ClassicCar

SamJ

Iâ€™m annoyed with myself for posting this, because Iâ€™m as sick of these threads as most of you are, but here goes.

There has not been one new idea posted on this forum in the past two months.

Every proposed â€œimprovementâ€ for the HET Club posted on this forum has been discussed within the Club leadership and membershipâ€¦some of them for a several years. There are even committees addressing many of these issues. If you are a member and you want to know whatâ€™s going on, have an idea, or you feel like volunteering, you may contact any officer or Directorâ€¦none of them are hiding in anonymity like some of those posting here; all have full contact information including email addresses published prominently in every issue of the WTN. If you are a non-member, I sincerely invite you to bite me.

To assume that the HET Club is not addressing new ideas or receptive to them is so incredibly arrogant it triggers my gag reflex. Get over yourselves!

Ideas are a dime a dozen. Implementation in a democratic, volunteer, international club is another matter. In addressing improvements, the first issue is always priorities, and the first priority is to maintain the existing benefits the Club offers and to make sure that it is run in a financially sound manner.

The next priorities will be determined by what changes are of most benefit to the most members. First and foremost, your leadership must keep in mind that most for most of us this is a hobbyâ€¦weâ€™re in it to have fun, to enjoy our cars and to have the pleasure of meeting like-minded people. The hobby releases us from the stresses of work, family, financial pressure and endless hectoring Internet postings like this one.

We have a good Club. It is far from perfect, and everybody knows it. After all, any enterprise run by people, especially volunteer people, is never going to be everything it can be. Thatâ€™s only a goal to strive for. Ever since Meritt Marks mailed out a few postcards in 1959 asking people if they wanted to form a Club, weâ€™ve been striving to better ourselves. Join us, respect the 50 years of effort that so many people have put in to benefit the rest of us, or buzz off.:cool:

hudsonkid

Sam, I respect your post, and think you outlined a lot. One of my questions is quite simple. The other is a bit more complex.

1) If the club is working on these initiatives, or ideas, all of which you say, are not new, and several, for a few years, even, why does it seem to the common layperson, that little progress is being made.

(now, I understand, that you are not the person to answer this question, because, I feel for what you and others contribute to the club, via publishing the WTNs, is quite commendable, but I figure I would toss that out there anyway)

2) Just this past Monday, I exhibited, how simple and quick, one could post up a website, assign a paypal account to accept funds, (in the challenge I was offered, it was for "Whiz Kid", even though, "HET CLUB" would be just as easy) all of this in under ten minutes. It was perhaps very simple, and basic, but it worked, and was to the point. My question here is, this one seems to be so easy, yet I cannot figure out why it has not been done? Obviously, it can't be a know how or time issue....

Maybe at the next nationals, someone ought to bring a laptop, use the hotel wireless, get the passwords for the HET site, log on and put it in place. The fee structure could be decided by the board right then and there. This is not hard HTML, I am not an expert, and even I was able to easily figure this out.

I think that the committees, and leadership, and everyone else has talked about these ideas, and innitiatives enough. I'm starting to think it is just like meetings at work, IMHO.

I know change takes time, and that okay, but the perception seems to be that all of the ideas are stuck in the trunk, and the stepdown is in neutral.

I perhaps feel that most of the ideas are taken at face value, maybe they are valued at a dime a dozen, but perhaps in that bunch, there is a truly golden nugget of an idea that makes a lot of sense. If ideas are viewed as a dime o' dozen, ten what motivation would someone have to offer up any in the first place?

I feel that every idea, even how bad it may look, should be thought about and considered, before it is thrown down.

With your statement of joining, or stop crying, I wholeheartedly agree with that. Guess what? I'm not going away, I'm joining in! and I have tried to get the others that seem to have good ideas, to do the same. Only way you can foster change is to be an agent. I learned that from SamJ. (hey, if nothing else, I'll get a couple of issues of the WTN!)

I think you said a lot in your post, and I know we have not always met eye to eye on every thing spoken on this board, but I feel you ave given me a fair shake, and that's cool with me.

Take care Sam, thank you for posting, I do sincerely appreciate your voice on this, I hope that you look at my comments as constructive, that was my intent.

Best!

Hudsonkid

Ron P

Just A Bunch Of Lip Service From The Peanut Crowd Sam

hudsontech

Kid, you've made your point - on more forum postings than most of us will do in a year.

