Audi would never be this stupid .... would it?

[Brett Dikeman]

On Jan 15, 2008, at 4:37 PM, Dan DiBiase wrote:

> I wonder if Audi made Gillette pay them when they came out with the  
> Quattro razor? Or is that Schick?


> Re: ACNA - when I bought my Audi, I joined, thinking that it would  
> be like the BMWCCA.... Unfortunately, the magazien can't hold a  
> candle to The Roundel. It reads more like a series of press  
> releases, while The Roundel is quite irreverent, especially when  
> discussing Chris Bangle's influence on BMW styling.... I've let my  
> membership lapse and don't plan to rejoin.

 From personal experience running the NEQ's newsletter for a year or  
two (and the North Atlantic Chapter newsletter... for one intro issue,  
until I was booted so the Prez's best buddy could take the job),  
getting membership to contribute articles is like pulling teeth, and  
getting the stuff in on time is even worse.  Years ago I complained to  
Jon Linkov that the Quarterly was nothing but puff pieces, and he said  
that they'd be thrilled to get more member content.

Why is it so hard?  If I took a stab in the dark, I would guess it is  
because membership feels completely un-engaged by the organization.   
Look at the PCA mags; in the national magazine you'll see articles  
from the executives and all sorts of stuff, including financial  
statements (quarterly, I believe.)  In the northeast's magazine,  
you'll see regular reports from all the officers and full accounts of  
board meetings from the secretary.  You'll also often see "Joe Shmoe  
is working on ______.  If you'd like to help out or make suggestions,  
email him at joe at shmoe.com."

Ask yourself, in the context of both the national organization and  
your local chapter:

*Do the officers, board members, and heads of committees welcome/ 
solicit participation and comments from membership?

*How good is the organization at communicating to membership the  
location and time of meetings where club business is discussed and  
conducted?  Are they open to the public, or at least membership?

*Is a general account of the meeting published to members or the  
public?  Are the minutes descriptive enough for an outsider (ie, a  
general member) to understand them, or do they adhere to the strictest  
sense of Robert's Rules of Order with the bare minimum of  
information?  Are materials presented to the board incorporated into  
the record?

*Do board members attend most, if not all, of the board meetings?  Are  
they active?

*Are nominations for positions clearly and openly announced with  
procedures and deadlines?  Are those deadlines marked on organization  
calendars and in newsletters?

*Does the organization follow its own rules and run elections  
consistently and fairly?

Brett