Street rod, custom, and modified question

[022561]

Merle, please correct me if I'm wrong. We shouldn't recruit people who own radically customized cars? Then would you not be in favour of POCI recruting people by placing a add in a Custom car magazine?

Don

[KKlein]

Wow, I feel like this is déjà vu! These conversations are very much like I have had with a close friend who has a 52 Chieftain (I wonder if it is the same person mentioned previously). I am so glad that Alan started this thread, it has brought up many valid points. I have wondered and wondered about my friends position (which I believe aligns with a lot of those who chose to move on) and my conclusion has been that too many people are much more biased about Pontiacs than the current BOD have been accused of being. My motto has and will be that there is room in POCI for everyone’s likes, so why do so many people have to make such a ruckus about what they don’t like? I have lived just outside of Pontiac Michigan most of my life and I truly love Pontiacs. I understand why someone wants to keep one immaculate just as I understand the next person wanting to be able to drive and enjoy their Pontiac every day. My preference is not the really customized cars however I very much enjoy seeing them and all the ways they have been enhanced. My opinion and I stress that it is my opinion is this: there are a lot of people out there that want everyone else to think just like they do. What a boring world that would be! The current BOD have gone out of the way to make as many people happy as we can (refer to Dave’s comments about what we have heard and how we reacted). There truly is something for everyone in the local Chapters or the Specialty Chapters (that was the reason of beginning this thread) for everyone. Being a member of POCI affords you the opportunity to pursue your particular interest in Pontiac whatever that may be. How awesome is that? If you don’t care about some parts i.e.: modifieds or racing or trailer queens just turn the page in the magazine and something different is there, or go down a different row of cars at the Convention and something different is there. Again, there is room for everyone in POCI! But please let the next person like what he or she likes and don’t try to take it away from POCI just because it isn’t your thing. Let’s continue to be the place that has something for everyone.
Kendra

[Dualquadpete]

This has been the best discussion on this site. I have looked forward to seeing the replies instead of getting " NO NEW POSTS" when I check there, & there has been some names "popping up" that haven't been seen before [at least not by me]& I enjoyed making my feelings known to the rest of you. Hope we can start another thread with different topic & have the same turn out. Hoped to meet some of the members at convention this yr. but stated elswhere why we can't go now, disapponinted "aboot" that,was looking forward to it. OH WELL "brown stuff" happens!!!!!

[Mike Nixon]

Pete drop me an email, bad65gp@hotmail.com.

[frosty]

Kendra, the reason people complain is simply "because they can". I once heard a comedian say that "in America we have the right to be stupid and wrong." I am certain the older we get, the less tolerant we get of certain things and the more we complain. I am not saying that is right, but it does happen.

POCI is large enough to satisfy most people. You will never please all the people all of the time. Collin Powel once wrote that leadership starts with accepting two facts: (1) no matter what decision you make, you will make someone unhappy with it, (2) don’t be afraid of ****ing someone off keep you from making the right decision. As a past ski club president, I know full well how big a bulls eye is painted on the forehead, chest, and back of every BOD member – especially the president. BOD members are targets for everything wrong with the club and \occasionally get compliments on what is right with it.

Understanding why people leave (except for death or dues) has been a goal of my local ski club for years. So I hope POCI is working to understand why people are unhappy and leave in a similar way.

The hard work that goes on behind the scenes by the BOD has to be displayed in everything that POCI does – the website, Smoke Signals, etc. I am not saying you are not trying, but the balance has to be clearly visible. The convention as a whole seems to be balanced (by most opinions in this thread). Clearly Smoke Signals needs some more work based on Alan’s analysis of the last 9 months of issues.

Now that we have established the BOD is working to keeping things balanced, does that work extend into the various chapters? Is there regular communication (beyond the convention) between the national and locals? While I would agree that a lot of this interaction is indeed part of a regional director position since they are the local voice and rep to the national, is there any direct interaction between the BOD and all the local presidents, newsletter editors or boards on a regular basis to communicate what challenges POCI is faced with and what is being reviewed, accepted, rejected and why?



OK I have stood on my soapbox long enough; I will step down and let someone else speak.