I've been in the HET club for 37 years, and I have never in all that time met anybody with more complaints than you. I am just glad you don't live in my house.

So, give it a rest for a while - go out and play in your sandbox. Quit beating things to death.

Alex Burr

HudsonTech

Memphis, TN

Ron P

hudsontech wrote:

Kid, you've made your point - on more forum postings than most of us will do in a year.

I've been in the HET club for 37 years, and I have never in all that time met anybody with more complaints than you. I am just glad you don't live in my house.

So, give it a rest for a while - go out and play in your sandbox. Quit beating things to death.

Alex Burr

HudsonTech

Memphis, TN

Thank You Alex...Your My Other Hero..

nhp1127

SamJ wrote:

Iâ€™m annoyed with myself for posting this, because Iâ€™m as sick of these threads as most of you are, but here goes.

There has not been one new idea posted on this forum in the past two months.

Every proposed â€œimprovementâ€ for the HET Club posted on this forum has been discussed within the Club leadership and membershipâ€¦some of them for a several years. There are even committees addressing many of these issues. If you are a member and you want to know whatâ€™s going on, have an idea, or you feel like volunteering, you may contact any officer or Directorâ€¦none of them are hiding in anonymity like some of those posting here; all have full contact information including email addresses published prominently in every issue of the WTN. If you are a non-member, I sincerely invite you to bite me.

Ideas are a dime a dozen. Implementation in a democratic, volunteer, international club is another matter. In addressing improvements, the first issue is always priorities, and the first priority is to maintain the existing benefits the Club offers and to make sure that it is run in a financially sound manner.

The next priorities will be determined by what changes are of most benefit to the most members. First and foremost, your leadership must keep in mind that most for most of us this is a hobbyâ€¦weâ€™re in it to have fun, to enjoy our cars and to have the pleasure of meeting like-minded people. The hobby releases us from the stresses of work, family, financial pressure and endless hectoring Internet postings like this one.

We have a good Club. It is far from perfect, and everybody knows it. After all, any enterprise run by people, especially volunteer people, is never going to be everything it can be. Thatâ€™s only a goal to strive for. Ever since Meritt Marks mailed out a few postcards in 1959 asking people if they wanted to form a Club, weâ€™ve been striving to better ourselves. Join us, respect the 50 years of effort that so many people have put in to benefit the rest of us, or buzz off.:cool:

Jeez Sam...

All we proposed for was for a modern website and discussed the benefits that come with it.( Hudson Kid already solved the online membership issue right?). Seems some still want to live back in the time when stepdowns were still being built.

Please pass this on to the Prez....

1. Get some quotes on a modern website and then we can figure out how to pay for it.

Should it be a high priority? Ofcourse.

Thank you, Niels

Jim Kilday

The "Kid" needs to make that tofu sandwich and go look for a life. If you cannot see by now he is a troublemaker and can talk all day and never let go of an idea then you aren't reading what he says. Forget about the quantity and concentrate on the quality of his comments.

I've found that completely shunning guys like this will eventually shut them up. To engage him in a dialog only encourages him.

If you just ignore him--he'll go away when his audience is gone.

Jim Kilday

hudsonkid

hudsontech wrote:

Kid, you've made your point - on more forum postings than most of us will do in a year.

I've been in the HET club for 37 years, and I have never in all that time met anybody with more complaints than you. I am just glad you don't live in my house.

So, give it a rest for a while - go out and play in your sandbox. Quit beating things to death.

Alex Burr

HudsonTech

Memphis, TN

Alex, I don't think my tone is of complaining. If you don't like it, follow the easy instructions on how to add me to your ignore list. Quite frankly, I think it was you that was crying the other week about not having up to date information on the HET club website, do I need to find the post?

QUite frankly, you blow like the wind, some days you post something that's useful, others, you just find the need to be counterproductive. I challenge you to find where I complained in the above post, just once,, and see what you find. I think that i tried o be complimentary of SamJs post, and I did not sit here and whine like you accuse me of. I just get tired of the bunch of you that make this a continual assault on the rest of us that offer anything up for discussion that does not fall into your realm of proper topics.

Take care, I'm done with you, I find your replies to me a waste of my time. I am adding you to the rest of the bandwidth wasters, shortly. Funny I see several others that posted in this thread, and the only posts I can read, are nhp1127, at least he has something constructive to add, and mot biting, and bitter.

