[DeTomaso] Letter to Voting POCA Members
michael at michaelshortt.com
michael at michaelshortt.com
Tue Jan 13 12:36:00 EST 2015
OUTSTANDING Response Mike Drew.
As always, an Officer and a Gentleman.
Michael Shortt
On Tue, Jan 13, 2015 at 12:22 PM, Mark Charlton <pantera01826 at rogers.com>
wrote:
> Very well stated Mike.
>
> Mark Charlton
> pantera01826 at rogers.com
>
>
>
> On Jan 12, 2015, at 8:39 PM, Mike Drew via DeTomaso <detomaso at poca.com>
> wrote:
>
> > In a message dated 1/12/15 11 53 46, LaurieFerrari at aol.com writes:
> >
> > As a POCA member, I am asking for a REVOTE and hope that others will
> > second and agree to back up this request as a motion!
> >
> >>>> Laurie--while I appreciate your sentiment, I'd like to go on the
> > record as saying that I am *against* such a proposition.
> > While everything you say about the corruption associated with this
> > recent election is true (and there's much more besides that), and your
> > indignation is amply justified, I have taken a rather philosophical
> > stance on the matter.
> > I strongly believe that if the election had *not* been rigged, and Mike
> > Haney ran an aggressive campaign, more likely than not he would have
> > won the election anyway. Not only because of the fact that Profiles
> > production has diminished markedly in recent years (never mind the
> > various reasons for it, since I was in charge it's easy to assign blame
> > to me), but also because of that 'new car smell' associated with an
> > unknown, eager volunteer. For that reason, I haven't felt any
> > compulsion to attempt to challenge the results.
> > I have known Mike Haney for going on 25 years and we've been good
> > friends all that time, and will continue to be so. Although many
> > reprehensible things were done by a handful of unethical POCA board
> > members to ensure that the election results came out as they did, I
> > have yet to see the slightest indication that Mike himself had anything
> > to do with any of that. I am filled with admiration for anybody who
> > puts his hand up to volunteer to serve, especially in a job that is as
> > grueling and thankless as this one, and I for one appreciate his
> > willingness to enter the fray and attempt to keep the magazine going.
> > Regardless of how you might feel about how the election transpired, the
> > simple fact is that Mike Haney is now in charge, and he is going to
> > need a lot of support if he is to be successful. While arguably he is
> > more skilled than I am at the mechanics of assembling a magazine, the
> > act of laying out text and photos represents perhaps 10% of the total
> > job, at most. The remaining 90% involves networking, soliciting
> > contributions, fact-checking, editing, traveling to events, etc. etc.
> > etc. and that is where he is going to need the support of everybody in
> > the club. So I am urging everyone to avoid the temptation to hold him
> > responsible for the bad acts of others, and do whatever they can to
> > help him to ensure that Profiles doesn't simply roll over and die.
> > I would also urge people to avoid blaming POCA, as an entity, for this
> > situation. A surprising number of people have told me that they plan
> > to quit the club in protest, and there is at least one chapter that has
> > viewed this as the final straw after what they feel is a series of bad
> > acts (unrelated to the election) and is considering formally
> > disassociating themselves from POCA entirely. I view both of these as
> > being deeply disturbing and counterproductive and have been stridently
> > arguing against such actions.
> > To me, POCA is not the handful of people who are responsible for all
> > this ire; instead, POCA is the many hundreds of people all across the
> > country and around the world who together share passion for De Tomaso
> > cars, as well as the friendship and fellowship that normally follows.
> > Just as you don't renounce your US citizenship if you aren't happy with
> > the results of a presidential election, neither should you renounce
> > your POCA membership. The biggest enemy of the club is not corruption
> > at the top, but instead apathy throughout. The total number of ballots
> > returned was pretty dismal. And for year after year, club officers
> > have run uncontested, and in fact some offices have gone unfilled for
> > many years because not one single person was willing to step up to
> > volunteer.
