Year End

[Jon Bradbury]

I second John's proposal and add a big thank you to Tim and Sue for all there work over the years.

I do remember the old club (only for about a year) and as I wasn’t part of the inner circle (clique) I never felt I was welcome unlike now when all are welcomed with open arms

 

Well spoken John and Chris - gets my vote, too!

[Guest Snoopy]

I agree with all of the above.

 

Well done Tim and Sue and thank you.

[Guest allenr03]

CMA makes some good points.

 

Web based membership admin should be fairly easy to do, Paypal would be an ideal machanism.

 

The club has plenty of members who would take on responsibility for individual tasks and Area Secs could run their local shows. In some cases this might be 2 or 3 people planning and managing an event once a year.

 

I'm sorry to see you go Tim, I haven't been able to get to many shows but the ones I have seen have been well organised and I've always felt welcomed. Without the club I doubt I would have completed my car to the standard I have, in fact I doubt I would have completed it at all!!

 

I wish I had more time to get involved but I suspect, like alot of people, work gets in the way!

 

I sincerely hope the club goes on.

[Guest Bob's Babe]

Thanks to all of you for your very kind words and thoughts.

 

I may have said this in the past, re on line membership, but I still think someone has to check that they are there and paid to generate the paperwork and card to be sent so I'm not sure it would be time efficient.

 

We currently have about 700 members, this has dropped from around 800 two years ago, so funds are not as good as they could be, given that we have to cover postage of all membership stuff and the printing and posting of the mags, purchase of membership cards, stickers, paper, envelopes and labels.

 

Paying someone to do the membership stuff is a possibility but this then becomes a job/chore and not something someone wants to do for their club, so may not be done as the club deserves.

 

The database isn't an easy thing to split up and have too many people using it or trying to add to it at any time as it will still need to be in one place at one time to be fully updated and refreshed so I'm not sure that you can split the membership stuff from the financial stuff from the magazine stuff... unless several people live close enough to keep updating it regularly and passing it round, or meeting at one house to share the mag stuffing job.

 

Tim, I'm sure, would be honoured with a 'Presidential' title, though it may go to his head

......but I feel that if someone is going to do this job then they deserve to be the figure head and front man

 

Thanks again for all the flatteringly wonderful things so many of you have said.

We are both very touched....as you all know

 

SUE

 

PS: the other little point is that before anyone can change how things are done now, someone has to stand, be elected and then propose the changes and get them passed by the new committee.

[Guest Bob's Babe]

I'm not a technical person....it's taken me four years to get used to this and I still can't do Shout or Chat room......but Tim doesn't think the database could go on the net because of data protection and not being able to keep it secure

 

Hope that's right and makes sense to you techno people

 

SUE

[Guest allenr03]

Online membership renewal would create a list of new members that need packs sending out. It would save the opening and sorting of mail. The membership packs could be made up in advance - pay a couple of teenagers for a weekends work - I'm sure a member will have a couple lying around somewhere who could do with the money!! The member numbers could be written on the envelopes so when they are sent out they could be matched to online applications easily and a database could produce labels to be stuck on the envelopes. Time to handle each application would be minimised as much as possible that way.

 

Membership lists could be made accessible to area secs who would make new members welcome and organise local events. The shows could be organised by area secs and overseen/supported by the Chairman.

 

Whatever the issues are with the data protection act they can be overcome. Could the membership renewal be put online Matt?

[Guest ScotMac]

Tim and Sue, it appears you have thought this out well, and have made the right decision.

 

Even all the from the US (especially, actually), i have appreciated the work you both have done for the club. Sounds like you are currently in a difficult situation, so here's to hoping it gets better, so that you can get back to enjoying life and the club.

 

Cheers, -Scot

[Guest Tim Norman]

Of the 700 members we have less than 25% use this forum. Si if membership was an on line affair there would still be 75% of the traditional memberships to sort.

[Mat-Moo]

Not only that but we are talking about a custom peice of software as well, where/when/who will produce that?

[Guest salty_monk]

What about using a mailing house to stuff & address the envelopes etc & send out the mags?

They could handle the bulk of renewals in one foul swoop..... My missus knows a lot about that stuff, may be able to suggest someone who can cope with the "relatively" small volume.

 

Just a thought.

 

Dan

[Guest Guy Wilson]

I too, would like to say a Big THANK YOU to both Tim & Sue.

 

When my dad and I first bought our first hood a few years ago now, it was all very new to us.