Where are the moderators?

oh yeah, it doesn't bother me, look at the source.

You've been "ignored" !

hudsonkid

WIsh I knew what Ron and Jim said, but don't care about their responses either.... Jim didn't like it when I proved him wrong, let's see how it feels for you....

Alex whining?

hornettwinh

Sam, you are a good man, Charlie Brown. Who is someone who has the name or as part of his name is royer?

Thanks

MCH

drivergo2

Huraaay Stand Your Ground Kid, You To Alex.the Rest Of You Guys Too. This Is What Makes This Forum Great, Good Info. Williness To Help Eachother And Still Disagree. John Drivergo2

denverslim

Hey, I'm kinda feeling left out here! How do I get on the "Ruler of the Hudson Board's" ignore list?

1941HUDSON

Cant We All Just Get Along!

66patrick66

SamJ wrote:

There has not been one new idea posted on this forum in the past two months.

Every proposed â€œimprovementâ€ for the HET Club posted on this forum has been discussed within the Club leadership and membershipâ€¦some of them for a several years. There are even committees addressing many of these issues. If you are a member and you want to know whatâ€™s going on, have an idea, or you feel like volunteering, you may contact any officer or Director

To assume that the HET Club is not addressing new ideas or receptive to them is so incredibly arrogant it triggers my gag reflex. Get over yourselves!

Sam, like Kid said, if these things have been discussed "for several years" to use your words, why have these things not been implemented? My idea of having Club merchandise like cups, shirts, and the like sold through a conduit like cafepress.com is certainly the first time I have seen that mentioned here. Along with that, there can be a stock of certain higher-demand products of this type through the Club store for National and Regional meets, and for those who are not online. So, all of the ideas presented are rehashing of "old" ideas? So, what is the implementation status of some these ideas? Can't be for lack of volunteers to help them along? Can't be for a national HET organization not having money!

If these things are "old news", as it were, what is up with all that has been mentioned so far? You come out with the above statement, it seems you may possess some of the arrogance of which you claim WE as a forum, have been having of late! This does work both ways.

No pi$$ing contest here, Sam, but you DID brought this part up first as the thread initiator.

Ron P

denverslim wrote:

Hey, I'm kinda feeling left out here! How do I get on the "Ruler of the Hudson Board's" ignore list?

You Are Denverslim, You Are..LOL. Ron

royer

Why don't I have the frustrations with the HET club that other people do? Developing an answer to that question made me realize that I as an individual member do not have much to do with the HET club. I read the WTN and look up names and addresses in the roster, but that's about it.

It's the local chapters that members have real interaction with. I am blessed to be in the middle of five of the finest chapters in HET; Silver State, Grand Canyon, California Inland, Southwestern Boarders, and Southern California. I manage to get to two meets a year, and am always warmly welcomed by the members and officers of the above mentioned chapters. This is why I don't have any criticisms of HET.

What is the condition of your local chapter? If it sucks, it's the fault of the people who belong there, not a HET officer or director that lives a thousand miles away. Or maybe its your fault because you don't belong to the chapter.

A big thank you to chapter presidents Arnie, Jon, Richard, Frank, Janet and the countless people that work hard to make the Southwest the best place in the world to own a Hudson.

Browniepetersen

Hi Matt,

Have you made it to Laughlin? I've had the Salt Flats Racer there a few times and seldom miss the show. By the way, you can add to your list of great chapters all those in and around you--all a part of the Western Region. See you at the Western Regional in California in May?

Brownie Petersen

royer

I've been to Laughlin the last two years. I think I met you at the 2006 Laughlin Meet. I'm sure the Deseret Chapter is excellent also, I've enjoyed meeting all you Utah guys.

I'm planning on going to San Jose in May with my Commodore 6 if I can get it roadworthy in time, otherwise I'll be there in my private jet (Hudson Jet). LOL

Ol racer

FYI

I owned Hudson's since late '50's and belonged to the HET Club in the early 60's when it was a fledging Group of enthusists for several years while racing modified Hornets but left the Club when I moved into late model cars.

Later in the early '90's I bought a basket case Hudson Truck and re-joined the Club, I was pleasantly suprised at how large the Club grew from the early days.

I was even more thankfully suprised to see the growth of the WTN magazine's, parts sources, Classified's, The mechanical upgrades available, Part number interchanges converted to modern NAPA/AutoZone parts, Regional Chapters all over the Country, free Tech Tips from member experts in their field of expertise, the HET Web Site, and the Annual National HET Meets, rotated around our Country, where strangers quickly become friends because of their common interest.

