[s-cars] Audi Club event at steamboat

[Brett Dikeman]

This email does not represent anything official on behalf of the club 
chapter or national organization and I speak for neither.  Only the 
board and officers could represent the chapter, and I'm not one of 
them.  This information is to the best of my knowledge as a volunteer 
and member of the editorial team for the Gripster.

>Chad, I can sympathize with you. The North East Quattro Club has yet 
>to update 2004's schedule, and there is only 2 months left in the 
>year!

I'm not sure what you're talking about; the schedule contains our 
full season of 2004 events, and was updated continuously, especially 
around event dates (with notes about availability.  For example, WG#2 
carries the slightly outdated note of "Event Closed. Accepting 
Instructors only.")  I believe it hasn't been updated in a month or 
so since Tremblant was the last event of the year.

The front page is quite old...from 2003 I think...but that doesn't 
mean the 2004 event schedule, linked off the side frame, is old.

>  I can't say this is how it was last, they were very good with 
>keeping us informed of upcoming events, but this year, that has not 
>happened.
>
>Also, I have not received a "Gripster" publication (The NEQ Club 
>newsletter) for over a year.

There was a Spring issue which was late out the door by a few weeks. 
The fall issue is also late, in part because I got a job after 9 
months unemployment, one of the other editors has a barely 1-week-old 
son he's devoting his time to, and our third editor is buried in 
business matters.  We're hoping to get it out to the printers by 
Friday, and then it'll be about two weeks before you see it because 
our printer and mailing company take a while to get it out the door 
since we're given a well-below-competitive-rates price, and done 
almost on the side.  Very early December you should get either a 
ballot or "mini-grip" for the annual elections.

The Gripster is mailed to everyone on a mailing list provided to us 
by the National office; I'd suggest politely contacting them and 
confirming your full address.

When I'm home from work this evening I'll glance at the last snapshot 
we used and see if you're there.  We do get limited, scattered 
reports of people not receiving copies even though they're in "The 
List", and if I have any spares left I can send one to you.

>I wonder if anyone on the list might be able to fill me in on why 
>the NEQ website has been dormant for sometime and as to when the NEQ 
>Winter Driving School will happen and any other details involving it.

...that's because dates have not been set to my knowledge, but I'll 
ask.  The schools are usually approximately the same dates every 
year, so last year's schedule will -probably- give you a rough idea 
of when to expect the 2005 schools.

>I'm now questioning whether I should have bought into the more 
>economical sounding 3 year membership, and not the one year, which 
>may have not been renewed when it was over.

This is based on my limited understanding of the ACNA and is not 
guaranteed to be accurate:
   The chapters get funds directly by request (for example, the NEQ 
received monies for presentation equipment for the classroom 
sessions) and indirectly via support from National to varying 
degrees; for example, tax filing services and insurance are now 
offered to chapters.  Aside from that, chapters do not get money from 
National on a per-member basis.  Moving to such a model was, I 
-think-, under discussion on the national board, but I know very 
little of what goes on at the national level.  It's important members 
understand that, as a lot of folks probably assume the ACNA works 
like, say, the PCA where x% goes to your chapter.

I know it is fashionable on Audifans to complain about the ACNA (aka 
quattro club), and I've done it myself once or twice many moons ago- 
but consider at the very least contacting someone in the club or 
chapter to discuss problems you see instead of posting on a public 
forum about it; there's no excuse, since the email addresses of 
almost every board member and executive officer on both the national 
and northeast chapter levels are published at least on the web. 
Furthermore, as far as I know the club and chapter are ALWAYS looking 
for help; just ask.

You could also always run for the board...

Brett
-- 
"...voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the 
leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked
and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to
danger. It works the same way in any country."
	-Herman Goering, Luftwaffe Commander; Nuremburg Trial transcript
http://www.users.cloud9.net/~brett/