New AMCA Board Please introduce yourselves

[Edd]

Over the last couple years we have seen new Board Members appointed but most members know nothing about you.
During the last couple months several items have come to light that the Board must address promptly to make our club function better.
This would be an excellent time for you to introduce yourselves and post your reply and let the membership know who you are and what you stand for on this web site thread. Hopefully you would answer the following questions that would be asked if you were interviewing for this position if you were to be elected by the membership.

1. What is your work experience? How long? What supervisory experience?
2. How did you get involved with antique motorcycles?
3. Do you do your own restoration work? What are your specialities?
4. Other than the AMCA what club(s) do or have you belonged? Do you still belong?
5. What chapter of the AMCA do you belong?
6. Have you belonged to any other chapters? Do you still belong?
7. What have you done to improve these chapters ?
8. Do you or have you held an office in any chapter?
9. Are you for or against open board meetings? Why?
10. Are you for or against the membership voting for board members? Why?
11. Are you for or against membership access to a complete financial report of the AMCA and the AMCA Foundation. Why?
12. What are your plans to improve our club?

[redfred84]

BOD member profile

Hi Ed,
I can't speak for the rest of the BOD members here, but will gladly give you my boring profile (you asked for it!). Bear in mind that on all the BOD members view the Forum, and it, like all other Forums, tends to get crossed messages to different folks. So the Forum will never really be a good outlet or conduit for everyone. Just as Robin spoke of the Judging Committee, it did much better in the short time that it was manufested in person, than all the months it discussed on line, and we were all for the same cause. Take this Forum now for example; currently there are a few witch hunts, axes to grind, and lots of personal miss-conceptions floating around. Rocky fired off a BOD meeting report to each & every Chapter President after the Florida Meeting, it contained all the biz tended to, and the changes in Judging. If someone feels that they aren't informed, ask your local Chapter Prez. As for changes in judging being implemented, un-announced, at Florida; the changes applied to competition bikes, of which a review of the pre-registrants was conducted, and there were none. This is how it is being handled (at least to the best of my knowledge) on those effected by any rule changes. Entrants will be contacted if their machine is effected. Last minute roll ons will be informed of any changes also. More on this stuff later, as I'm getting off your topic here.
#1 Work experience; I take it how we make a living? I'm a Union, inside-wireman; an electrician. 32 years in the trade, most of which at a Foreman level. Currently un-employed for the first time in my career, and it don't look good in the future! I have been an officer of the SFMC, founded in 1904, for over 10 years, encluding the office of Prez. I have organized many vintage vehicles for various functions, including the re-enacting of the Hap Jones Indian motorcycle being the first to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. We led the parade, all on Indians, for the 50th anniversary of this epic event.
#2 I snuck my 1st bike home (my '47 Chief) despite my parents being against MCs. I loved all vintage machinery, and MCs were the most passionate means of getting in touch with the road. Eventually, the bike got me kicked out of the house.
#3 Yes, I do my own work still. At first I had to do EVERYTHING! Paint, flywheel balancing, frame repair, wheel lacing, you name it. Now, I'm older, wiser, and there are far better craftsman than I on a lot of these facets. So I farm out a lot, and act as a general contractor mostly. I love the assembly, and I tend to pump out a bike & half a year on average (of my own anyway).
#4 I belong to the Laughing Indian Riders, various European Indian clubs (they are all VERY enthusiastic, and have WAY more Indian activity and volume than any of our events stateside), Hagerty Insurance, and various vintage Auto clubs. I like old cars too!
#5 I actually belonged to the Ft. Sutter originally, as they were our local chapter back in the day. Then I joined the Colonial Chapter, and was their only left Coast member. I helped form our Yerba Buena chapter, and am currently trying to organize a chapter in Italy, and the South Pacific. Strength in numbers.
#6 Guess I answered this one under #5
#7 To help improve these chapters, I have helped drum up new members, refine rides, have interesting trips, and most importantly, not give up, make a scene, or pout when things don't go my way.
#8 I was VP of the Yerba Buena Chapter for it's first few years.
#9 Unless we have the BOD meetings in the Super Dome, I don't see how they could be made open to everyone actually. Lately, we have been subject to more & more visual presentations, and inter-office tele conferences during the meetings. I could only imagine the distractions, and interjections that would result from an open air meeting. I'm not against the idea, just feel that it would be almost impossible to carry out. Trudi, the secretary takes excellent notes for the minutes, which are published in the magazine, and Rocky, the Pres. shoots out a report to each Chapter Prez the day after the meeting.
I had a few issues of my own some time ago in regards to how things were run. Therefore, I submitted my own resume to the BOD some 12 years ago. It took me 10 years to get on. I am but one vote on the Board though.
#10 Membership voting on the BOD members would only turn into a popularity contest. I understand the desire to have more input as a member. I've seen some good suggestions on this also.
#11 I'm all for the financial report being open. It would be best to keep it amongst members, but there are no secrets.
#12 One of my own pet peeves for wanting to join the BOD (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em) was to have a cut-off year for the club machines (not our ages Ed, so you are still safe) : ) Personally, I see modern stuff as a dilution to the early stuff. One doesn't see Pintos parked next to a Duesenburg at the Concours! But this is only my opinion, and to be truthfull, I feel a cut-off date will never happen. The Club has sent out many a questionaire/ survey on stuff like this...in fact, expect some surveys with the next magazine I believe!!. The club is essentially a large biz by nature (when I ran the SFMC, it definately was running a small biz), and membership is our main resource.
Now, my main concern is the future of our passions. Call me doom & gloom, but I have traveled the world pretty extensively, all on Indian motorcycles, and have witnessed first hand some of the hardships other enthusiasts suffer from government regulations. I'm seeing motorized vehicles become public enemy #1 here in the big City of San Francisco. I fear for our future of being able to enjoy our machines. Think of it; with on swoop of pen, some well-meaning president could try and stimulate our Industrial Economy, by banning anything 5 years old, or older. This would get Detroit Rocking into overtime, and the Green movement thrilled with the resulting modern products. The few of us with our smokey old bikes will be left behind. Far fetched you say? Look at the position Hagerty Insurance has taken up for our movement. They solely rely on vintage vehicles, and stand to loose everything if this happens. They are very pro-active for our cause, and have just recently absorbed FIVA, a Global agency for the protection of ALL Vintage Vehicles. Look for FIVA to ask the AMCA to be the technical advisors for motorcycles in the future; we would be the authority on deeming what constitutes a vintage motorcycle.
It is the preservation of our machines that is most important to me. Every facet of our machines; riding, racing, building, restoring, modifying, & enjoying them. I look forward to working with the Judges Committee, which still retains Kevin as an over-see, to continually refine it so insure we have referencable machines for the future.

