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BCA Board of Directors Election - 2014


MrEarl

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Willis: The photos were taken while cars lined up for the safety check long before the second Plano meet. I am not sure where it started , but I know it was used at the first Danvers meet, and we were not the first to do it. The down side is that our meets are held in the heat of the summer, the cars get hot waiting, and the owners get hotter. The poor volunteers (and there are few of them) get forgotten about while they labor in the heat.

There are many , in fact, I think, most 400 point judged cars are registered in the State where they reside. They are not all trailered by a long shot.

Any car that is registered has to be functional (a lot of States have safety inspections) in ordered to be driven on the road.

I am sorry to disagree with you but, I still think the operational check should be modified or eliminated.

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Jack, the first Plano meet was my first BCA National Meet to attend or be involved with. The second Plano meet was the one where Stoneberg was involved. IF I might have implied that we were the first with operational check pictures, my apologies.

That inoperative signal light strikes me similarly to a mega-buck restoration having an "auto supply battery" (although some aftermarket batteries can be better and more expensive than a repro battery) in it, rather than the correct repro battery (if available). I makes me wonder where ELSE the builder might have cut corners in unseen places?

Another side issue is that many states (Texas, included) issue "Antique" license plates which require NO annual safety inspection. It's the owner's responsibility, due to the lower mileage driven rule for those places, to ensure the car is "road ready". A "pride thing"? ONLY "Antique" plates have that exemption, in TX, with other plates requiring an annual safety inspection.

Jack, I understand we have different experiences, orientations, and such related to the vehicle hobby. I also know that with the ever-increasing "circus" aspect of BCA National Meets, deleting one item might seem to be advisable to simplify the total operation. Still, I advocate "for" the continuation of the Operational Check and Photo Op as good things to do.

FYI, I've already mailed my BCA BOD ballot and survey in, so our not agreeing on this issue is NOT going to affect my votes. Each "side" has compelling reasons in its favor . . . be that as it may.

Enjoy!

Willis Bell 20811

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Willis: This thread has at the very least, prompted some interesting discussion about a great many topics (issues), and I really believe that is a very good thing. It is not necessary for people of good will to agree on every subject. Differing views create progress. At this late date, the election probably has been long since decided, we only have to wait for the results. That fact does not make the discussions any less interesting.

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Guest my3buicks
Jack, I disagree with your orientation of the "Operational Check" activity. Here's why . . . It's my understanding that the Operational Check is done to ensure the vehicle is "end of the assembly line functional", just as the 400 Point System uses the "end of the assembly line" as its reference of how the car is judged. Over the years of being around "show cars" at auctions, formal shows, etc., it has never ceased to amaze me at the number of cars which had "operational issues" and would not pass a state safety inspection! The cosmetics might look great, the body lines/gaps could be excellent, the paint flawless, but then you see that car move in the line to the show venue and you observe a tail light that doesn't work, a turn signal that doesn't work, and other things which, to me, would DETRACT from the ownership experience. Not to forget about the driver who doesn't know how to properly modulate a manual choke! To me, if the 400 Point Judged vehicles are supposed to represent "The BEST of the BEST Buicks", then ALL safety-related (for the model year of production) items need to be fully operational and be capable of being "deployed" by the owner/owner's rep for the Operational Check lane. The Operational Check lane is also a great place to take a picture of each car (an activity which Mr. Stoneberg prototyped at our second Plano event, quite nicely, too!).

Just some thoughts . . .

Willis Bell 20811

I find the safety check to be a waste of time and resources. With the cost of some of these items like NOS T3 headlights I don't like turning them on anymore than I have to. Every year, check, ok, check, ok, Dah!!

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what is dead line
As I recall it has to be received by 6/1, so mail it now!

What John said!!! And underline RECEIVED...not postmarked. Monday is a holiday so there's not many days that mail will be moving. This month has flown by and honestly I have been waiting til the last minute to vote this year and am really glad I did. I have actually changed my mind at least once based on what I have learned about candidates thoughts on issues, their attitudes and strengths and weaknesses in dealing with people and their willingness to speak up and make known their positions, be those positions popular or not.

So folks if you have not mailed your ballot (and survey) in then please do so. I am mailing mine today. All 10 of them. ;)

Edited by MrEarl (see edit history)
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Brian,

Thanks for the count update and others for the deadline reminder. I sure would like to see a surge in numbers to at least hit 1000 total. Still a paltry number. I am glad to see the forum members leading the interest, but please urge your non-forum members to vote.

John

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Seems there is an echo here. Look at post #79. Why is anyone surprised at the turn out? The BCA makes it sooooooooo easy to vote, The ballot is printed on the cover sheet, the members name is on the back (front) and all they need to do is check the boxes, put a stamp on it and mail.

Maybe they just want something to complain about.