> > To me, the takeaway from all of this is that if people want to have a
> > club that serves them, they need to be willing to serve their fellow
> > members in some capacity. Whether that means taking on a chapter
> > leadership position, or writing an article, or running for a national
> > board position, the club will only succeed if many more people are
> > willing to step up and do something. It doesn't need to be much--it
> > can be as little as casting a ballot in an election to let your voice
> > be heard. But quitting is not the answer.
> > I'd also like to once again publicly thank Chuck Engles for his hard
> > work in receiving and counting the ballots. I am convinced that he
> > maintained his high level of integrity throughout, and did the best job
> > that he possibly could, within the often-changing constraints that were
> > placed upon him. So while it may be legitimate to feel anger towards
> > some people, he is definitely not one of them. I can only hope that he
> > will be willing to continue to serve in this capacity and put the
> > negative experiences of this election behind him.
> > I thank everyone for their support over the last 20 years that I have
> > served, and I very much hope that everyone will work together to get
> > POCA past this low point and ensure that it thrives once more in the
> > future.
> > Mike
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA
> >
> > DeTomaso mailing list
> > DeTomaso at poca.com
> > http://poca.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso_poca.com
> >
> > To manage your subscription (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.)
> use the links above.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA
>
> DeTomaso mailing list
> DeTomaso at poca.com
> http://poca.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso_poca.com
>
> To manage your subscription (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.) use
> the links above.
>
--
Michael L. Shortt
Savannah, Georgia
www.michaelshortt.com
michael at michaelshortt.com
912-232-9390
This email is protected by the Electronic Communications Privacy
Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2510-2521, is confidential and may be legally
privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified
that any retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this
communication is strictly prohibited. Please reply to the sender that you
have received this message in error, then delete it. Thank you
-------------- next part --------------
OUTSTANDING Response Mike Drew.
As always, an Officer and a Gentleman.
Michael Shortt
On Tue, Jan 13, 2015 at 12:22 PM, Mark Charlton
<[1]pantera01826 at rogers.com> wrote:
Very well stated Mike.
Mark Charlton
[2]pantera01826 at rogers.com
On Jan 12, 2015, at 8:39 PM, Mike Drew via DeTomaso
<[3]detomaso at poca.com> wrote:
>A A In a message dated 1/12/15 11 53 46, [4]LaurieFerrari at aol.com
writes:
>
>A A A As a POCA member, I am asking for a REVOTE and hope that
others will
>A A A second and agree to back up this request as a motion!
>
>>>> Laurie--while I appreciate your sentiment, I'd like to go on the
>A A record as saying that I am *against* such a proposition.
>A A While everything you say about the corruption associated with
this
>A A recent election is true (and there's much more besides that), and
your
>A A indignation is amply justified, I have taken a rather
philosophical
>A A stance on the matter.
>A A I strongly believe that if the election had *not* been rigged,
and Mike
>A A Haney ran an aggressive campaign, more likely than not he would
have
>A A won the election anyway.A Not only because of the fact that
Profiles
>A A production has diminished markedly in recent years (never mind
the
>A A various reasons for it, since I was in charge it's easy to assign
blame
>A A to me), but also because of that 'new car smell' associated with
an
>A A unknown, eager volunteer.A For that reason, I haven't felt any
>A A compulsion to attempt to challenge the results.
>A A I have known Mike Haney for going on 25 years and we've been good
>A A friends all that time, and will continue to be so.A Although
many
>A A reprehensible things were done by a handful of unethical POCA
board
>A A members to ensure that the election results came out as they did,
I
>A A have yet to see the slightest indication that Mike himself had
anything
>A A to do with any of that.A I am filled with admiration for anybody
who
>A A puts his hand up to volunteer to serve, especially in a job that
is as
>A A grueling and thankless as this one, and I for one appreciate his
>A A willingness to enter the fray and attempt to keep the magazine
going.
>A A Regardless of how you might feel about how the election
transpired, the
>A A simple fact is that Mike Haney is now in charge, and he is going
to
>A A need a lot of support if he is to be successful.A While arguably
he is
>A A more skilled than I am at the mechanics of assembling a magazine,
the
>A A act of laying out text and photos represents perhaps 10% of the
total
>A A job, at most.A The remaining 90% involves networking, soliciting
>A A contributions, fact-checking, editing, traveling to events, etc.
etc.