Personally, I feel that all of us that love our Hudson's owe these great accomplishment to the dedicated volunteers of the HET Club over the past 48+ yrs.

Since I cant participate in many Club or Chapter activities I do not try to change the thinking of the majority that can participate.

Admitedly, we are in an electronic era like never before, constantly being forced to do more and more by computer. Some things I like better online while other things I still prefer to talk to a 'live' person;

Eventually, we may not have a choice but, until then, I respect the Club's decision to focus on more priority Hudson Tasks...

Chuck Vorse

akcoop

I have tried to resist the urge to jump into the pig pen, but here goes. I believe Lee Dodd is looking for someone to take over running the club store. It has been a lot of work for him for a volunteer job and like many in the club he is getting up in years. My recommendation for anyone with complaints about the club store is to step up (maybe even join the club) and take over running it. Last I heard, when he asked for someone to replace him, I don't remember any long lines of volunteers. Oh yeah, thats right, NO ONE volunteered.

What say you, Hudsonkid? There is no better indication of your desire for change than to make it yourself.

Aaron Cooper

Central Iowa HET

46HudsonPU

akcoop wrote:

I have tried to resist the urge to jump into the pig pen, but here goes. I believe Lee Dodd is looking for someone to take over running the club store. It has been a lot of work for him for a volunteer job and like many in the club he is getting up in years. My recommendation for anyone with complaints about the club store is to step up (maybe even join the club) and take over running it. Last I heard, when he asked for someone to replace him, I don't remember any long lines of volunteers. Oh yeah, thats right, NO ONE volunteered.

What say you, Hudsonkid? There is no better indication of your desire for change than to make it yourself.

Aaron Cooper
Central Iowa HET

In 2006, a BOD committee made a recommendation to provide a 'stipend' to the Club Store manager. Don't know how much it was to be, never heard what came of it (?) or if it was approved... But:
- The club does 'pay your way' to the Annual Meeting (Lodging, food and mileage - 2005 total expenses for the HET Club Store manager's attendance at the Annual meet was $2,223.64) - but selling store merchandise would probably keep one pretty busy during the Meet...
- And, a "Mgr's Comp" of $400 per month was paid from 8/2005 - 6/2006, and probably continues to this day...

Granted, this is not a LOT of $$, but it may be some incentive for someone to take-on the management of this position.

Before you ask - no, I am not interested in that position... However, as indicated, I think that HudsonKid would do us proud -

hudsonkid

akcoop wrote:

I have tried to resist the urge to jump into the pig pen, but here goes. I believe Lee Dodd is looking for someone to take over running the club store. It has been a lot of work for him for a volunteer job and like many in the club he is getting up in years. My recommendation for anyone with complaints about the club store is to step up (maybe even join the club) and take over running it. Last I heard, when he asked for someone to replace him, I don't remember any long lines of volunteers. Oh yeah, thats right, NO ONE volunteered.

What say you, Hudsonkid? There is no better indication of your desire for change than to make it yourself.

Aaron Cooper

Central Iowa HET

I like this idea. If it is something that I do not pursue, let anyone know right now, that I will dedicate myself to helping said volunteer get the store online, take pictures of every item, and do whatever I can to help them make the transition to getting the club store online. Not sure if I want to deal with sending stuff out, etc... but if the club were to pay my way to the meets, and all I got to do is sell, that is a pretty sweet deal. I enjoy selling, so it wouldn't be that hard for me to transition into. Besides, it would get me to a few meets where I normally wouldn't go.

Let me think about it, I got a ton of bad stuff going on this week, I will toss it around for a couple of days.

46HudsonPU

hudsonkid wrote:

I like this idea. If it is something that I do not pursue, let anyone know right now, that I will dedicate myself to helping said volunteer get the store online, take pictures of every item, and do whatever I can to help them make the transition to getting the club store online. Not sure if I want to deal with sending stuff out, etc... but if the club were to pay my way to the meets, and all I got to do is sell, that is a pretty sweet deal. I enjoy selling, so it wouldn't be that hard for me to transition into. Besides, it would get me to a few meets where I normally wouldn't go.

Let me think about it, I got a ton of bad stuff going on this week, I will toss it around for a couple of days.