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Another thought along those lines, there isn't a issue that is a hot button for them. Look at the % of the total membership at any National meet compared to the % of the membership that votes in BCA National elections? All this talk of parking at National Meets means nothing if they do not participate and have a car in a class that is affected by the parking issue currently being discussed. Doesn't this issue fall under the Nation Head Judge's authority?

If they are happy with the current state of things there is no sense of urgency to do anything about changing that. My guess is that is the case. Unless a local chapter is promoting a candidate(s) because of relationships or general reputation about something that is of concern to the leadership of that local chapter, there is even less urgency. How many members are also local members, and that are involved in the local chapter. The participation rate of the membership on this forum is a low %, we don't know how many members read the boards anonymously. If they aren't complaining to the people that can do something about it then they cannot reasonably expect changes.

The turnout is really not that much different to an off year local political election. Unless you have a dog in that race the motivation to get out and vote is low. If you are happy with, indifferent to, or do not believe voting will impact the current state of affairs with the Club, there really isn't much reason to get involved with the election.

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Thanks for that update, Brian.

For some reason, I suspect a "stuffed" mail box can be more easily dealt with than a crashed server?

It's been my observation that over the past decade or so, as the USPS has had to reconfigure their operations, NO mail moves on the weekends, even from the main bulk mail centers, much less the curbside boxes. If there might be a Saturday pickup time, that would only mean from that box to the nearest post office rather than getting to the nearest PROCESSING facility for the various sorts, packaging, and shipping toward the ultimate destination.

For example, in the later 1980s, I was shocked to learn that if you wanted "next day" delivery of a piece of mail in Fort Worth, TX, you had to have the item at the main post office collection box BEFORE the 5pm collection time (although there were later times). We had that "second day" delivery people claim we now need to have, back then, and didn't know it! As time and population growth progressed, the final pickup times progressed all of the way to MIDNIGHT and still get it the next day! Then, during the GWBush administration (as a time marker, no more), things started going the other way. Collection times came to be earlier, even on Saturday, a little at a time. We started hearing of staff cuts/early retirement buy-outs, which also tended to affect service in some cases. Increased automation can go only so far in an industry which needs "human beings" in the final links of that system. Be that as it may . . .

Therefore, rather than use you local carrier to collect the ballot from your residence or a local curbside collection box, I highly recommend, at this later date, that you take the items directly to the regional postal processing center and mail them THERE, As Soon As Possible! That will take as much "time" out of the total transportation time as can be done by us. Personally, I do the vast majority of my mailing at the main post office in Fort Worth, to ensure the items get into the mail mix as soon as possible.

Just some thoughts,

Willis Bell 20811

Edited by NTX5467 (see edit history)
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Thanks for that update, Brian.

Therefore, rather than use you local carrier to collect the ballot from your residence or a local curbside collection box, I highly recommend, at this later date, that you take the items directly to the regional postal processing center and mail them THERE, As Soon As Possible! That will take as much "time" out of the total transportation time as can be done by us. Personally, I do the vast majority of my mailing at the main post office in Fort Worth, to ensure the items get into the mail mix as soon as possible.

Just some thoughts,

Willis Bell 20811

I carried mine in the PO Friday and asked asked the big hair lady at the counter to check and see when it would arrive in IN. She put it on the scale and it showed Tuesday but she said probably Wed.

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Sorry, I am going to delay the results one more day because it was too late for me to call the 3 east coast candidates on how they did. Once I have called them I will post the results to the forum.

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Thanks Kevin.

Just curious, could you share with us how the secret ballot votes are counted and by whom. Also how were the survey's tallied.

The ballots are counted by Joel Gauthiers CPA firm - Joel has been the BCAs CPA for a long time . The survey results will be sent to the Board Members to be defined . This is going to take a while to compile .

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I would like to thank you guys for your support in my run for the BOD. I was not elected, but there was at least enough discussion so that maybe we can effect some change. I will give it another try next year for certain. I do not know any results but my own.

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I was waiting too for the official summary, but as Jack has posted, I will just add that I too was not elected. I thank all that voted, not only for me, but for all. While there was an apparent increase in ballots, it seems no where near what it should be.

Like Jack, I have also voiced some thoughts on this forum, and I promise to do all I can to make sure the leadership does more to communicate to the members and on a regular basis, including more financial information. Some of the more outspoken members (on the forum) may not be all that pleased with the results, but I urge the BOD and all the membership to remain civil and work for a better organization.

My congratulations to all those elected. And I urge others to consider running next year, as this was my last attempt.

John

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Guest dukec

I also know that I was not elected. That is all that I have heard.

I hope to get to meet many of you in Portland later this summer.

Duke Charpentier

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Guest wildcat465
Jack,

Kevin posted these yesterday on a new thread. However, it would have been nice to see the numbers of the votes.

John

Here you go John, thank you and all others for running.

Alan Oldfield 682

Edward DePouli 585

Dick Sweeney 552

Jack Welch 508

Jerry Courson 478

John Schieb 334

Duke Charpentier 287

Still a bummer at how few ballots actually get sent back.

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