ? It is relatively inexpensive or is media rate the bulk rate we are already receiving ? On another mailing note.... Yes, we all have our shipping horror stories and I have another. U.S. mail isn't always inefficient in relation to other nation mailing services. I once mailed a blueprint to a friend in France via USPS. Postage was over 20 bucks. I was able to track the package to Paris but no further. After 6 months of my friend not receiving the blueprint, I decided to mail him another. This time I sent it via UPS. Cost was well over 40$ but he received the blueprint within a week. A few weeks later he received the first one I sent him. Paps

[RSmith]

Thanks Louie, Knuck, Paps & Vincent8

Thanks Louie, Knuck, Paps and Vincent8 -

The Postal Service agreed with and told us First Class mailing would answer the slow/non delivery problems.

But I have another question for you "veterans."

I have only been an AMCA member for a few years. With all the discussion about the mailing, I decided to contact my "elected" representative to give him/her my opinion.

I thought if he/she didn't agree we could find a representative who would run for office .... with First Class mailing, for the paying members, in their election "platform."

Then I realized something .... I have NEVER been asked to VOTE for my local AMCA representative, President, Vice President or anything? Never

When are/were the AMCA general elections? Have I missed them in the past four years? With 10,000+ AMCA members and $500,000 in non-profit membership dollars coming in each year, (See - Financial Statement - Winter 2005 issue - Page 78), an AMCA officer position is VERY important and responsible.

Did I miss the elections?

[Smarty]

Re: Neither one in Michigan yet!

Originally posted by RSmith
Wednesday, March 8, 2006 @ 9:30 AM - Southern, Michigan

U.S.P.S. Postman just made his Wednesday delivery here ....
still NO AMCA magazine, or Roster yet ... NOTHING!

But 9,000 miles away, in EUROPE and NEW ZEALAND,
AMCA Magazines were delivered NINE DAYS AGO???

This is lousy service.

Ah yes perhaps, but Non-US/Canada/Mexico members (i.e. international members) pay an extra $2.50 per magazine for the priviledge of receiving their magazines promptly.

Perhaps US members who need their magazines delivered quickly (i.e. to read the classifieds at the back) or who can't access the precis of the magazine on the AMCA website, could request the option of paying $40 per year to get prompt delivery.

Regards,

Martin

[RSmith]

Easy to figure

Saturday, March 11, 2006 - Still No magazine in Michigan. It will be FOUR weeks, next Wednesday, since they were mailed out.

If we ever get our magazine, it will be easy to see how much more to have it sent First Class. We can take the envelope and magazine to the Post Office and have them give us the price per piece to upgrade to First Class .... but we NEED a magazine to do that!

Say Martin ... did the overseas members, like you, get a chance to vote for the AMCA officers/representatives in the last election? The 4 members who sent us emails last night, wrote that in the last 10 years, they have NEVER been allowed to vote, for any AMCA officers??? Can that be true?

I thought we had just missed the opportunity. And if we are going to ask the board to address the mailing problems, it would be nice to know who our elected district representatives are.

[Smarty]

No haven't received any voting slips or any notification of an AGM, unlike the VMCC which I also belong to, which takes great pains to consult the entire membership over all constitutional matters.

Was beginning to wonder how officers were proposed and elected.

Unfortunately over here in Europe we seem to be remote from the AMCA politics, although hopefully that will improve now Steve Slocombe our Chapter President has been "elected" onto the board.

Reading the minutes of the Annual Meeting in the Winter 2005 edition of the magazine (item 17 on page 71) it would appear the officers are only nominated and voted in by the attendees at the annual meeting, not the overall membership. I'm not too bothered with all the politics of the organisation, but it does seem unfair not to consult the entire membership on the running of the organisation.

Regards,

Martin

[RSmith]

Thanks Martin

Thanks for the clarification Martin.

We had not seen the information you mentioned on page 71, of the Winter issue of the magazine. But there it is - "Officers are elected each year" it says.

We also noticed that there were 15 Board members at the meeting, (3rd paragraph page 68), and in all four officer elections, held at that meeting, the candidates were voted in unanimously 15 for - 0 against? Not ONE desenting vote in four elections .....

So the 15 board members present, are the folks who nominate and who VOTE, moments later, on who will be the AMCA officers for the next year? They pick the candidates that they want and ... at least at that meeting ... each one ran unopposed??

With 10,000 dues paying members around the world, this is how our officers are elected? At a closed board meeting ......

No wonder we never received candidate information, or a ballot in the past four years.

We had no idea.

[Smarty]

This method of electing officers probably dates back to when the AMCA was a small fledgling organisation and the membership and the board of directors were THE same people.

