Keeping the membership informed

[Paps]

Getting Angrier By The Minute

All we have presently is allegations and partial paranoia. Though factually, we have neal to none, of any real evidence, in order to summize a concrete accusation. Yet ?????? The lack of communication, from controling members, is actually fueling, such assumptions. IMO... It would be very poor judgement, [basic stupidity], to commit to financial support, by devising a way, in order to aquire a certain amount of funding, for a venture, where future funding, could end, as quickly as it came in the first place. I demand !!!!!!!!! Yes !!!!! I demand an immeadiate explaination as to why the financial supporting membership are being shut out !!! There is absolutely no excuse for non existant dialog from the top ! The lack of such dialog has already rooted distrust ! That distrust has grown a trunk !! Will you allow the trunk to grow branches, before you spell it all out to the financial supporting membership ??????? !!! Paps

[pete reeves]

Please be patient and wait until the full facts and details are made available, before forming opinions on what is happening to our club.
Forming conclusions and making accusations on this site based on rumour, and un substantiated information is not in the best interest of our club.
Members of the board must by now know what is being discussed on this forum and are hopefully working on an announcement.
This club web site has over 4000 members and must be an ideal medium to post information.
I finally received my magazine today I will not see the next issue with any announcement for a further 3 months.THIS IS TO LONG

For the sake of the club please keep your postings civil.

Pete.

[flthead]

responce needed!!

Peter Gagan
President
14332 Magdalen Ave., White Rock, BC, Canada V4B 2X2
Phone: 604 536-4377
E-mail: petegagan@antiquemotorcycle.org

Rocky Halter
Vice President
11968 Lincoln Way West, Massillon, OH 44647
Phone: 330 833-9213
E-mail: RHa4280280@aol.com


Trudi Johnson-Richards
National Secretary
3295 Victoria Street, Shoreview, MN 55126
Phone: 651 482-0096,
E-mail: trudijr@visi.com

Dennis Craig
Treasurer
P.O. Box 35, Highland Lakes, NJ 07422
Phone: 973 764-3904
E-mail: dencraig@warwick.net

Steve Blancard
Director/Technical Editor
311 Twin Lakes Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Phone: 540 368-1669
E-mail: splitdorf@cox.net

Rick Najera
National Meet Co-ordinator
370 San Leandro Way
San Francisco, CA 94127
Phone: 415-469-8359
E-mail: loride17@aol.com

Raymond Dhue
Director
P.O. Box 93430
Lakeland, FL 33804
Phone: (863) 682-5855
E-mail: raymondd@tampabay.rr.com

Scott Hall
Director of Chapters
1221 E. Murdock Street
Wichita, KS 67214
Phone: 316 945-4255
E-mail: hallindsvc@aol.com

Pat Williams
Merchandise Manager

13501 Ranch Road 12, Suite 103-127
Wimberley, TX 78676
Phone: 909-260-2026
pkwilliams@earthlink.net


James Moore
Director Public Affairs
P.O. Box 469, Placerville, CA 95667
Phone: 530 622-6531
E-mail: jandmmoore@jps.net

Kevin Valentine
Chief Judge
30 Wildwood Terrace, Ringwood, NJ 07456
Phone: 973 835-2566
E-mail: amcajudge@optonline.net

Del Schumacher
Director
4228 W. Kimberly Rd
Davenport, Iowa 52806
Phone: (563) 323-8643
E-mail: Blackhawkdav@aol.com
Steve Slocombe
Director
P.O. Box 594
Folkestone, England CT19 6YZ
Phone: +44.1303.256266
E-mail: vlheaven@aol.com
Richard Spagnolli
11069 Guffey Rillton Rd.
N. Huntingdon, PA 15642
Phone: 724 861-4681
rspagnolli@aol.com


Red Fred Johansen
69 Pinehurst Way
San Francisco, CA 94127
Phone: 415 334-2336
redfred47@msn.com


David Lloyd
Advertising Manager
6195 Tranquil Drive
Olive Branch, MS 38654
Phone: 901-277-7710
davidlloyd44@comcast.net


