Houston Region FCA Members

Hi, any Houston FCA members on board?

I just went to the local region FCA site to get contact info of the officers and noticed there is NO contact info (that I could find). Even though it states "contact us to volunteer for events"!

The site HAS been updated since the elections as the board roster dropped since my last visit from 5 to 2.

Anyway, I need the contact info, as I have questions about how this regions financial accounting is handled and when the yearly report is published.

All help appreciated.

Regards, JRV

I don't know anything about this, but don't they publish their numbers (both contact and accounting) in their newsletter like the Porsche guys?

Cheers

Taek,

that's my question, doesn't a chapter of a NATIONAL Club that collects some serious money have accounting measures in place, especially since this chapter had until recent elections a Treasurer. I think it is reasonable to expect that Money be accounted for in the FCA just like it is in every other real club. Otherwise the door is left open for abuse.

I have every intention of getting to the bottom of this closely held secret. And suggest changes if it's discovered that all the monies being collected are a cronnes group slush fund.

I think from the looks of things so far and the fact that my requests, as in multiples, have been ignored that this chapter may well be run like a mini Enron! Judging from the fact that 4 local chapter directors names have very recently disappeared from the local roster I think it's a good idea to see exactly how these people have been managing or mis-managing as the case may be, this chapter and it's finances.

I have requested the region chairmans em address from the local chapter president only to have my requests ignored. As a member in good standing with all dues paid in full I find my requests being ignored unacceptable and suspicious.

I never cared much about the inner workings of clubs until it came to my attention that the possibility of many abuses were taking place.

If those holding positions are abusing that priviledge then I think they should step down or be removed!

Regards, JRV

In fairness I have recieved an acknowledgement of my request of disclosures about how this chapter is being run. No info of course, but an acknowledgement is a start.

It's actually very embarrassing to relize one is a member of a club that treats it's members like second class citizens. I don't think to many people would be happy paying money to recieve such off color treatment of simple requests.

IMO Car Clubs should be fun for ALL and Fair to ALL. I'm not seeing this in the FCA chapters I follow. Hopefully the future will hold more promise for more people.


Regards, JRV

I am an FCA member here now. Met Grady the Pres last weekend. Seems like a pretty cool guy. Newsletter was in the mailbox el pronto.

Cool guys don't break the club charter by installing a phony board and not keeping club books for years imo. Nor do cool guys use their position with the FCA to liable & slander people they don't know at FCA events. I was present at an event where certian people were highly intoxicated animated and beligerent and thought it wasn't cool at all.

People thought Mel Spillman, now in prison for stealing dead peoples estates was a cool guy, and people thought Jeffery Skilling of the Enron scandle fame was a cool guy and Paul Frame of the Sietel scandle fame was a cool guy. However, there are plenty of people that don't agree that lying, stealing and cheating is cool!

I'm afraid it takes more than a smile and a line of bullshit to convince me someone is a cool guy, worthy of my trust or friendship or qualified to be a leader of anything!

Did you know that other Texas region Presidents are so out of control that National Legal Dept has been monitering their web activity for some while now?

How cool is that?

And how cool is it for a local guy to try and extort $10,000 from the Texas Running of the Bulls!?!? He thought his scheme was real cool, the 3 actual & real founders of the event didn't think it was cool at all!

JRV

What are you talking about? $10,000 bucks? I contacted the club and 24 hours later I was contacted. 72 hours later I had a newsletter. I haven't sent a dime to anyone locally. This is a club...where the heck is someone going to rip me off in a club? I have a Ferrari to have fun...not to meet new and interesting lawyers.

This is a very small community. Nasty comments make big waves in a small pond. Clearly you have vented on some past bitterness that I have not a clue about.

>>I contacted the club and 24 hours later I was contacted. 72 hours later I had a newsletter.<<

Mike, you have me and others to thank for the clubs fast response. This is a radical departure from the way things have been run for many years.


Personal agendas have been exposed, fake Boards of Directors have been exposed and the list goes on...until someone stood up and said "what's wrong with this picture", MANY owners were alienated by the present President. I don't think public outrage to finally to motivate actions that was supposed to have been done all along is a management style to be proud of or a leadership style to brag about. I will state that public outrage has forced positive changes that benifit YOU....

Your Welcome...

JRV

Thanks. I think.

I used to be the president of a WWII preservation/history group and got dumped on by many unhappy members who assumed I was ignoring them or were in some way alienating them. Be aware that there are 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in each of those hours. That time has to be spent in some order of priority or problems arise. My bet is that the following typifies the priorities of a typical volunteer club president:

1. Family comes first
2. Job comes next
3. Servicing the women (4 wheeled and two legged)
4. Club stuff
5. Members not calling them 4 letter words
6. Sleep
7. Members calling them 4 letter words
8. Members that threaten to sue them are ignored

I can't begin to tell you how many times morons threatened to sue me for some of the most hilarious reasons. Let's see...my favorite...I held a board meeting early so we could have some additional events later...ohhhh...break out the lawyers!!! My question was "Show me the damages".

This is a VERY small community and one time or another I am sure I will eventually probably talk to every Ferrari owner in Houston. I know Jeremey is very happy to know you and I know of others that get a blank look on their faces when they hear your name. That just plain SUCKS. I have not asked for details from them. One of the ricers told me "The running of the bulls" kind of left a bad taste in some mouthes...oh well...some guy got a ride in Ralphs 88 CT and probably still has wood. REMEMBER THE GOOD STUFF and screw the politics.

I have met nobody in the Ferrari community so far that did not seem like good people. It is my belief that most Ferrari owners are managers or better and are managers or better because they can make character judgements of people quickly and accurately. My judgement of Grady is based on the fact that he looked me in the eye 100% of the time I talked to him and the fact that he has a firm shake. It also seemed like I had known him for years as he is extremely easy to talk to. Wishy washy piss ants rarely pass my check. Grady is also supported by his wife as SHE CALLED HIM about my email so he would know to look out for me.

If your efforts toward straightening things out are the reason for this improvement then I applaud you. I believe your comments imply the problem is SOLVED. That said, this should make you very happy and bring on ye old warm fuzzy feeling. Now drop it and read the techincal forums. I have Royal Purple sitting in my oil pan right now because of your comments and subsequent supporting research I did. The stuff rocks.

You have a good thing going JR...take it from a business man...focus on the positive, avoid the uglies like a plague.

One last thing...THIS WEATHER SUCKS THIS WEEKEND!!! WAAAAAH!!!! On a positive note - my wipers work quite well and there are no leaks in my glass. People stare at wet Ferraris as much as dry ones. Note to self...hide the good towel after drying off the car...wife did not appreciate that.

Mike,

Honestly it all started when I found out from another FCA member that I was being Libled &amp; Slandered by the Good Ole Boys Club...funny thing was they didn't even know me...funny if you like being Liabled &amp; Slandered that is......realizing that people who persue such low endeavors with such zest probably lack morals, values and character and have other skeletons in their closets, low and behold when I started looking I found quite a few. Not a good thing imo when a car club is used as a pulpit and mechanism for personal agendas. Especially mean spirited and ugly self serving agendas. Heck...your sudden appearance here to take up issues you have a week or two's experience with or knowledge about smacks of agenda when looked at from a distance, of course we know it's merely coincidence.


Is the problem solved? I doubt it, but the solutions have been started and for that I'm very happy. One of the benifits you have already recieved..which should make you happy...since you've been around a couple a weeks now and you've never met me either, and know absolutely nothing about me, a word of advice from a guy that's been in the Ferrari biz for over 30 yrs now and in business in Houston working exclusively on exotics for 20 yrs...keep using Royal Purple...