I'm glad to see some coming together here, but I read a few points in the responses we've gotten so far that I'd like to address. I'm not going to be a part of this face to face in the works, so please allow me to say what I'd like to say here.
Again,
we are not attacking you. We're merely trying to hold you to the standard one assumes when they take part in the officership of a club (as a former treasurer, VP, and Pres, I hope I know a little about that), and we're bringing to light some very real concerns and constructive criticism. Welcome to a taste of the real-world: being held accountable for your actions. No one should be surprised here, hopefully. Having said that, I and I know others want nothing more than to see all of you succeed and to see the club in full swing again.
So, without further ado:
Cody
Cody Wrote:January ran smoothly for officers, we have a planner focusing on week by week tasks and we have ALL of our major events for the year posted up on Google calendar for everyone to see. For those of you suggesting change up of officers maybe you should have put your money where your mouth is and ran for a position. Better yet, if you want to get involved just mention it to me and I'll be glad to give tasks to members leading up to the car show (I definitely think it's important to get potential future leadership involved in tasks now).
I'm going to mention usage of the forum a lot here, and you're one of the worst offenders - as our president, you
need to be on here as often as possible. I understand you're busy, but as Jake pointed out, you surely must have downtime to check in now and then, to at least have a visible presence. Let us know
you're alive. The club doesn't stop when you're predisposed.
Use the officer's forum. You were fairly good at that, and then nothing on the carshow for 20 days? If this is indeed our downtime as you put it, this should be precisely when you're hustling to get things done, before they catch up to you. Plan, communicate. Thats all this is.
As an aside, missing SON is a pretty big deal. As a club that does activities primarily off campus, we are hard-pressed for "face time" opportunities with prospective members, and they are liable to not know we exist if there is no physical presence at SON. I'm sure something this blatant won't happen again.
Cody Wrote:I intend to step our game up in big ways this semester.
This is where you can "put your money where your mouth is". We are going to hold (all of) you accountable to this statement right here.
Also, if you really examine the below statements made by your fellow officers, its clear that there are some fundamental, core issues with the comprehension of being a club officer. Its you're job as president to get your fellow officers to understand their duties, and to hold them accountable to them. You're all part of, and on, the same team, but if anyone has the ability to get another officer in line, its you.
Lincoln
**I would happily call you Lincoln as you requested, but I do not, nor could I locate, your number. Regardless, I'd prefer you visit and read what I have to say for reasons I hopefully make clear below**
Lincoln Wrote:1.I am never on this forum nor am I on any other forum simply because this is not how I communicate with people. I see forums as a informative source rather then a social network unlike plenty of members on here. I mean seriously, just look at this thread....ridiculous. How is everyone able to respond to all of the BS when the alumni are suppose to have full time jobs? Sorry but back home my job doesn't allow me to troll through and complain on something as meaningless as a forum so I don't understand how you guys do it. Furthermore, Students should be in class right? hmm...Lets realize this forum isn't a life-line for everybody. THAT being said....
Lincoln, I'm pretty much at a loss on how to respond to this.
You need to learn to use these forums. Its obvious to me that you hold this very asset to our club in a very low regard. It is a life-line for our CLUB, and you and the other officers need to be on it. Why?
- Its a vital source for club information. Facebook, word of mouth, etc. are valuable but fleeting. These forums are a reliable record for all club goings-on, past, present, and future, for
everyone.
- Its a way to connect members and grow the club. This is where officers NEED to lead by example. Get people on the forums, and they'll provide a great introduction to the club - members can read, learn, see pics/videos, etc. and get a feel for what we do ahead of time, over the summer before freshman year (as I did), or if they are a bit on the shy side about just walking up to a meeting or a member cold.
How is this forum an informative source as you put it when the very people who need to be disseminating information on it aren't? Yes, we have jobs, and yes, students have class. I'm not sure what the point is there - everyone has time to visit this site, and theres no excuse for not having a presence for
months at a time.
Lincoln Wrote:I dropped the ball last semester and Im not going to even try to argue about it. Simply put, I was not NEARLY involved as I should have been. I was going through personal issues in my life that held me back from participating like an officer should. I understand my responsibilities and I have begun to take the steps to turn things around.
