Handbook

[Barnum]

I have seen posts about the Handbook.....and reference that it is part of membership.....if so....I did not receive one. So my question is ...is it part of membership...or do you have to purchase ?

[Jim B PEI]

Mac cosmetics online reported to moderator as spam.

[HJ-ETEX]

Barnum: The last paper version of the Handbook was costing $10 a copy to print and $5 a copy to send. It was decided at the Matamoras National to publish a new edition by Jack Mueller on CD media rather than a paper copy. When the new edition was ready, it was sent in a regular Quarterly mailing to all current members. This was approximately 1 year ago.
At the same time, it was decided to alter the mention of the Handbook in the Club application to where it would not be promised as part of joining the Club.
Contact the Club Secretary for current policy - he has an e-mail address.

[Barnum]

Thanks, it wasn't clear to me what was happening with that.

[joefrazer]

Ah yes, once again I've been made aware of issues via a public posting rather than 1-on-1 contact. I cannot start to fix a problem unless I am made aware of it...and this is NOT the place to do it.

If there are issues with members not receiving publications, or problems with memberships, material, etc, I need to be made aware of it, and the sooner the better. My email address is clearly posted in each and every bulletin. Please exercise your right to use it!

[mbflemingkf]

Well said Jim, thanks for caring.  I believe you can/will make a difference.  My apology for poor taste in piling on regarding membership materials and new members.  You're right about the public forum thing.  Nothing personal intended.

[HJ-ETEX]

At the Matamoras National, the Board was presented with a proposal to go ahead with publishing of Jack's Edition of the Handbook on CD. There were around 10 paper copies of the previous edition if I recall what Mike Barker reported. The problem was, ONLY the Club President and Secretary had seen copies of what Jack had produced. During the discussion, the Secretary allowed me and some others to look at a few pages on his laptop. I agreed with the motion to go ahead with the CD that Fall because turning down the proposal or tabling it would mean no progress on getting the Handbook to members for more than a year.
I supported removing the promise of a Handbook in the member application because it tied the hands of the Club. There have been times when new members had to wait a year for a copy. Quality printing wasn't cheap and besides shipping (from the printer and to the members), there was also the problem of storage of inventory. The CD edition is certainly a fraction of the cost of the paper version to publish and mail, but out of the 2000 already burned, all the full members (Associates don't get publications) were sent a copy which left over 500. From typical enrollment figures, that supply would be expected to last between 2 and 3 years and it has already been 1 year. So before we know it, it will be time for a new batch. I hope the Club can continue to supply the Handbook to new members, but gaps in supply will happen again.

[HJ-ETEX]

How the Secretary/Treasurer does business: Perhaps we have become accustomed to online transactions - call in the morning, ship out that afternoon. The Club does have a way to accept payment through PayPal, but I believe most of the transactions are still through the mail with payment by check. I know one team of officers made bank deposits only once a month so depending on the timing of the arrival of a renewal or application, it could take more than 30 days for a member to be fulfilled.
You also need to remember that at one time the Secretary/Treasurer positions were filled by husband/wife teams or by 2 members who lived close. This is not true currently.

[mbflemingkf]

I've removed my previous post as I recognize it was counterproductive to improving our club, not because it may have been controversial.

[mbflemingkf]

PS...I love our Monthly Bulletin and its going electronic with color pictures is a HUGE improvement.  Certainly support it's a good place to advertise a KF car for sale.

[HJ-ETEX]

I think at this point I need to say something about the Club representation. A decade ago when the Club constitution was revised, the basic operational units -  the Regions  - were redrawn with the idea that each region would have 100 to 120 members. It was the hope that the managers of the regions would be closer to their members. The managers are expected to attend the National, voice their members (or only their own) opinions, and report back to their region. Manager need to talk to their members.

[Jim B PEI]

Just my two cents worth. This isn't about how KFOCI does, or doesn't do things. This is how we do things at our little Atlantic Canada Club of SDC. I'm the Secretary for the Club. We publish an Agenda for both the Executive and the Membership meeting, and other than the winter planning meeting, they are generally held the same day and in the same place. At the winter meeting, we take the afternoon and shoot ideas around, over coffee and tea and snacks. We usually have out winter meeting a week or so later, usually catered in a church hall. The AGM is held in February/March and is more formal.

We have a lot of meetings and get togethers each year--the AGM, a summer picnic (2 days) a Fall Tour (2 days) and also attend various different locations as a Club. So, we have a lot of meetings, and we also burn up the ether via Email. Three of the executive drive VW TDI so we are always exchanging tips too (ggg). Everything gets reported verbally at all meetings, including the results of all executive meetings, and gets electronically or paper published in our Newsletter, Stude News, six times a year. All membership is welcome to attend executive meetings as well, if they wish. The only things not added into the minutes are of course personalities and other subjective observations, but if there is an issue, it DOES get mentioned.

I just don't understand what the big hoo-haw is with the national of SDC (sometimes), and to an even greater extent (in my opinion) with the national of KFOCI, just not discussing things. Gosh! There seems to be a lot that is not discussed, especially with the membership. Roberts Rules should be followed, I agree, but not to the extent that nothing gets done at all.

Okay, I did say a little bit about KFOCI, but no complaints and no names

[HJ-ETEX]

Jim B PEI - There is a big difference between how the KFOCI Board does things and how the SDC Board does things. The KFOCI Board is not going to spend more than 2 hrs at the National deliberating issues. The Board members are needed in the parking lot. The SDC Board can and has spent more than a full day at a National on peripheral items. The fellow who ran the Central Texas Chapter was a board member for 1 year and he quit because he thought they were wasting his time. His day job was Principal of an elementary school, so they really must have tried his patience!

[ben-tex]

I am a long-time member of the KFOCI and served on the Board for many years both before there was constitutional authority for a board and afterwards as well. Any member who is concerned with the operations of the organization should get a copy of the consitution and study it. It is possible to get your ideas aired at the board meetings and even have them adopted if you are willing to work with the VOTING members of the board starting with your Regional Manager. Part of the difficulty is that it is difficult to get members to volunteer for manager who will attend the National and actually represent the Region. I don't wish to post anymore here on the topic but anyone with any interest in discussing more can email me (address on my web site at kfnut.com.