Again, I don't know if you will catch all the BOD members responding to this thread, but as always, I am willing to be available for any questions or comment. I just spend more than an hour answering this Ed, and I just fired up my stroker, 4spd, OD trannied, Shunk cammed '38 Chief. Now I gotta go get it ready for the Texas Road Run. Get out there and have some fun.
RF.

[rwm]

www.skype.com would open board meets to 2477 people for free.i would think that carl is right that they are boaring but on skype members can see if they want to

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Ed, there was a paragraph about me in the Club Magazine when I came on the Board, and probably for a number of the other Directors too. I'll suggest to the new Editorial Team that they revive this feature for the benefit of the membership. For those not willing to leaf through the back numbers I can answer your questions 1-8 as follows. I plan to address questions 9-11 elsewhere on this forum.

My work experience was 30 years in the oil business working in seven countries, including two spells in the US in the 1970s and 1980s. I have science and business degrees and am a professional engineer. My involvement with antique bikes started in 1965 when they were just old, with a BSA, Ariel and Vincent followed by a Ducati and a Honda. A long period of sanity followed while my kids grew up, followed by the purchase of a Harley 1934 VLD basket case in the 1980s. This led to the writing of my VL restoration book, in print these last 18 years, and quitting my day job to start up VL Heaven. I do all my own restoration work that can be done with hand tools, and my greatest skill is memorising part numbers.

I belong to four old bike Clubs, but the AMCA is the one I'm passionate about. I'm a founder member of the European Chapter and its current President, and I've helped bring the membership up from 115 to 250+ in the six years we've been going. I've judged at AMCA National Meets 40 times, am a Senior Judge, and marque specialist for the 1930-36 Harley Big Twins. I'm half way through my second three year term on the AMCA Board. My manifesto is a smaller and more professional board, with better communications throughout our club. The AMCA needs to become first choice club for anyone interested in old motorcycles.