I'm glad that you recognize this, and hopefully things will be turning around for both you and the club.
Lincoln Wrote:Could we use that in MM? yea we definitely could but the HUGE difference is we have not been working like a team (as I am positive he did with others to make that competition happen). I feel as if there is no connection between people in MM anymore, bringing me into my fourth point....
Then you need to all bust your asses and start working as a team. Thats what we've all expected since the beginning. Set aside whatever ills you each have and do what needs to be done. If the lack of a connection you feel between other officers has grown to include discord between members, you are an officer. Its up to the officers to FIX this, and get people to come together, move on, and start doing what this club is about - cars, and safe, high performance driving. Thats all that needs to be said about that - now act on it. No one else is going to do it for you.
Lincoln Wrote:Whose friends with who? I think there are 2 people I actually hang out with in MM and that really says something about the bad hand we got dealt this year. This is what really made me almost not proud to be in MM, WHERE ARE THE CAR JUNKIES????tearing shit apart for the fun of it, living life, doing fun and crazy (unsanctioned) activities....WTF! I relate everything to back home, and simply put...we are not a "Car" club right now. It feels like a god damn business or something.
How do you feel you and the others were "dealt a bad hand"? The car/motorsport junkies are out there, but we obviously haven't done the job of ATTRACTING them, have we? No presence at SON, half assed meetings, I mean really now, level with me...what did you expect? They aren't going to come to you, you need to EARN their membership by putting together and properly communicating a solid schedule, and by
leading by example. This means making it to as many events as possible, communicating with other members in all mediums as much as possible, and generally doing the
duty that is being an officer.
Lincoln Wrote:I want to apologize for anyone who I offended, but this thread has seriously ticked me off. I may not have been involved like I should have, but for those who(**really**) know me (maybe 4 of you?) I don't take others people shit and let them walk over me. I know where my mistakes were.
You're not offending anyone (at least, me). This thread isn't meant to offend. Its meant to inform you, as one of a team
in charge of this club, of what many of
your members feel is wrong with it. Please don't read this with the impression that anyone is trying to "give you shit". You are an officer, held to a standard. This is a very real, adult challenge facing you. Rise up to it.
Lincoln Wrote:For those looking for new officers....Officers shouldn't be the only ones making things happen, if you feel you can do a better job then step the F*** up and do it.
Oh but Lincoln, they are. They very much are. At least, by a long margin. A Kline's get-together on a whim is one thing, and something yes, any student can form, but officers are
absolutely the ones that make things happen. Its a massive part of being an officer, for hopefully obvious reasons. Lets leave the "step up" comments out of this. You ALL have not been doing a satisfactory job, for this reason, that reason, whatever. I don't want to hear more of it. Now YOU have a job to do, no one else.
Lincoln Wrote:Whats an "officer position" other then having admin. rights on Facebook and this forum??? this is a CLUB!!!! it shouldn't be run by 4 people it should be run by every member in the club. The officer role should really only be used to form large events such as G force and track days, everyone says they like cars and shit but i never see anyone wrenching? I don't see many people with personalized cars either...so my message to those people...step off, im sick of hearing your whining.
Officers must
lead by example. If there is no strong officer leadership, direction, communication, or action, are you genuinely surprised that
your members aren't doing anything? They obviously don't have a platform to work from. Yes, a paramount action of the club officership is creating and seeing through the large events, but its as simple as putting together a regular, set schedule of dinner get togethers, wrench days, wash days, whatever. Do this,
stick with it even if its slow to start, and you'll see.
Kristin
Kristin Wrote:I don't know how to approach this in a nice way or without sarcasm because its really just funny to me at this point cause I don't even know why we are so heated over something not that big of a deal....really. It's like we are making a big deal out of stuff that is blown way out of proportion.
The big deal is everything Justin posted right below your initial post. No communication (you are the PR/Sec, aren't you?), no action, no fundraising, no apparent will by the current officers to accept the extended hand of alums, the list goes on.
