MAFCA Board of Directors Ballot...ugh!

[dean from bozeman]

Just got my yearly MAFCA Board of Directors ballot. I sure would like to see a different process or electing our board members. Unless you know these people personally there is not much information that you can glean from the sheet that accompanies the ballot. There is no doubt that all of these folks have done great things in our hobby but it'd be good to have more information.

Couldn't the candidates be asked 3 or 4 questions and give written answers? I recognize the paper vs. internet thing so the cost of paper might be prohibitive but access to a computer might be limited also.

So here I sit ready to vote. I have only talked to one candidate in my life. There are three men and three women. Three wear glasses and three don't...at least in photos. Two wear ties. Two wear necklaces. One has facial hair, 5 don't. Actually I think that this year it again will be a six way tie...therefore I can't vote. However, my dues check is in the mail.

[TinCup]

All it would take is a small webpage that the ballot could direct you to in order to see more details. Not hard but they have never impressed me with their effort.

[700rpm]

I agree, Dean. And it would also be good to see some candidates who have never served on the board before; every one of this year's choices is a former board member. Good on them; experience is important. But so too is fresh perspective.

Full disclosure: I served on the Board 1980-1983, so I don't qualify for my own suggestion. Not braggin', just sayin'. But being there was a lot of fun, and I encourage everyone to consider it.

[Richard in Anaheim CA]

There are 6 candidates for 4 seats. 5 of the candidates are re-runs after serving multiple past terms, even decades.

The only non past board member is the lady from Georgia who will get my vote on general principal.

Voting members vote the same people in because they recognize a name. Directors are allowed 2 terms of 2 years each and then a 1 year layover and run again and again.

The candidates write their own blurb. They are not allowed to include their phone number or e-mail address so you can't easily contact them.

The ballots do not have a seperate envelope and most are sent with the renewal dues where the office workers remove any ballots with over 4 votes and then put them in stackes of 100 for the "counting committee" who count them months later.

Several requests for term limits and voting reform have been made but the board repeatedly refuses to put them on the ballot for bylaw change, the last time was 2010 at the national board meeting and convention in Vancouver Canada.

If it isn't on the ballot, we can't vote on it. If we don't get new blood to vote for we will never see change.

The only way to get it on the ballot is for 10% of MAFCA members to submit a petition to override the boards inaction.

[700rpm]

Richard, you live in Anaheim; why don't you run? You could then present your ideas as a Board member. I ran in 1980 because there were things I wanted to see changed, and was able to achieve them after I was elected to the Board. Go for it!

[MCHinson]

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Usually when I chime in about MAFCA or MARC on this site, I seem to irritate people, so I should probably keep quiet....of course it has not stopped me before so why now...

Not wanting to rehash the reason for the original split, I still don't understand why the two boards don't see the potential improvement of merging. I think that the positives outweigh the negatives.

Regarding MAFCA voting, Normally, I vote based on geography. I realize this is unfair and stuipid but I vote for whoever does not live in California. Maybe one day, enough people will be in favor of merging the two clubs and it will happen.

[Richard in Anaheim CA]

700rpm. I did run for the board in 2008 and lost. That year there was only 1 opening for a new name. Dave Jones, a friend, got that one and was one of our finest board members.

I attend national board meetings when they are in La Habra and speak my piece from the audience. There are several of us but we get nowhere.

MCHinson, I thought I was the only one that irritates people. Maybe if you have votred for me I might have made it :>). Voting geographically is not stupid. Woting for the same people ad infinitum is.

Don Turley, I intend to vote for Anne. Maybe ONLY Anne if you understand the game played with MAFCA elections.

I beloong to both MAFCA and MARC and I don't see them uniting ever. There may be some advantage to two philosiphies. After attending my first MARC meeting in San Diego, I think I prefer my California connection. I do intend to attend both nationals next year in WI and MI.

[pat in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by MCHinson

but I vote for whoever does not live in California.

How ironic, I vote for whomever does not live in NC.

[Brubaker]

Just took a look at my ballots(2). I thought you could only vote twice in Chicago? Kidding of course.
Would it be too much trouble to have one 'write-in' space? If the cards were scanned, I suppose that could be a problem.

[Steve Ciccalone]

I can't remember if MAFCA publishes a bio of each candiate in one of the fall issues of the magazine. Some national clubs I belong to do this. If MAFCA doesn't it should.

MAFCA elections are certainly better than the Antique Motorcycle Club of America system. New board members are selected and voted on by current sitting members with no general membership vote.

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by Don Turley

Anne Neely-Beck has never been a member of the MAFCA or MARC Board of Directors. I know her personally, as she is a member of my local Model A Club, "Shade Tree A's". Super nice lady and she has my vote!!

Thanks for the correction. I missed that.

[MCHinson]

pat,

I don't ever recall any candidate from NC.... It seems like almost all of them are always from California.... which is why I feel like I do.

If anybody from California ever comes on Fordbarn and asks for my vote, and explains how they feel about the issues, and answers questions appropriately, then that candidate could easily get my vote, even if they are from California (or anywhere else).

Richard, let me know when you run again, and you will have my vote!

[jimalabam]

Richard, lets have a Scotch & Water and discuss again you running for the BOD. For now, the lady from GAWJAH has my vote. Jim Langley...

[Jerry Parr WI]

Just got done looking at the ballot and I agree about the bios being useless. I would like to see issue information. What is the position on various things the club does like meets, judging, publications etc. Are they happy with the statis quo or what changes would they like see. Voting in the dark I may be selecting the person who is at exact opposite of my views. Where someone lives and what chapter they belong to is a poor way to pick a candidate. If they were a board member before what did they support, what did they oppose?

[Helen Ehrenhofer]

Originally Posted by Brubaker

Just took a look at my ballots(2). I thought you could only vote twice in Chicago? Kidding of course.
Would it be too much trouble to have one 'write-in' space? If the cards were scanned, I suppose that could be a problem.

My husband is from Chicago, and he says that in Chicago they vote EARLY and OFTEN.

From Illinois - the state where our governors make our license plates (in jail).

LOL

[Jim Brierley]

At one time I requested that MAFCA publish more info on candidates. The answer was there is little room in the magazine. Fine, I said, put more in with the ballots, you see how far that got. If you have a MAFCA membership roster, you might find a phone number for the candidates?

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Helen Ehrenhofer

My husband is from Chicago, and he says that in Chicago they vote EARLY and OFTEN.

From Illinois - the state where our governors make our license plates (in jail).

LOL

And you will find comfort in knowing that myself and many others hold your husband in very high esteem! And behind every good man is ........

[JoeWay]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

...And behind every good man is ........

...a woman, nagging him every step of the way?

Joe