I have been remiss in not getting a bit more information out to you in regards to the operations of the club. 


I think it is worth noting that Mary’s decision to retire came as an unexpected surprise, she gave 30 days notice, which I appreciate, but 30 days is not nearly enough time to get someone trained on all the aspects of club operation. Compounding the problem is that last summer the board decided to reduce our operating costs by reducing staff at the end of 2022. Kristen, who was part-time, knew of this and her last day with ACMOC was near the end of December. Mary let me know of her decision after Kristen’s last day and by the time that I talked with Kristen about coming back, she had already been looking for new employment, while an offer was made to her, and she indicated that she was inclined to re-join us, she ultimately made a choice to take other employment that she felt was more suited for her and her family. I cannot blame her for that and no hard feelings. The result however, was that all of this took well into January to resolve. 


In January, Mary and the board made an effort to get as many loose ends tied up as possible, there wasn’t time to get to them all and we’re still at it. My first priority was getting any outstanding orders out to members as several had been waiting for some time and to stop taking new orders that could not be fulfilled. 

The board has been working hard to resolve a number of outstanding items and unfortunately, some items are going to take longer than others to get fully online. Some of the tasks the board and other members are volunteering to do they are doing for the first time, so please have some patience while we get the bugs worked out. 

The magazine is a good example. Jan has done a fantastic job of managing the magazine for content, writing articles, etc. but our paid staff handled the mechanics of getting the magazine out the door and to you, Jan was thrown into a situation he had not been in, and while drinking from the fire hose, did a good job of handling it. There have been some members that haven't received a copy, we will get it to you, just send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  if you or someone you know did not get a magazine.

Please realize that the Club’s board of directors are not located all in one location with the ability to devote 100% of their time to the club, the majority also have “day jobs” and other commitments and do the club’s work because they are passionate about the club and the machines we all enjoy so much. 

As a board, we have a lot of work to do. 

We need to address a number of items including: 
- Getting a reliable online renewal and new member sign up function that is easy to use and will not take the attention of a person to make function.
- Resolving the status of subsidiary chapters and developing materials for chapters that would like to convert to a contract chapter
- Fully implementing a new accounting and membership software system so that we are able to process the clubs finances and member database without significant manual work
- Reinstating a store, especially for decals and reproduction parts, things that are difficult to obtain elsewhere
- Getting the club’s phone provider switched, it has been on Mary’s personal account for many years
- Handling the day-to-day as best we can
- And more….

I ask for your understanding and patience. We had a very disruptive fall that consumed a lot of time unnecessarily, but demanded attention and frankly set us back on getting things done that need to get done. Mary’s announcement was not expected and as they say, when it rains, it pours. I am very humbled by the efforts that every board member has put forth in these last few months, all have spent much more time than typical, and have every good intention for the club as a whole.

Regards,

Kurt

As an ex- Director, just recently having stepped down from the board, I wish to add a few comments to what Kurt has put forth above. I first wish to emphasize that the disruption resulting from the "Concerned Members" splinter group that took place last fall was not a small event. It arose from several issues and miss-understandings and from my perspective need not to have occurred. Nevertheless, its impact was large upon our Club. This then absorbed the attention of your Board for several months resulting in things which needed to be cared for being delegated to a "later" category. It so happened that "later" came due in January with several new members joining the board and Jim Heater and I exiting. At approximately the same time, Mary found that she had to address a medical situation within her family which necessitated her need to shift her attention to the more pressing healthcare responsibilities looming in the near future. In my conversations with her during this time, I know that she felt very torn between her leaving our employ and the needs of her family. Her priorities had to be that family comes first. I echo Kurt's remarks that the many needs of our organization were very difficult to grasp in the short time available. But we must play with the cards that were dealt us. Our current situation is such that many parties had a hand in getting us to this point. Were things done as well as possible? Maybe not but Monday morning quarterbacking is not the answer. Mary Clark served this Club for many years and accomplished much towards making it a successful club. I wish to go on record that Mary's circumstances did not allow her to provide the transition for which we all might have wished. It is up to the membership and our leaders to do the best that we can having the understanding that things are not the same as when we had Mary around to "fix things." Please be patient until this is all worked out.
Jan Meermans. ex-Director

Hello OM,

The $41K loss you noted is how much they paid Jim and I to leave the BoD!

Seriously,  a large driver of the on-going changes are an acknowledgment of operating at a loss. Note the write-down portion coming directly from the old inventory accumulated over many years. That will be a one time charge. Although no longer on the BoD, I know their approach is to streamline the Club operations with the largest savings coming from no longer having a Club Administrator. Hopefully, they can find a path forward without having an employee. A lot of that depends on the membership being less dependent on making a phone call and working on-line instead. - Jan

Old wrote:

I see a $41,047 net income LOSS reported in the last magazine. What's the plan of attack to overcome that??????

Amortization I believe is the correct term that explains this loss on the books, consolidation of the historic financial numbers as we streamline and solidify the Club. (But I defer to financial whizz, Sue, if my terminology is wrong). I believe going forward we’re in a good position and current strategies will secure the Club for the long term future, as Kurt has outlined in his posts. 

Regards,

Tony (Director)