Marilyn Hostetler
Membership Manager
P.O. Box 400
Mound, MN 55364-0400
Phone: 952-472-2622
E-mail: amca400@mac.com
Bruce Linsday
Club Archivist
17421 Chagrin River Road
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
Phone: (440) 247-4020
Fax: (440) 247-9950
Matt Olsen
Youth Coordinator
38518 142nd Street
Aberdeen, SD 57401
Phone: (605) 225-5702
E-mail: carlcycle@nrctv.com

Robin Markey
Assistant Chief Judge
450 Shuler Road
Etters, PA 17319
Phone: (717) 938-4753
E-mail: IndianRobn@aol.com

[Carl Olsen]

See my reply in the Our Club's Direction forum, the same offer applies to this post. You now have a chance to get your money back for your dues or enjoy the benifits of your $30 annual investment. Send me your membership # and I will give it to someone who can appreciate it.
Carl

[Lyle Manheimer]

Pete, I for one have not formulated an opinion I try to maintain an open mind. The directors are making it hard for me to keep an open mind though. What I am seeing from a great number of these posts, is the call for change. The change being the way the board is elected. What do you think?

[Pete Gagan]

Hi All:
Due to computer problems I have been off the screen for a while. Hopefully the following will help clear the air.
Someone asked about the lawyer's costs. We have never had any protection of copyrights on our magazine, the club's name, or any of its logos, all of which we have now. Believe me, he has earned his keep. Litigation we don't have, but its good insurance to keep it that way.
Pete Gagan

Corporate Changes in the AMCA

Dear fellow members:
As some of you may have heard by now, the AMCA has a new president in the person of Rocky Halter, a very popular guy who really gets around. He will do the club proud, I am sure.
My dropping out at mid term is a bit unusual, but so are the circumstances. It’s all as a result of corporate changes.
Several years ago, the AMCA was re-organized as a 503(C) 3 Charitable foundation so we could give out grants to deserving members and organizations. A “grants committee” was set up including the officers of the AMCA.We have been told by the IRS that this is not permissible, and shouldn’t have been allowed because we provide opportunities for our membership to profit at our swap meets. They suggested setting up a separate Foundation as a 503 c 3 Foundation, and changing the club back to a 503 C (7) (not for profit) corporation. When the IRS makes such suggestions, it’s not a bad idea to listen.
The two entities are now the Antique Motorcycle Club of America Inc., (your club) and the AMCA Foundation Inc. They should end up with little or no overlap of officers and directors, according to the tax guys, although in spirit we are one in the same. To this end, Rocky Halter has resigned as the vice president of the Foundation, and I have resigned as president of the Club to head up the Foundation. The other officers and organizational board members will be making similar choices soon. Dennis Craig will end up staying on the Foundation, while the other original Foundation board members will eventually go back to the Club. New members have been chosen for the Foundation, including Don Miller, Ed Youngblood, Jerry and Ted Doering, Dick and Wanda Winger, and Jay Leno, all well known AMCA members in good standing.
The Foundation’s responsibilities have a new direction other than the old grants committee. We have entered into a relationship with the Antique Automobile Club of America’s Museum in Hershey PA. We have a 20 year lease on approximately 3200 sq.ft. of prime space within the museum which currently attracts 49000 visitors per year. We also share in revenue and expenses based upon our share of space. Our Museum will be a true “museum within a museum” and the AMCA will have its own separate identity. The museum is almost in the black now, and it is felt by both parties that the addition of the motorcycles will kick it into the black. We also have an 18 month “trial period” after which we either opt in or out, depending on how it all goes. I see no problems.
A new manager will be hired to oversee our activities within the museum, help out with club related affairs, and to raise funds for the museum’s operations. It is anticipated that the manager will more than pay his or her way.
The Foundation is intended to raise its own funds via such things as bike raffles, private and corporate donations, etc., mainly to fund the museum project. It is intended to be an asset to the club, not a liability in any way
As for me, I will still be very much around, and will continue to see all my many AMCA friends.

