AMCA field games obituary

[micmac]

Like has been stated, I’ve had a good run. Let the lawyers, insurance companies, and younguns have it. I had a blast in my shop yesterday just puttering around on stuff and listening to hippie music, had a nice ceegar to boot. Nice and toasty inside. No waivers to sign.

[BNSONS]

Might be lack of participation in the Field Meet versus
Ins. Cost. This thread was started yesterday morning and only 12 people voiced their opinions.

[surfdude]

We finally got a few people to volunteer to bring back and run the field games at our meet after several years hiatus. One incident and game over? Thought we wanted to draw more attendees/general public to the meets with fun things to see since they generally don’t need to shop for panhead parts. There’s risk in getting out of bed every day - total risk elimination makes for a dull existence.

Doc - did you sign the waiver before starting this post??

[RichO]

Ken, You must mean the NEW waiver. I hadn't even seen it when I wrote the start of this thread but since you mentioned it. The OLD waiver protected the National, the Chapter, and all board and chapter officers. If you want to participate in a road run, meet, etc. the new waiver states that you can't hold a fellow member responsible if they happen to have a snoot full and ran you down with their wonky Henderson. Th National, Chapter, and board and chapter officers are still protected like the old waiver BUT NOT YOU any more. We need to bring back the old waiver. About the field meet. Everything was fine until a suit asked the wrong question of the wrong OTHER suit. Rich

[JoJo357]

Lots of additional talk about Waivers. Although, almost everyone knows that a 1/2 ass qualified lawyer will try and bring any issue to suit, i can only go by my personal experience with matters pertaining to this. In all the years racing motorcycles, not once have i heard of anyone suing the event promoters or fairgrounds when a simple waiver is utilized, even with sanctioned AMA or outlaw events. This includes neglect on behalf of the parties throwing the show, with injures ranging from a slight sprain to demise. Take the Wauseon AMCA National for an example, there have been plenty of injuries, and one fatality involved, but it is still running. Not to downplay the field games with a minor injury, but it ain't nowhere near like racing a motorcycle on a 1/2 mile.
Boy oh boy, this won't sit well with Brittney & Matt Olsen. They've been donating their efforts for the Wauseon Field games for awhile now, and always try to get the youngsters involved also.

*M.A.D.*

[RichO]

Instead of waivers or insurance exclusions why not let common sense prevail and just put up a big sign at the entrance that says, " ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!' Just like I do every morning when I get up.

[KNUCK]

Sometimes smaller is better, that is what happens when you grow so big, then this is what you have to do to protect yourself from the lawyers. I belong to a small local motorcycle club and when we gather for a meeting or go for a ride we just say were going to meet and do this or that. No president no secretary nothing on the computer who you going to sue? Nobody.

[Architect]

I attended vintage MC field drag racing in PA in the Fall on grass. About 1/16 of a mile. Signed a piece of paper saying I had insurance and would not hold them liable for any injury/damage.

And away we went at speed over wet grass. No one got hurt or sued and everyone had a great time.

Is it that hard?!?!?!?!??!

[BillyBalcer]

Due to the AMCA corporate managements infinite wisdom National and local chapter events can no longer have field games due to insurance liability. I hope they don't turn over another rock and find something to order another proclamation to protect us from ourselves. As one younger member stated, " The National wants to shake the image of the AMCA being a bunch of old stuffy dudes clutching their pearls this would not be the way". So put your old wood planks, bicycle tires, tennis balls, clothes pins, straws and bottles, unused hot dogs, and orange cones out at your next garage sale. donate them to the Goodwill, or list them on Ebay as AMCA artifacts. Next up National or local road runs will have AMCA technical inspectors looking for out of date tires,oil retention devices, and AMCA mandated safety devices to protect to protect you and those around you. AMCA medical staff will have a "Blue Tent" to evaluate senior riders to make sure their "use by date code" hasn't expired. And you younger members riding those modified "choppers" better lookout for AMCA equipment non compliance. Sorry for the rant but I should have seen this coming in my crystal ball. "Happy motoring", Rich AMCA #47