Since then both Tim, Sue and the club have always made us feel very welcome and we have got

to know some great people. Enabling us to have some great weekends. This is why after selling our kitcar,

to venture into new toys, we have remained in the club.

 

Thanks again to both Tim and Sue, your hard work throughout the years was very much appreciated, an not unnoticed.

 

 

Now roll on 2008!!! A year of change it may seem, but also the year that Tim finally gets to get Bobson

on the track to show us all how to do it.

 

Guy, Claire & Pat (dad)

[Guest Dee Jay]

 

When I took on the “Chair” back in 2002 I had no idea what I was stepping into. It seemed to be a trend, as I had been voted in as Area Sec for Notts by a 2:1 ratio some 2 years earlier. Granted they took the vote while I was in the toilet and there were only two of them, both committee members, in the bar.

 

In the beginning there was Peter Knight, Mick Mellors and myself. A few years of Mick not getting his own way saw him disappear and Graham Holdway step into the fray.

 

When we took the “Club” on the previous incumbents had held the reigns for about 10 years. The basic format of magazines was similar to now and there were about 10 Area Secs. As part of the hand over we were given a very basic list of names and addresses, and eventually, after a great deal of pestering and badgering, a lump sum of just over £1000. No accounts, no reasons, just a BACS transfer. We decided that this closed approach was not an option. They used the same mentality at the shows. If they didn’t know you the chance of getting any kind of conversation or support from them was slim at best. Our approach was to open up the “Club”. We keep a database of all records, their cars and their financial input into the “Club”. We publish these records in each magazine so everybody can see where the “Club” stands. I have been a bit slack this year in keeping the receipts up to date but this will be done by the AGM.

 

At the shows we are always approachable and usually end up being the butt of many a joke but we don’t take offence, well not often.

 

To make the shows a more family friendly environment we decided to start taking a BBQ and food to encourage more and more folk to stop the night. To house these people we bought a few small gazebos. They are a lot easier to transport and put up than the monster we inherited. This presented its own problems in that over the last few years either sue or I have gone to the show with our kit but rarely both. At Newark our efforts have meant that we have won the best-attended Club stand for the last ten years.

 

Another thing we introduced was the inclusion of a list, which gave details of the Hoodies in a member’s locality. I know of many good friendships that have blossomed as a result of this list and the bond that will last beyond the life of the kit car.

 

I worked out last year that it takes 5 minutes to process a membership, from opening the envelope to finally sealing stamping and posting it. This process usually starts in November and runs through to March with an average of 8-10 hours a week before slowing down to a few memberships a week over the rest of the year. It is not often that week goes by without at least one membership request or a phone call from a Sec or member.

 

Peter has done a fantastic job of turning the magazine into the fine piece of publication that we aim to get out 4 times a year. However, the popularity of the internet has meant that people are more likely to write short snippets for the web site rather than the magazine, all of which makes Peters job harder than it need be to fill in the pages.

 

My car woes are well known and publicised and the subject of may derisory tales, but hopefully those are in the past now as the 4L V8 incarnation of Bobson seems to be behaving as I run him in. I would like to sort the handling out quicker than the 10 years it took with my previous car.

 

I have suffered with my health recently, not as bad as others and for that I am grateful. However, if I don’t take drastic action and soon, it will happen. The initial shock of being told by the Doctor that I could do with losing some weight, and perhaps look at my diet to reduce the cholesterol, blood pressure and the effects of the diabetes did spur me on to lose quiet a lot of weight. I actually started to feel good about myself. The grumpy Gti T shirt I bought actually hung of me. Fate decided otherwise and dealt me a bit of a blow. The project I had inherited at work went in to free-fall and is currently losing a lot of money. This means I have to work even harder to explain how, why, where and what the final outcome will be. This, coupled with having to train a raw recruit in the ways of smoke and mirrors in preparation of my impending increased work load next year has increased my stress levels to a point that I have never experienced before. The thought of this increased pressure and stress at work and then coming home to do another few hours doesn’t fill my heart with joy. Stress depresses me, when I am down I eat. I have managed to put back nearly all the weight I had lost and that in itself is depressing.

 

There is one person who has been instrumental in the running of the “Club” who never asked to be on the committee, yet has contributed more to the Hoody ethos and atmosphere of the “Club” than most. Constantly on the stands at shows with a smile and always ready for a chat whether she knows the person on front of here or not. Without Sue we would not have the “Club” in its current form. Not only does she support us at the shows, but has looked after the clothing since Mick spat his dummy out and buggered off in to the sunset. I have said it before and I’ll say it again. Sue you are one in a million, I am very lucky to have you as my wife, more importantly as my soul mate, and the club to have you full stop. Thanks, I love you.