Sending stuff out shouldn't be a big deal... Establish an online account with either UPS or USPS (or both)... USPS will send you 'Priority' boxes, labels & even tape (no charge - at least there wasn't a couple of years ago), you can do the postage online, and they will even pick-up your shipments...
If you want to get really fancy, you can even get a set of scales to weigh your purchases (if the HET Store doesn't already own one(?)).

akcoop

Hudsonkid, if you did take the job and anybody had a grievance with the Club Store service, we could just post them right here.

Heck, Alex might even set up your own sub-topic section just for you!!

Aaron Cooper

Central Iowa HET

Pacemaker500

royer wrote:

......It's the local chapters that members have real interaction with. ....be in the middle of five of the finest chapters in HET; Silver State, Grand Canyon, California Inland, Southwestern Boarders, and Southern California.

Now I get it. I have to move to the west coast (he said tongue in cheek).

I do not live close enough to a local chapter to feel I would be welcome. And since the car is nto raod worthy yet, I feel I would not be wlecome if I lived closer.

No, I do not feel I have been told no car no meeting. This is my personal preference as I can not afford a trailer and vehicle to tow the Goddess of the Garage to a meet of any kind.

I would love to be nearer members that could help teach me more by wathcing over my shoulder, pointing things out, turning a wrench and drinking my insert-beverage-of-choice here.

As it is I will just have to wait until the Army moves us again and hope it is near one of the other finest clubs in the H.E.T. I would gladly buy dinner for the Pittsburgh group to travel over here and take a look under the bonnet.

Pacemaker500

akcoop wrote:

...I believe Lee Dodd is looking for someone to take over running the club store. It has been a lot of work for him for a volunteer job and like many in the club he is getting up in years. My recommendation for anyone with complaints about the club store is to step up (maybe even join the club) and take over running it. Last I heard, when he asked for someone to replace him, I don't remember any long lines of volunteers. Oh yeah, thats right, NO ONE volunteered.

Alex (or anybody else):

Since I could not afford to attend the National, I would not have know of this request. And since I do not live near enough to a local club, I do not belong, so again, I would not have heard of this request.

And I do not recall this request being published in the proceedings of the National.

Based on my membership status - it is the proceedings of the Club that I would be looking to the request of a volunteer to help run or take over the club store. Heck, if it got posted here, I would be tickled. Yet your post is the first time I have seen any mention of it.

I hope someone can step up and help. I know I can not at this time.

Sometimes people like being asked instead of being scolded for not volunteering.

hudsonkid

Pacemaker500 wrote:

Now I get it. I have to move to the west coast (he said tongue in cheek).

I do not live close enough to a local chapter to feel I would be welcome. And since the car is nto raod worthy yet, I feel I would not be wlecome if I lived closer.

No, I do not feel I have been told no car no meeting. This is my personal preference as I can not afford a trailer and vehicle to tow the Goddess of the Garage to a meet of any kind.

I would love to be nearer members that could help teach me more by wathcing over my shoulder, pointing things out, turning a wrench and drinking my insert-beverage-of-choice here.

As it is I will just have to wait until the Army moves us again and hope it is near one of the other finest clubs in the H.E.T. I would gladly buy dinner for the Pittsburgh group to travel over here and take a look under the bonnet.

Don't you live near the western reserve folks?

The "S" guys?

As Mater would say, "I would give my left two lugnuts to live that close to those guys", they're awesome. They typlify what the real HET is all about IMHO. There is a group of guys that have been nothing but friendly and helpful to me, not matter what, ever, and always.

bent metal

royer wrote:

Why don't I have the frustrations with the HET club that other people do? Developing an answer to that question made me realize that I as an individual member do not have much to do with the HET club. I read the WTN and look up names and addresses in the roster, but that's about it.

It's the local chapters that members have real interaction with. I am blessed to be in the middle of five of the finest chapters in HET; Silver State, Grand Canyon, California Inland, Southwestern Boarders, and Southern California. I manage to get to two meets a year, and am always warmly welcomed by the members and officers of the above mentioned chapters. This is why I don't have any criticisms of HET.

What is the condition of your local chapter? If it sucks, it's the fault of the people who belong there, not a HET officer or director that lives a thousand miles away. Or maybe its your fault because you don't belong to the chapter.

A big thank you to chapter presidents Arnie, Jon, Richard, Frank, Janet and the countless people that work hard to make the Southwest the best place in the world to own a Hudson.