Cheers,
Pete Gagan.

[Ohio-Rider]

Thank You for the information Pete. That is quite a bit of food for though. -Steve

[darrylri]

As it appears that the club has given the foundation a significant amount of money to get it going, does the club have any rights to name directors to the foundation's board? Other than splitting it off and wishing it well, is the foundation linked at all to the club?

[dcraig]

chill out

As both current National treasurer and Foundation treasurer I can assure you that nothing dubious is going on here. The process of setting up this new arrangement has taken a long time and has required extensive legal advise, and is close to being done but there is still a ways to go. In any event, the changes were something that were required by our friends at the IRS to keep us happily humming along as we have for years. The membership will experience no changes in either the quality our availability of club services including the magazine, the meets, the website or the roadruns. All will continue seamlessly. We had no choice exept to abandon our successful grants program all together. The new Foundation will be self sufficient and not be supported in any way by membership dues. It is on it's own. My sincere hope is that our members will support it voluntarily once the full story has been told about it's purpose.
My appologies to all of you who may feel left out of the loop but the time has not yet come for the full explanation, and less than that would only confuse things more. When it does, and that will be soon, it will be presented to you all in a clear and straightforward way. I hope this short explanation suffices for now until we can provide all the details at the appropriate time. FYI, our plans include that explanation to be provided in the next magazine. Please be patient, what's best for all of us is formost on our minds.
Dennis Craig, Treasurer, AMCA, Inc.

[Hrdly-Dangrs]

CHILL OUT?? Geez Dennis.

Hrdly

[Paps]

The exact responce I expected . AND !!!!!!!!!!! Well spoken !! Thank you !!!!!!!!!!! Paps

[pete reeves]

On the home page of this our AMCA web site it states that this forum is for members to ask questions, That is what I believe is happening here.

This section of the AMCA Forum is called Parking Lot Chatter. It is an ideal place to discuss concerns about the club. I was at the Eustis meet, and believe me there was lots of discussion and ill feeling going on, all based on rumours and misinformation caused by what little information had leaked out from the board meeting.

I do not think allowing this to fester over the next 3 months until the next magazine comes out is in the best interest of any of us or the club.

I am trying to keep an open mind about this and wait until all the facts are known before I form any opinion. I am positive that the board is doing what it thinks is best for the club. I have stated previously we all need to remember how much time and effort board members put in for our club. I would not want to spend any time at a board meeting when I could be walking around the field at one of our meets.

The board if it wished has many means at its disposal to inform the membership about what is happening or what its plans.

They could post letters to each member. Some might say this is expensive but it would be a small sum when compared to the amounts the board is proposing to commit to there plans.

It could send an Email to all those members who have given there email addresses to the club when renewing there membership.

The club Web Guy could email all members of this Board.

It could post an announcement on this board.

All these means of communication are open to the board so why not use one of them

It could be argued that it has not been necessary to make an announcement to the membership like this before; The circumstances in this case are unique and the board should at least consider letting us know sooner rather than later.

Pete and Dennis.

Thank you very much for your response to the questions on this board.

Carl.
I am sorry that you feel discussing concerns about our club is in some way a betrayal and is disloyal,I am sorry Matt got caught up in the cross fire after your remarks . In my view the board did the right thing when they appointed Matt.
But I have the right to ask questions and discuss AMCA maters and I have the right to voice my concerns.

Rocky .Sorry you don’t like this web site but there are 4294 members registered on it this I think you will find is a fairly large percentage of our club membership.

To The Board.
If its not to late
On such monumental issues for our club could the board not consult the membership and put forward the case for change then make there decision based on what the majority of the membership want

Pete.

[exeric]

Right on Peter Reeves. You said it all, and now it is time for those who know the facts to make a full disclosure.