>A A etc. and that is where he is going to need the support of
everybody in
>A A the club.A So I am urging everyone to avoid the temptation to
hold him
>A A responsible for the bad acts of others, and do whatever they can
to
>A A help him to ensure that Profiles doesn't simply roll over and
die.
>A A I would also urge people to avoid blaming POCA, as an entity, for
this
>A A situation.A A surprising number of people have told me that they
plan
>A A to quit the club in protest, and there is at least one chapter
that has
>A A viewed this as the final straw after what they feel is a series
of bad
>A A acts (unrelated to the election) and is considering formally
>A A disassociating themselves from POCA entirely.A I view both of
these as
>A A being deeply disturbing and counterproductive and have been
stridently
>A A arguing against such actions.
>A A To me, POCA is not the handful of people who are responsible for
all
>A A this ire; instead, POCA is the many hundreds of people all across
the
>A A country and around the world who together share passion for De
Tomaso
>A A cars, as well as the friendship and fellowship that normally
follows.
>A A Just as you don't renounce your US citizenship if you aren't
happy with
>A A the results of a presidential election, neither should you
renounce
>A A your POCA membership.A The biggest enemy of the club is not
corruption
>A A at the top, but instead apathy throughout.A The total number of
ballots
>A A returned was pretty dismal.A And for year after year, club
officers
>A A have run uncontested, and in fact some offices have gone unfilled
for
>A A many years because not one single person was willing to step up
to
>A A volunteer.
>A A To me, the takeaway from all of this is that if people want to
have a
>A A club that serves them, they need to be willing to serve their
fellow
>A A members in some capacity.A Whether that means taking on a
chapter
>A A leadership position, or writing an article, or running for a
national
>A A board position, the club will only succeed if many more people
are
>A A willing to step up and do something.A It doesn't need to be
much--it
>A A can be as little as casting a ballot in an election to let your
voice
>A A be heard.A But quitting is not the answer.
>A A I'd also like to once again publicly thank Chuck Engles for his
hard
>A A work in receiving and counting the ballots.A I am convinced that
he
>A A maintained his high level of integrity throughout, and did the
best job
>A A that he possibly could, within the often-changing constraints
that were
>A A placed upon him.A So while it may be legitimate to feel anger
towards
>A A some people, he is definitely not one of them.A I can only hope
that he
>A A will be willing to continue to serve in this capacity and put the
>A A negative experiences of this election behind him.
>A A I thank everyone for their support over the last 20 years that I
have
>A A served, and I very much hope that everyone will work together to
get
>A A POCA past this low point and ensure that it thrives once more in
the
>A A future.
>A A Mike
> _______________________________________________
>
> Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA
>
> DeTomaso mailing list
> [5]DeTomaso at poca.com
> [6]http://poca.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso_poca.com
>
> To manage your subscription (change email address, unsubscribe,
etc.) use the links above.
_______________________________________________
Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA
DeTomaso mailing list
[7]DeTomaso at poca.com
[8]http://poca.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso_poca.com
To manage your subscription (change email address, unsubscribe, etc.)
use the links above.
--
Michael L. Shortt
Savannah, Georgia
[9]www.michaelshortt.com
[10]michael at michaelshortt.com
912-232-9390
A
This email is protected by the Electronic Communications Privacy
Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2510-2521, is confidential and may be legally
privileged.A If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby
notified
that any retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this
communication is strictly prohibited.A Please reply to the sender that
you
have received this message in error, then delete it.A Thank you
References
1. mailto:pantera01826 at rogers.com
2. mailto:pantera01826 at rogers.com
3. mailto:detomaso at poca.com
4. mailto:LaurieFerrari at aol.com
5. mailto:DeTomaso at poca.com
6. http://poca.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso_poca.com
7. mailto:DeTomaso at poca.com
8. http://poca.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso_poca.com
9. http://www.michaelshortt.com/
10. mailto:michael at michaelshortt.com
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