Funny, I was thinking the same thing. I don't feel frustrated either. But, I'm in the California Inland Chapter. Maybe that makes the difference. I also agree that if you don't like the way your chapter is...get involved. Maybe then ya can realize how much effort and time it takes to make things happen and you'll be more apreciative of what others are doing. Step up. Don't get nasty and criticise what others are doing try helping out and volunteer.

Pacemaker500

hudsonkid wrote:

Don't you live near the western reserve folks?

Not close enough to make meetings with out spending the night in a hotel. Even with only being 44, I can not drive at night. It is light blindness thing. I lose track of the road. So it is dawn to dusk for me.

SRCraftsman2

Pacemaker500 wrote:

Not close enough to make meetings with out spending the night in a hotel. Even with only being 44, I can not drive at night. It is light blindness thing. I lose track of the road. So it is dawn to dusk for me.

Pace 500:

I realize most of our meets are in Ohio, but we have had some within two hours of you, Harlansburg PA, Bridgeville PA, Midland PA, and I believe there will be a PA meet in March. I am also thinking of a fall meet in Foxburg or Volant PA, both of which would get you home around 5PM in the daylight. And hey if you are willing to pop for a hot lunch I would come over sometime this spring and skin a few knuckles in your garage.

hudsonkid

SRCraftsman2 wrote:

Pace 500:

I realize most of our meets are in Ohio, but we have had some within two hours of you, Harlansburg PA, Bridgeville PA, Midland PA, and I believe there will be a PA meet in March. I am also thinking of a fall meet in Foxburg or Volant PA, both of which would get you home around 5PM in the daylight. And hey if you are willing to pop for a hot lunch I would come over sometime this spring and skin a few knuckles in your garage.

if he would buy me a dinner, i would consider coming over for a day, as well. Careful whay you bargain for, I'm a big fella, witha big appetite...

Pacemaker500

SRCraftsman2 wrote:

And hey if you are willing to pop for a hot lunch I would come over sometime this spring and skin a few knuckles in your garage.

hudsonkid wrote:

if he would buy me a dinner, i would consider coming over for a day, as well. Careful whay you bargain for, I'm a big fella, witha big appetite...

I am serious. I am working on getting a repro wiring harness (the OEM is just too bad to save). My target is a nice weekend in May to do the install. I will gladly get a huge sub from Subway, beverages (let me know what you drink as we do not stock pop and malt beverages). You mentioned hot lunch -we can do that too.

I have some winter work, too. Finish rear shocks, replace seals on gear box (after pulling seat and floor board), reinstall rebuilt water pump once it gets back and finish reinstall of left rear passenger door window and all the door trim.

bellbigdawg

I live centrally in twin cities, MN. and I would definitly take over the club store position if given the chance. I sell through Amazon at work, Ebay at home, got time, ship stuff every day anyway, have all the resources to run, etc. I'm a HET member, and have a local chapter. I'm a type A personnality, so I love jumping into things to get the job done! have a 41 and just bought a 37, both pickups, to haul goods to meet. just a thought!!

hudsonkid

bellbigdawg wrote:

I live centrally in twin cities, MN. and I would definitly take over the club store position if given the chance. I sell through Amazon at work, Ebay at home, got time, ship stuff every day anyway, have all the resources to run, etc. I'm a HET member, and have a local chapter. I'm a type A personnality, so I love jumping into things to get the job done! have a 41 and just bought a 37, both pickups, to haul goods to meet. just a thought!!

If you get the assignment, Let me know, i would be glad to help with the HTML work, if you decide to go that route... and all of this is a big IF, I guess....

Oh well...

topsgtsarg

nhp1127 wrote:

Jeez Sam...

All we proposed for was for a modern website and discussed the benefits that come with it.( Hudson Kid already solved the online membership issue right?). Seems some still want to live back in the time when stepdowns were still being built.
Please pass this on to the Prez....
1. Get some quotes on a modern website and then we can figure out how to pay for it.

Should it be a high priority? Ofcourse.

Thank you, Niels

Howdy y'all!

Well......, who wants to spend some time overseeing the website every day, for free? It would take someone who has lots of time and no need for earning an income, too.

It seems to me that I have heard many statements by various leadershio and membership that the credit card thing "might" be costly for a none profit club like ours. I don't see that as fully factual but yet might have some ring of truth to it even so.

