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Oral History Project


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AACA a few months ago started a project to gather oral history on its members and their car hobby. It was to be put into a heavy coffee table type publication with the members oral history put into words. I believe AACA contracted an outside source to accomplish this. I paid in advance over $200.00 and the rep who took my info told me they would be available by this summer.  

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On 8/12/2023 at 8:12 AM, Bill Boudway said:

I haven't been getting the reminders.

What does that tell me?

 

😒.

@Bill Boudway

Neither have I ....

Bill, you and I are either uninteresting,

or maybe too volatile ???

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, Well I received an email earlier today notifying me that the E Book was available for viewing.  I logged on with my username/password and was able to easily find my 'written" portion of my story with photo.  I have been scrolling down for over 45 minutes and still cannot find the oral portion. Looks like a lot of guys/gals signed up for this. 

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I just received my email notification of the availability and went out and gave it a new password.  I played around and finally I clicked on the 3 bars in the upper right corner and then 'My Story' and I got the input I had provided.  If you click on the magnifying glass next to the 3 bars you can key in a car model or persons name and it will search for those values and pull them up.  Bob

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I signed up for it because I wanted to support a club activity and thought it sounded like a great idea. I got the email to copy of the book yesterday. I don't want to be a whiner, but I am very disappointed in how they condensed  my 18 minute interview into an inaccurate, disjointed, hodge-podge of words. It seems as if it was assembled by artificial intelligence, or somebody from from a non-English speaking third world country. I thought there was supposed to be an opportunity to proof it.  So I searched my emails, and sure enough there was an opportunity to proofread it emailed to me back in March, but somehow I missed it. So it's my fault. I hope that the stories of everybody else is a lot better than mine.

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Same here HEMI Joel, support the organization and receive a small token in return. So, I received a call from them yesterday after my email was received concerning my missing oral portion of the interview. They apologized and told me they could not find it and would be refunding me $50.00.  The name of the project is ORAL HISTORY.  I expressed my displeasure to her saying if I had known this would happen, I would have never participated at the cost they set. I wonder how many others paid for something they didn't get??

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  • 5 months later...

Our hard cover book arrived this week!

It is nice and I read several accounts from people we know. 

They didn't print our interview - but maybe there is limited capacity for individual stories.

In the front they skipped William "Bill" Smith - former National President and longtime AACA Executive Director between Bill Baumgartner and Steve Moskowitz.  (That seemed odd, unless I missed it.)

Otherwise not a bad effort.

🤨

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by AC Fuhrman
spelling error (see edit history)
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I too received my hard copy.  I agree with Joel; I somehow missed the opportunity to proof my statements thus what was published was disjointed at best. While I am happy to have been included,  it was not what I was expecting. 

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Well, this runs the gamut from people requesting to buy extra books, love it, to those that had stories that were incorrect.  I've spoken to the few calls we got in conjunction with the book and the main problem seems to stem from the email sent to the member to proof their story before publication.  In some cases they got caught up in spam files and in some cases simply ignored or considered junk mail when they arrived or didn't arrive?  I know of one case that the software that translated the story did not understand a few of the words like the city, just like what spellcheck does.  I am impressed so far how PCI is working to satisfy our members even if it was not their fault. Their contact info is 1-800-982-1590

 

Please don't forget, if your story did not make one of the three volumes sent out, yes, it took 3 books to cover all the stories, that the recording of your article in your own voice will be here at national headquarters in our new oral history center.  If you never made a recording and visit us you will be able to sit down and make a recording while visiting us.  We already have over 6,000 stories to enter in the computer!

 

We have done three programs of a somewhat similar nature over the last 20 years, after the first two I swore we would never do another although the majority of those who purchased those books were satisfied.  This project was different as in the end, what we wanted most was the stories for our oral history center.  We did not have the manpower or time to make this project a huge success.  Getting the recordings is invaluable not only to us but to families in the future that can listen to their loved ones talk about the hobby and hear their voice.  Priceless as far as I am concerned.

 

AACA is not happy that the project was delayed (printer's problems) and apologize and we are sorry for those not happy with the finished project.  We are very happy with the number of requests to buy additional books and the compliments given.  Certainly a mixed bag but in the end we really hope the good outweighs the bad.  Just another note in this regard, the club is not sitting back idly with the new oral history center, the digital history center in our atrium, the digital national awards kiosk, new website, easier online payments, the ability to pay for shows online now and tours real soon plus much more.  The directors are, at their own expense, meeting shortly with a world renown facilitator to have a two day discussion on how to do more for our members.  So we will continue to try things, some will work great and some won't but if you do not try the result is for certain.

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On 1/25/2024 at 11:44 AM, AC Fuhrman said:

Our hard cover book arrived this week!

It is nice and I read several accounts from people we know. 

They didn't print our interview - but maybe there is limited capacity for individual stories.

In the front they skipped William "Bill" Smith - former National President and longtime AACA Executive Director between Bill Baumgartner and Steve Moskowitz.  (That seemed odd, unless I missed it.)

Otherwise not a bad effort.

🤨

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andy, another forum member asked me to address this.  I was the one who put together the final piece for the book. It was my opinion that this book was for and about our members although some AACA history was important.  Whatever contributions the three executive directors have made to this club have been memorialized in the past.  As for me, recognition is not that important, recognizing our staff and people who have made great contributions is VERY important. I think I had one sentence I put in our 75th anniversary book about me.  I am hopeful my 20 years here speaks for itself, all I know is I have given it my best.

 

They ended up with over 6,000 stories and almost 2,000 that paid to be in the book which necessitated 3 volumes.  As I said above, if you verbally gave them a story it will be here in our building in the new oral history center so you did not waste your time.  

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Looking forward to checking that out.

I for one think each of you 3 have done/continue to do great things - the Executive Directors have been worthy Mayors of our little city!

Like I mentioned book is nice - AND I appreciate the Buick on the cover!

ACF

 

 

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