I never post here and almost never even log into this forum. Someone told me there was a little chat here so I wanted to see what people are saying. Maybe even give my 3 cents for people to chew on. When I got this email it sure was upsetting, I am a 6 year president of a chapter that also is involved in a national meet. Lets start by saying how the national says how good our insurance always was... guess that was a lie. I emailed over a week ago asking for the policy to review as it is a national document and should be available to all members to read. it is not listed in the documents on the site. They do however have the financial report. If you add the 4 lines that consist of board and director travel and food expenses for 2022 it adds up to $61,617.96. The insurance policy for 2022 for all the AMCA is $22,801.55. The income they get from the chapters hard work of putting on a national meet in 2022 was $46,080.00... VERY interesting numbers. there were 13 national meets in 2022 I don't know what other meets have to give and those numbers are not public on the national site. $46,080.00 -$15,400.00 that Wauseon gave in 2022 =$30,680.
$30,680 / the 12 remaining national meets $2,556.67 is the average of what each other national meet gives to equal their income. When I look at this simple math I get upset how all our volunteers work so hard to put on a great meet. Yet our insurance is apparently a joke by this email. The board spends over 3x our insurance cost to attend meets that is to some regards pointless. If you read the letter the letter they said it could also just apply to bikes at the meet, golf carts, or bicycles... What's next? No motorcycles at the motorcycle meet? Or Fix the club they are messing up. I met some of the best friends in my life through this club and I don't take lightly to seeing it destroyed by people that are not real motorcycle people. I know my chapter never got a vote or say so in any of this and I am sure its the same with everyone else. Maybe the board directors who get to vote on this stuff should be all the chapter presidents. Not appointed people to agree with everything. No pay, No travel, No food expense. Just a say in right or wrong.

Billy Balcer AMCA #4040
Lake Erie Chapter President.

[RichO]

This is a quote from a friend of mine who is a long time AMCA member but who doesn't post here on the forum, " What I want to know is why a zoom meeting is good enough for our Doctors, Goverment officals, and the rest of the world but them guys are so important that they have to be there in person. Even the courts use zoom meetings." From me, another member told me a National board member told him that the Chapters were not supposed to make any money it was to support the National organization. OK?

[BillyBalcer]

This is a quote from a friend of mine who is a long time AMCA member but who doesn't post here on the forum, " What I want to know is why a zoom meeting is good enough for our Doctors, Goverment officals, and the rest of the world but them guys are so important that they have to be there in person. Even the courts use zoom meetings." From me, another member told me a National board member told him that the Chapters were not supposed to make any money it was to support the National organization. OK?

The board member that said that should NOT be in a position of leadership for the club. It cost money to put on a meet. Quick average expense list of a national meet typically include ... Property rental, Trash pick up, Portable Toilets Rental, Bathroom cleaning, Security, A banquet and judging awards the national meets are required to supply, and in most cases golf carts, sound system, Vendor appreciation cook out and programs. to list just a few. There has to be some form of profit for the chapters doing it or there would be no continuation of a meet year after year. Not to mention most of these services or rentals don't typically get cheaper each year.

Billy Balcer AMCA #4040
Lake Erie Chapter President

[duffeycycles]

profit is always after expenses.I was in corporate zoom meetings 40 years ago to save company money.I think more of the money "made" by chapters should be used to help the vendors have clean accessible toilets & more showers.That was & is my stance as a Blackhawk.

[JoJo357]

The board member that said that should NOT be in a position of leadership for the club. It cost money to put on a meet. Quick average expense list of a national meet typically include ... Property rental, Trash pick up, Portable Toilets Rental, Bathroom cleaning, Security, A banquet and judging awards the national meets are required to supply, and in most cases golf carts, sound system, Vendor appreciation cook out and programs. to list just a few. There has to be some form of profit for the chapters doing it or there would be no continuation of a meet year after year. Not to mention most of these services or rentals don't typically get cheaper each year.

Billy Balcer AMCA #4040
Lake Erie Chapter President

Don't forget a Bug spraying cost. You'd be eaten alive at Wauseon if they ditched that service. I found out the hard way, many moons ago when I camped~out there for a non~event weekend.

*M.A.D.*

[Steve Swan]

Due to the AMCA corporate managements infinite wisdom National and local chapter events can no longer have field games due to insurance liability. I hope they don't turn over another rock and find something to order another proclamation to protect us from ourselves. As one younger member stated, " The National wants to shake the image of the AMCA being a bunch of old stuffy dudes clutching their pearls this would not be the way". So put your old wood planks, bicycle tires, tennis balls, clothes pins, straws and bottles, unused hot dogs, and orange cones out at your next garage sale. donate them to the Goodwill, or list them on Ebay as AMCA artifacts. Next up National or local road runs will have AMCA technical inspectors looking for out of date tires,oil retention devices, and AMCA mandated safety devices to protect to protect you and those around you. AMCA medical staff will have a "Blue Tent" to evaluate senior riders to make sure their "use by date code" hasn't expired. And you younger members riding those modified "choppers" better lookout for AMCA equipment non compliance. Sorry for the rant but I should have seen this coming in my crystal ball. "Happy motoring", Rich AMCA #47

Next the club will be going public on the NYSE...

[ChiefTwoKicks]

This sounds to me like this is from the NewWorldOrder playbook... "You will have nothing, and learn to like it".
So many things we have enjoyed for years are being removed, and are being replaced with bullshxx New World Order guidelines meant to placate the snowflake society we now live in.

Maybe we' should all go hide under the bed !! But, you won't be safe there either... without a permit, and authorization. Everybody should be afraid of their own shadow. We are all being given a new set of rules... there's a big storm coming... and it has nothing to do with the weather.

C2K