[TCB]

As both current National treasurer and Foundation treasurer I can assure you that nothing dubious is going on here. The process of setting up this new arrangement has taken a long time and has required extensive legal advise, and is close to being done but there is still a ways to go. In any event, the changes were something that were required by our friends at the IRS to keep us happily humming along as we have for years. The membership will experience no changes in either the quality our availability of club services including the magazine, the meets, the website or the roadruns. All will continue seamlessly. We had no choice exept to abandon our successful grants program all together. The new Foundation will be self sufficient and not be supported in any way by membership dues. It is on it's own. My sincere hope is that our members will support it voluntarily once the full story has been told about it's purpose.
My appologies to all of you who may feel left out of the loop but the time has not yet come for the full explanation, and less than that would only confuse things more. When it does, and that will be soon, it will be presented to you all in a clear and straightforward way. I hope this short explanation suffices for now until we can provide all the details at the appropriate time. FYI, our plans include that explanation to be provided in the next magazine. Please be patient, what's best for all of us is formost on our minds.
Dennis Craig, Treasurer, AMCA, Inc.

Dennis,
Isn't being Treasurer of both the National AMCA AND the "Foundation" a conflict of interest?? How can you say the Foundation will not be funded by the members when it has taken half the AMCA bank account which IS a fund from the members??
One last point being that it was my understanding from what I've heard that the AMCA board was to have one more meeting with the AACA about the museum and have a final vote before the plan was finalized yet Pete Gagan talks as if it is a done deal. Doesn't this deal leave the membership side holding the bag for all bills??

TCB

[Pete Gagan]

Reading this continual saga convinces me that further clarification is needed.
Why do we now have two Corporations? The IRS made the suggestion.
Why did we split the treasury between the two? The IRS made the suggestion. This based upon the fact that some of these funds were accumulated by the not exactly legal former charitable corporation. That’s been passed to the new charitable foundation.
Why did we use the same officers initially in the foundation? It was the simplest and least complicated thing to do.
Why are we aiming towards a separate board entirely? The IRS made the suggestion.
Is the IRS happy with this new arrangement? Yes.
Does either corporation have to pay taxes? No.
Are our Chapters protected by our insurance and able to share the same tax advantages now that we have brought them legally under our umbrella? Yes.
Are all our logos and copyrights now protected? Yes.
Do we have litigation? Not really, but we have been threatened recently due to slanderous statements put on the website by a member hiding behind a pseudonym. Rocky has a point regarding the site.
Do we need a part time lawyer on call? Can you imagine a bunch of motorcycle guys trying to do the above on their own? Yes.
Is the AACA arrangement a done deal? No. As I said before, there is an 18 month trial period, during which we (the club) can decide whether we like it. I believe we will.
It is not just a museum, (which the IRS love, by the way) but a permanent address, which we’ve never had, a corporate headquarters, a place to keep and organize our archives, run the on line library and merchandise sales, and an excellent venue for events. Hershey is not in everyone’s back yard, certainly not mine at 3000 miles, but is smack in the middle of our largest concentration of membership, so it can’t be much better.
Believe me, this was a hell of a lot of work. It is legally two corporations, but still fundamentally one club. That is the key!
Your comments are being followed. Due to remarks made on here by Barry Brown and others, our very well known new foundation board member has decided to opt out, because he simply does not need the aggravation in his already very busy life. That is very unfortunate, as his involvement would have done us proud. I certainly don’t blame him, and am sorely tempted to follow his lead and bail out also.
I realize we don’t have open elections, which is not ideal, although the system has worked well for 54 years. Don’t forget, any of you are eligible for these glamorous jobs. All that’s required apart from the ability to actually do it, is a desire to spend a bunch of your own money, and work your behind off for free. Yes we do get some limited expense money, including the odd airplane ticket, but “limited” is a key word here. In my own case, my un-recovered expenses to attend AMCA related affairs have averaged between 8 and 10 thousand per year for the last six years. I don’t regret a nickel, as I’ve enjoyed almost every minute.
This is my last political statement. I am more than happy to discuss motorcycles any time, which is the original purpose of this site. If you wish to discuss politics, talk to our new president, or a board member directly.
Sincerely,
Pete Gagan, former club president, and friend of the AMCA