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Steve Moskowitz

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My local HCCA region hosted our first National pre-16 tour last month in North Georgia. The registration fee for car and driver and one passenger was $300. There was an additional charge for extra passengers plus the tourers had to pick up the cost of a couple of museum admissions and one optional banquet. A family of four could have done the tour for $400-$500 plus lodging. Lodging was $72.00 per night in a very nice but not extravagant hotel. Our tour had 20 cars with one 20 something couple plus several 20-something participants. Small tours are fun and we got high marks from the participants for our efforts.

Is it cost or vacation time that is the primary factor that determines if a family will attend a tour? This would be a good poll question for the membership. Or do most car owners not want to drive their cars except for the occasional Sunday afternoon drive?

Alan

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Howard: Actually the purpose of the position is to just help members, individual members, know more about what makes AACA tick, what AACA has to offer, if they want to take advantage of it, and just help members feel more a valued part of and more attached to the national club. No thoughts as to grooming at all, although somebody could star and be recognized I suppose. The main difficulty was finding people willing and able to travel around within 250-300 miles of their homes from time to time, doing it for the good of the club and love of the hobby. Naturally I went to people who I had met somewhere, or who I had seen very active in their Region/Chapter newsletters (I've been getting them all for most of the time I've been on the Board) and in a few cases where I simply didn't know anybody I welcomed a recommendation. I had discovered as VP - Regions that many people out there in the Regions just felt sort of "out there", if you know what I mean. I wanted members in Regions and Chapters to feel like they actually knew somebody who represented the national club, and who could answer or get them an answer if they wanted it. Basically, it was a "friendship" sort of thing.... As for your thoughts on people from far off coming into an area, those were good thoughts and I had the opportunity to address them. I think that covers your thought here.

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Steve ~ I think you are getting a handle on one of the major complaints about the magazine MANY members have had off and on over the years, ON TIME DELIVERY.

In years gone by I used to tell potential members that if they never did anything with their membership, the magazine alone was worth the cost of the membership. I stopped saying that a number of years ago. Now, I feel I can begin say that to potential members again. cool.gif Keep up the good work.

HV smile.gif

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Howard, you know how big I am with communication. Having the magazine go out on time is a critical issue with us. Sandy and I (along with our vendors) have pulled out all stops despite the hardship we are currently working under to not have any delays. We will not accept excuses for ourselves or our vendors! The last issue that we were responsible for was done on schedule and the next one is at the printers already and set for our late September delivery. The Nov./Dec. issue is being worked on and we will have a surprise which I am anxious to see how many people notice. Sandy, Patty Buckley and our vendors have really given me a 100% effort and I appreciate it.

I have to start typing slower and proofreading! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

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Steve,

About the AACA magazine ? I like the changes that have taken place so far and look forward to seeing what else is planned. I have managed to collect copies of the AACA magazine back to 1944. I use them for reference in doing the Brass-Nickel newsletter. My favorites are from the 1950?s. Here are a few things I like and that I would like to suggest.

1. I would like to see the magazine turned backed to portrait style. I find the magazine somewhat awkward in the landscape format.

2. I enjoy the book review section but why not have a web review section. There are a lot of excellent web sites out there with information on the automobile and its history.

3. In the past, I have skipped over the reports of the car shows, as they were mainly list of show winners. I like the new format and pictures that describe the show.

4. I enjoyed the article about the Wheeler family in the last issue and would like to see more like them. Meet the new AACA generation was a great idea. It would also be good to highlight the older member also.

5. I love to see pictures of before and after projects as well as the mystery vehicles.

6. I like to read what the other Regions are doing and would like to see this section expanded.

7. I know quite a few of clubs have technical advisors for certain year of cars. The AACA has a lot of people with vast expertise in restoration that could help others with problems. I guess being an all marquee club this could be set up be decades.

8. There are a lot of aspects of cars and car collecting. I would like to see what other car items people are collecting and why. Terry Bond comes to mind here, as he seems to collect everything ? postcards, sheet music, and spark plugs, etc.

Bottom line for me is to add more human-interest stories. As it is stressed each year in the Publications seminar, everyone likes to see his or her name in print. People also like to see their cars.

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Doug, interesting but the plastic cards do not reproduce well. We have found it to be a problem for our Life Member (plastic credit card style) cards. We are in the process of looking at a variety of options for cards but I suspect that we will not get a change made unitl next year. Too much on our plate right now. The idea is sound but we need to find the right type of card.

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The BCA issued lifetime cards last year, but in paper. It was incumbent upon the members to have their cards laminated themselves. (It cost me about 75 cents @ Staples.) It seems to be pretty successful and it's saving the club a ton of money over plastic cards (and quite a bit over issuing annual cards as well!). cool.gif

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Lifetime cards are really only good for life members. Annual members come and go, but their lifetime cards would go on with them forever. Why not consider what our state AAA does with their membership cards. They are plastic, smooth with the information [name, membership # etc.] screened or photo processed on and with a year sticker like a license plate renewal sticker issued each year upon renewal. No year sticker, your card is invalid. AND they photograph well, not like the current life member cards which will NOT photocopy.

Just another thought to try to improve the breed. smile.gif

hvs

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Guest imported_Dwight V.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> 1. I would like to see the magazine turned backed to portrait style. I find the magazine somewhat awkward in the landscape format.

</div></div>

A-men!

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Cars are long and low - landscape not portrait. Even the mags that use portrait often use the full front and back cover or a full centerfold to get landscape (complete with staples in the center). I like the landscape - just make your magazine shelves deeper.

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And have you ever considered that the place where many read the magazine? At leisure in the bathroom, which lends itself better to the landscape format. Think about it, you are sitting there with the magazine comfortably in your lap across your legs. Now which format is more likely to slip down between your legs, the one that spans 17" or the one with a 22" span. The landscape format drapes conveniently over the legs. smirk.gifgrin.gif

To echo Ron, and what was said at the Annual Meetinmg in 1969 immediately after the horizontal format was adopted, "The automobile is a horizontal form which is best depicted in a natural horizontal format."

If all you are going to put in the publication is written text and small pictures, then the portrait format will suffice. But if you plan full color pictures of motor vehicles you will be limited to half page size pictures if everything is to be kept in proportion with a little background at the front and rear of the vehicle.

But, don't forget the bathroom. grin.gif

hvs

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For me, it doesn't have any thing to do with the storing of magazines or where you read it. I store mine in a filing cabinet so that is not an issue. I personally find it much easier to read in the book format. The questions of pictures by Ron is a valid point. Except for the cover though how many times is there a full page photo on the inside? Even on the cover, the photos are often multiple smaller photos. Case in point, look at the back of the May June 2004 issue which was made from 4 smaller photos.

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Ditto! Herein lies the problem, making everyone happy! Whatever the format ends up to be, it will be done for good solid reasons (not sure the bathroom scenario is, but hey, maybe that's legit). <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

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Yes and No!! With some printers it is far more expensive to print in the "HVS Bathroom Style" <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> than the vertical. Our current printer does not differentiate costs based on the two styles. We are in the process of determining if we can reduce the cost of our printing while adding some new and more epxensive features to the magazine.

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Guest Randy Berger

I wonder if we can get Microsoft to change the term "landscape" to "HVS bathroom"? Nah - they have no sense of humor. Now MACintosh just might buy it!

YFAM, Randy Berger

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