MVCC board elections

[Kurt Lesser]

MVCCers,

This year is an election year for board members and we are accepting nominations for all positions. Nominations can be sent to any current MVCC board member for publication on the ballot. Nominations can be sent by email, letter, or telephone but we do need confirmation of the nominator being a member of the MVCC. Ballots will be mailed out to every active member in May and need to be returned as soon as possible in June so that we can get a count and publish the new board members list in the July.

We are also still looking for a new Newsletter editor to take Ali's place. She's done a wonderful job but work requirements have made it impossible to continue. Please contact her if this interests you. It's a very visible part of one of the most active MV clubs in the world and needs continuity for smooth operation of the club.

Thanks,

KEEP 'EM ROLLING

Kurt

[AaronHorrocks]

I got the ballot in the mail. Looks like everyone is running un-opposed!

[Kurt Lesser]

OK Aaron, so what's your point?

The number of candidates on the ballot represent those individuals nominated by the membership to fill the necessary board positions. If no one new steps up to the plate and throws their hat into the ring then we only have the current imcumbent if they are willing to run again. If they don't wish to run again then the position can go unfilled. This means the folks in that area don't have a local VP. It's not the end of the world but everyone seems to think all this stuff happens automatically and it just doesn't.

When people ask why there aren't more events for them to participate in they need to realize that someone puts each and every one of them together. If they're not willing to expend the effort to make the club function and run smoothly it falls back onto the shoulders of the few who care enough to take on the responsibility and do the job.

We have an extremely diverse and talented membership in the MVCC and it always surprises me that when we need people to help there's such a small group who step up and assist. This is true in any organization but it tends to stagnate progress thru lack of new creative thinking. I was a club member for many years before I became president but I did it because I saw a need to make things happen for the benefit of the MVCC as a whole. We need some more people who think this way to keep the club active and exciting and make people want to participate.

Kurt

[AaronHorrocks]

It was just an observation.

When I first saw the ballot, I was confused, and thought I was reading it wrong. I told my girlfriend about it, and she said it's not good and sign of a dying group. I don't think it's that bad - more of a level of contentment and staleness which can be fixed.

As far as myself, it's not a matter of that I am unwilling to expend the effort, it's that I am unable to. Work still has me displaced, and commuting too much... And for some reason this job is unlike any other that I've ever had in that we can not get time off without pay. We're limited to the small amount of paid vacation we earn. Hence why my attendance at events is minimal, and my restoration progress is slow.

[softskin_driver]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the club it is my opinon its just the oposite.
I joined this club in my twenties I am now Fifty one. It is my opinon that this club is way better now and growing better all the time. It has grown and became complicated but there is a great diversity in the collecting and the vehicles showing up at our swapmeets. Which for me makes the club all that much better.
I think that members who have the time or like to contribute to the club and make the extra effort gain greatly from it. The members who just want to do their own thing and only contribute energy to that recieve back what they put into it. In my experience those that make the club better by giving there time to the membership at large all gain in that they become a bigger part of our hobby and make so many more friends and contacts.
I have been POC for the Camp Bob outing for four years now. I have made so many new friends at Roberts and within the club I would not have ever met if I had not stepped up I have had so much fun doing this I can not even begin to describe here how it has added to my MVCC experience.
Same thing with the conventions as vehicle chair for both I got to talk to many people from all over the world and got first look at every vehicle that came through the doors or gates at both shows. I also got to see the inner workings of the vehicle judging working with both MVPA judging commitee chairs Lou and Jim.
By putting together the tours at the Littlefield foundation I met many people in our club and became friends with Jacques.
You can make excuses all you want those that do will just smile and go on doing becuase we all know until you start geting involved in your club you are not getting the biggest benefit a club has to offer.
The many friends and contacts made through particapation the trucks and parts I have found and those I have helped with finding parts are something you cannot get from not giving back to the club.
Everyone knows you have to give back if you want to gain anything worth while in any endeavor whatever it may be.
If you can't wrap your mind around that then I guess you will just be part of the background noise like so many others.
There are many ways to help all you have to do is ask a VP or one of the members who are acting as a commitee chair or POC.
Write an article for the newsletter you can do that in the time it takes to complain about something.
You say you are too busy, everyone is busy but they still find the time to give to the the membership.
Instead of giving Kurt a bad time about the ballot and lack of vollunteers for the board why not thank him for working hard to put Tower Park together that in itself would be better than bugging him about something that has been bothering him for years.
This my 2 cents take it or leave it.

[John Neuenburg]

I agree with Dave and Kurt, however I want to point out that a MVCC VP position does not require event organizing. As a former VP I can say that the main purpose of the VP is to publicize events in his area by writing a monthly article for the newsletter and submitting same to the webmeister. This means looking forward and keeping print deadlines in mind so that stuff doesn't get left out of the next newsletters. Our constant challenge is publicizing events large and small with enough lead time so that members can plan to attend. Ideally the VP looks at LAST YEARS' EVENTS and checks with those Points-of-Contact (POCs) to find out if they are happening again and what the current dope is. This, and attend MVCC Board Meetings and vote on MVCC issues. That's about it.

Sometimes we identify a person who would make a POC for an event. We ought to encourage that person to take the lead or at least help out. This is how our hobby grows.

On the member side, we should pass info about events to our regional VP and DIRECTLY to the webmeister and newsletter editor especially for rapidly approaching events. The editors can sort out whose info to publish. These people are not mind-readers. We should never expect them to carry the hobby by themselves. We all have local info to share and perhaps expertise to offer. The club works best when individuals step up and help in the best way they can. If bringing a MV to the events is all one can do, like Aaron has done with his 5 ton tractor truck for two years, that is great and appreciated. A lot of members don't even do that!

My 2 cents worth.

[Kurt Lesser]

Both of you are right on the money with these postings. One of the best aspects of the MVCC is the level of participation of the membership. The board can't do it all but can make sure anything brought to their attention gets the distribution it needs. We can't be everywhere at once so when new items come up that members are aware of relaying it to the VPs and webmaster will get it out for everyone to enjoy.

Kurt

We're up to a nickel guys!