Kristin Wrote:I agree with all of you, yeah the club seems shabby this year but we are doing work to keep it going: we had an article in the breeze, a good g-force sess, we hold Top Gear nights (or at least organize them to happen), we hold officer meetings, and 800 fliers/flyers was a good and quick alternative to Student Org night in my mind.
"Keep it going" from "shabby" is not nearly good enough. Nothing you listed is new or particularly exciting, and momentum dropped sharply after our last memorable event, G-Force, with little to no explanation of what we can expect in the future. Continuing with the status quo is tantamount to failing. That is why this discussion is happening in the first place. And no, 800 flyers in mailboxes that will more than likely be thrown away was not a good alternative to a nice, informative and visual SON display. When you get 4 full pages like we did in the past from SON, front and back, of college-ruled paper filled with names, emails and phone #'s from your flier drop, you can prove me wrong.
Kristin Wrote:We have lots of plans for the car show and yes we are working on it and explained that 2 meetings ago, the status of it, so I don't know where you people were but we've talked about it......oh well I guess we gotta post the officialness of it on the forum.
Yes Kristin, you ABSOLUTELY have to post the officialness of it on the forum. You, as PR rep, needed to post the officialness of this on the forum months ago. Where are the show plans? The sponsors? Any fliers being drafted up? You haven't even spoken with Bob Wade Subaru, as we've mentioned. Once again,
use this forum, as often as you can. You need to be keeping all of us outside of Harrisonburg, outside of your meetings and your talks
informed.
Kristin Wrote:Like Lincoln and Cody (and perhaps Matt...I forget at this point) said, this club is only led by officers, it takes the whole club's members to run it, why are you complaining about lack of social events now? Why don't you speak up in meetings or something? We try to hold social events (damn Sam was offering his whole DVD/VHS collection and was practically begging the club to come watch some F1 documentaries with him), but if you want something to happen, speak up!
Attracting, keeping, and giving voice to new members is one of, if not the hardest part of being an officer. How regular are club meetings? Since we missed SON, we obviously don't have a fresh list of contacts, but do we have some register of those interested in the club? Are they getting weekly email updates as part of a club mailing list? Again, communication needs to come to you, but it must
stem from you. That is your unique role as PR/Secretary.
Kristin Wrote:Seriously, we'd be ecstatic if you organized something or had a suggestion for improvement. Do we need to create committees within the club...like a social committee or something, I mean perhaps you guys could be more involved and such. If you're having all these wrench days why have you not posted it on the Facebook page for MM or something?
There should be no need for further club division. If you four haven't been able to connect and get your act together as of yet, further diluting the officership isn't going to solve matters.
Kristin Wrote:Hmm..my reasons for not being fully participant on the forum or my lack of motivation/enthusiasm...well I honestly don't like doing stuff for the club and then getting hit up that we don't do it good enough, well where was the suggestion or help then if it wasn't good enough? Why be mad at it after and not speak up before. Pisses me off. I'd rather spend all my time Coordinating my program for Overcoming Barriers because I get thank yous and gratitude and felt like my time was well spent, so sorry for slacking on the job of MM but I don't know if I am getting anything but "you're doing a sucky job" out of it.
Kristin, I'm going to level with you here. Being an officer is a
thankless job. No one is going to pat you on the back for you doing your job, because it is
your job. You are part of a team of officers, and the team as a whole
earns recognition. If you're looking for the same kind of individual recognition as you get in your other avenues, you're not going to get it. What you will
absolutely get, is the pride knowing you brought an amazing, diverse group of people together to enjoy the activity that is car-loving and motorsport through your own hard work, that wouldn't have happened without your involvement, and its something that bettered their lives. That is what you get.
To all:
You signed up for this job for a reason. It may not have turned out to be what you thought it would be, but that doesn't excuse you from the job that lays before you. And I
guarantee you, if you get down to it and do the job that needs to be done to turn this club around, you'll experience the kind of pride and satisfaction that fulfills you, and it'll be worth it. This club is worth being an active part of. Its worth sacrificing for.
Lead by example. Plan,
communicate amongst yourselves
and the general club membership via this forum and other means, and execute.
Goodspeed out.