 

The number of Area Secs has also increased during our reign and increasingly the number of little trips out that happen through out the country is increasing as more and more locals are buy into the new friendly focus of the “Club”. It is these guys who really make the “Club”. Thanks lads.

 

Now the hard part and if you have been reading between the lines and paying attention you will already have worked out what is coming. The “Club” needs you. Or, more specifically, a new me.

 

At the AGM in February I will not be standing for re election. I have decided that it is time for me to step aside and let some young blood into the Chair. This means that at the end of January I will stop doing all the things the Chairman has done for the last 6 years. We have already sorted the membership cards for 2008, and the window stickers for the next few years.

 

Unless a replacement is found before the AGM the good ship RHOCaR will have nobody at the helm and effectively will cease to exist. If this does happen and I sincerely hope it doesn’t a decision will need to be made as to what to do with the money in the bank. I suggest a magnificent gesture to a charity. As I for one, do not want to write 700+ cheques for £10.

 

I truly regret making this decision but with my upcoming workload I really don’t relish the prospect of stress at work and continuing it at home. It doesn’t seem like work at home whilst your enjoying it and I want to leave whilst I still do. Unlike previous Chairmen I have no intention of falling of the map, I will still be going to shows with both cars! And doing something there I haven’t done for years. I am actually going to look round them at my own pace and not rush round to get back to the stand.

 

So, all of you who are now thinking, *bleep* what’s going to happen? put your heart on your sleeve and put your name in the hat.

 

Its easy, all you need is patience, lots of storage space, a desire to drive the “Club” forwards, deep pockets to drive two cars to shows with all the gear in tow, the ability to talk to anyone like you know who they are without letting on you have no idea. The nerve to stand up for what’s in the “Club” interest even if it clashes with yours, keep the peace, and finally forget about seeing any of the shows because of all of the above. Believe me it is worth it when people you have never met before thank you for a fantastic weekend. Sue and I have enjoyed our time at the top and hope that we have made, over the last 6 years, a better Club for the families and that my successor carries on in the same vein.

 

Hi Tim,

 

I have only been a member for a couple of years but find the club invaluable in many ways, have met you a couple of times at stoneleigh .

Anyway I would just like to thank you for doing a brilliant job as club chairmanwhich obviously has been quite a journey, wishing you and your family all the best as you stand down from this position, and speaking from expierience I can understand your reasons.

Regards

 

Dave

[Guest Quarks7]

I also agree with the idea that Tim and Sue should be recognised for their acheviements with RHOCaR over the years and a Chairmanship / Lady Chair should me accorded to them as a mark of respect for what they have done for the club.

 

As some of you may or may not know. I'm Vice Chairman / Founder member of a motorcycle club that's celebrating it's 15th anniversary next year. So I'm fully aware of the work that's involved in the running of a succesfully club and these guys have made RHOCaR something for us all to be proud of!

 

I have to say that the welcome I've always recieved from Tim, Sue and the vast majority of RHOCaR Members has always been superb and long may it continue!

 

It seems to me (As an ex Hoody & currently an MK Indy owner) RHOCaR is more about like minded folk helping each other where ever possible and enjoying our cars. Then when we met up at events cracking a few tins and havein a larf. I think this ethos will continue no matter who's at the helm but from what I've just read. Without Tim & Sues influence this may not have been the case!!!

[Guest Alan_builder]

Tim.

 

As retiring chairman, I propose that you be elected to an honorary post of President in reward for your achievements. That way, you maintain a respectful seniority , whilst offloading all the chairmans tasks.

Anyone reading this, I hope you agree with me and work to give Tim a rewarding post in the club.

 

 

 

Best wishes to Sue , yourself and the family, and retire in the knowledge that you have done a fine job.

 

Kind regards

 

John.

 

First:-

Tim

No that is

Sue and Tim (we all know behind every good man is a better woman).

 

As I have recently posted - "less can be more"

 

Thank you

 

Second:-

President - That is an excellent Idea John.

I would like to be the 2nd seconder.

 

A proposer and 2 seconders should make it an official item for the AGM.

Ah, AGM, I feel a new post coming up.

 

I my RH.

[Guest Ian Marr]

I'd like to be the 3rd seconder!

 

Sue and Tim ... leg-ends in your own life times.

 

I sense a big gap ahead

 

I started my RH before you guys took the helm ... and it is still not finished!

 

What you need are a few weekend breaks in the Yorkshire Dales ... great destresser ... welcome anytime ...