It would make the Club Store and Membership, new and renewal, a lot simpler, I think.
The automated website payment of membership and club store items? I have heard words of fear that it could be hard to stay up with either of them. Remember those guys who do big business as noted above have a staff working on whatever the operation is doing and they are paid a living wage. :mad:

Nothing ventured equals nothing gained, does it not?

The web site quickly updated year round; the club store purchase of items to sell and selling them; the membership chairperson keeping up with 3601 active members (over 10,000 with living but enactive ones included) around the world who all too often forget to renew or help that 'new guy or gal' to join up plus perfectly good members dying; these three volunteer jobs are demanding of a persons time. :o

Retirees have the time but loose the drive all too easily after the 40 to 100 hours a week just to stay on top of their HET duties while they are somewhere North of 60 years old.

Working people already are too busy, like my wife and I used to be when we had children at home.

As you can see, there is a logistic problem whenever you are talking about any all volunteer operation such as our beloved HET. :rolleyes:

Spread the word about your supporting credit card for club store and membership usage.

Campaign for someone who can dedicate willingly 20 to 40 hours a week to maintain the website accurately and quickly.

Support the Club Store manager whoever they are in their endeavors to improve the function and supplies available through it.

Support your services that HET has made available to you by making any directly related complaints about any of them to the person working in that service center for you and not jump directly to a board member or the club president, please. You don't bypass the ones doing the duty at work or in the military do you except as a last resort? Bypassing, not working on improvements with those doing the work, does not work in a volunteer operation, either. :eek:

Volunteer, work from within, and don't gripe!
Constructive criticism kindly and with a LOT of thinking before griping goes a long way to keeping other volunteers glad to be volunteers. Leaderships first step is to observe and make notes before making any changes. (not like a king might do)

You can lead a volunteer to work but not even a 2x4 placed strategically with momentum to the head will make them work; not faster; not better; not at all.

Now, having said all that, Please.......Please make your way into really liking people and their habits, no matter how much you may disagree with their looks, smells, clothing or whatever other excuse for disliking them you may express.

After all, we are no longer children trying to vie for the best position in our small circle, are we?

royer

topsgtsarg wrote:

It would make the Club Store and Membership, new and renewal, a lot simpler, I think.

You're right! My piano store has had it's credit/debit card acceptance raise from 55% to 87% of sales in the last three years. Sure, it costs me a little bit in fees, but I only have to go to the bank once or so a week instead of 5 days a week. That alone saves me about 3 hours a week of drive and stand in line time (and reduces my risk of being robbed)

hudsonkid

Bruce, I appreciate your thoughts here....

I would not even bother to have the club explore a credit card option, per se, I think that for the size, and ease of use, paypal would be sufficient. I think that a 3% "handling fee' could be charged to offset the paypal money mongers...

I don't think the time is that much to maintian the website. I would think that the biggest time investment would be the initial set-up. I bet there might be 20-60 hours of time there. After that, it would be routine maintenance. maybe 2-5 hours a week, TOPS.

I would set up the membership to send out a "heads up" e-mail that the member in question is getting close to renewal time. I would have them sent out twice a day for the last two months (okay, maybe two reminders, then one, if the membership lapses....)

I think that you had various good points here. Thanks for sharing.

Rick

ESSX28-1 · ESSX28-1 January 2008 Posts: 995Platinum Member

Bruce

Perhaps someone needs to be "volentold" if no one will volenteer!!

46HudsonPU

ESSX28-1 wrote:

Bruce
Perhaps someone needs to be "voluntold" if no one will volunteer!!

That only works in the military or '9-5' world, where there are paychecks at risk, managers/supervisors and employees - and then only 'sometimes'...

37 Terraplane#2 · 37 Terraplane#2 January 2008 Posts: 1,659Platinum Member

Bruce made some very solid coments, well thought out. One very important, lead not dictate,the 2x4 don't work. Time consumeing can wear out the best of efforts, everything need not be lumped for one person to do. A link on the site to a person handling your needs, IE; store stuff, someone else;memberships, another for WTN. ETC Break the load down to smaller individual tasks as much as possable., it can all be programed to run thru the main site with one person just keeping track of the whole as their task. Wifes former employer just went thru a situation such as this. They talked her into staying an extra year past her retirement and ran the old and new way at the same time to get all the bugs out before totally going the new route, when they did everything worked out with no problems. All the info is done and kept track of by computer. Only actual packing / shipping done manually.

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