Like I said I'm not too concerned about AMCA politics, its just a hobby for me, but its perhaps something that needs to be raised as a seperate topic on the forum, rather than hiding it in theis magazine thread.

Regards,

Martin

[RSmith]

Thanks Marty

Thanks Marty. I'm sure you are right.

They have probably been doing business like this for 50+ years, (The club was founded in 1954).

The "inner circle" meets behind closed doors, nominates who they want to be with them on the board and then votes in the very officer they just nominated .... and then spends the half a million dollars a year in income, the way they want to .... (for Libraries, etc.)

Just get the magazine to the paying members promptly. That's all we ask.

But it IS amazing, what we found out about the "inner workings" of the AMCA in the past two days .... all because the magazine was LATE again! We had no idea .....

[knossos99]

magazines yet?

A friend who lives 10 minutes away (north California) got his new magazine on May 24th, 2006. I'm still waiting...

When will the club use some of our $30 dues to buy some First Class Mail stamps? boy that question is getting old....

Pete

And/Or, why don't we post the classifieds on this forum the day the mag is mailed?

Originally posted by RSmith March 9th 2006
Thanks to AMCA members in Europe, New Zealand and Australia, members here in the states are well aware of the problems with the AMCA magazine delivery. Bullk Mailing just is not working with the overworked/overcrowded postal system here in the continental U.S.

Perhaps our National Board will now take this problem "head on" and upgrade the membership mailing to "First Class" for those in the U.S. After speaking with various board members, over the years, they agree that the magazine may be the only tangible benefit most AMCA members ever experience and it should be delivered promptly.

There are around 10,000 AMCA members. How many thousands of us, have ever actually entered our bikes in judged events? 2,000? 4,000? 6,000? The board members told us at Mid Ohio last year that , "Only a handful of our members EVER actually participate in judged AMCA competitions." But ALL of us pay for, and should receive on time, the organizations magazine. That's why many of us joined in the first place.

The AMCA has plenty of funds, from years of our membership dues coming in ... for a First Class mailing upgrade. Giving something back to the membership, when the group has been so successful with finances, would be appreciated.

As an example, on page 68 of the AMCA's Winter issue of the magazine, the "Board Minutes" describes, how the AMCA board has decided to set $300,000 aside for an "AMCA Library" that will be set up somewhere in the U.S. $300,000 in cash, set aside.

There is a problem with the memberships magazine delivery and there are plenty of funds to cure the problem, once and for all.

Today is Thursday, March 9th and still no magazine in Michigan, or Texas .... but 9,000 miles away the Aussies, and AMCA members in Eastern Europe, received their copies a week ago?

At 2:00 pm today, I called the U.S.P.S. Main Hub Office, in Chicago and was told, by David Tillford, that First Class mail is generally delivered from "one to four days" after being sent across the country, or it is returned. Wouldn't that be nice ....

[Baytown]

Postage concerns

One thing I am really aware of after this, and one or two other posts concerning the AMCA policies and procedures in general, is the lack of comment on the issue from the relevant board members. I would have thought the web site would have been a well-visited asset for the board members to get a real time feel for issues etc.
I know Pete offers comments and information, but surprises me that no one in authority has piped up with advice on the reasoning behind the current postal procedures re this thread. I'm not saying the AMCA is at fault in any way as I love my magazine subscription (not the packaging though). I’m just surprised by the lack of formal response to everyone’s concerns on this topic (with 1215 views at 27 May 06).

Best wishes from Oz everyone.

Ken.

[RSmith]

Open meetings and membership voting

One of the three modern Economics textbooks, currently used in many classrooms, that has an in depth study of Non-Profit organizations, (similar to AMCA), and their growth, is - "Managing a Nonprofit Organization in the Twenty-First Century."

The expert/author, T. Wolf, has an interesting view and he says this about the growth, from inception to maturity of non-profits, and how the membership should be involved -

"Most non-profit organizations begin with great expectations and excitement, by a handful of visionaries, interested in the same thing, who work together with open communication among all. Occasionally, as time goes on, and as the group grows by leaps and bounds, the membership is completely left out of decision making, especially when it comes to future decisions, or day-to-day organizational management. It is as if Board members in these groups suddenly are the only ones who have the "correct" vision for the non-profit groups future growth. "

"This lack of general membership input is an error that must be addressed and corrected because non-profits are organizations which sit in between the profit and public sectors."

"Modern non-profits require a different type of management style which include full membership input. Sooner or later, the "closed boardroom" theory of organization leadership, can cause irrepairable damage to the group itself."