Past Club Announcement #1 (11/5/02 to 12/5/02)

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Future SCCoA Directions (11-05-2002 until 12-06-2002)
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Bill asked me to post the editorials from the September Chargin’ Thunder written by both Patty and Bill. We held off posting them in order to let most of the membership get their publication in the mail. If you are interested in the Club’s future, please take the time to read them, if you haven’t already.

I want to thank both Bill and Patty for getting the SCCoA to the crossroads that are now upon us! The next set of changes and directions that the club will take will now be up to us.

In accepting the task that Bill is asking of me, I go from “Happily accepting the challenge” to “Why in the world am I doing this?”, all in the space of a single day.

The current incarnation of the SCCoA will end on 12/31/02 and I am working closely with Bill to keep things going until then and get things setup for a club run by the club’s membership. You have all seen the first fruits of that effort which has been to get up a faster and better web server. After all, you cannot run a web-based club with “Server Busy” messages coming up all the time.

I’ll be posting something in the next few days in the sccoa.com website forum to setup shop to take in ideas and to keep you apprised of what is happening to the club. Many things need to get setup to change the ownership of the club. All financial matters and decisions will be posted for all to see. So, please bear with me, these things take some time to get going. I’ll have some kind of monthly or weekly “supercharged chats” to keep you all up to date. So hang onto all those good suggestions, just a little bit longer….

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From The Bird’s Nest
By Patty Evanoff

It’s time for a family chat. I have often told my husband that he is too quiet about all the things he does as coordinator and chief of the Super Coupe Club of America. So, I’ve compiled a list of some of the many things he does for the benefit of our great club.

Bill’s biggest responsibility is the production of the Chargin Thunder newsletter. Bill has authored many of the articles himself throughout the years. However, we are sure that the readers appreciate reading articles written from a variety of sources. Thus, Bill tries hard to recruit members to contribute their expertise. The first step is to encourage members to write articles for the Chargin Thunder. This may take up to a year of first planting the idea, then conversing with, advising, and convincing the person to write the article. Then follow-up is required to make sure the articles reach us early enough so that they can get into the Chargin Thunder on time.

Once the articles and pictures are sent to us, Bill literally spends DAYS on the computer editing, retyping, and formatting the articles to get them ready for printing.

When the articles are compiled, many trips are spent going back and forth to the printing shop. Printing issues have caused bad batches of newsletters at times, which require reprinting.

Also, numerous trips have been made to office supply stores to purchase the supplies we need to do the mailings.

Much time and effort has been devoted to finding a reliable printing source. We have switched printers twice. Once because the shop closed down, and once because it was too expensive. We wanted to produce a quality product at a fair price so that we wouldn’t have to raise the annual membership dues. Our latest printer does a great job, although they can be very slow at getting the newsletters finished on time, thus delaying our mailings.

Once we have picked up the newsletters from the printer, the party begins. We have recruited our kids and their grandparents to participate in what we call a “Stuffing Party”. Actually, the process takes about three days. We stuff envelopes with newsletters and fliers, seal them, stamp them, and put return addresses on them. It also takes time to print the address labels, making sure that all address changes have been made and new members are included. Once the labels are prepared, we place them onto the envelopes. When completed, I then sort them into zip code ranges according to the Post Office guidelines for bulk mailing (I took a course at the Post Office to learn how to do bulk mailings).

The envelopes then have to be double rubberbanded into groups of ten. Then the stacks of ten have to be labeled, as well as the mailing sacks that they are then placed into. An additional step is that envelopes addressed to out-of-country destinations are set aside, as they cannot be shipped by bulk mail. At the post office, a bulk mailing form has to be filled out and a supervisor has to process the mailing. Unfortunately there is only one postal worker at the post office who is trained to process bulk mail. I usually call first to make sure he is there before we leave, as I have learned the hard way of the hassle it is to try to explain to the postal workers what they are suppose to do to process the mailing. When done correctly, we have usually spent an hour at the post office processing the mailing, which usually concludes with a great big “WHEW”!

Another responsibility as coordinator is record keeping. Bill and I have spent hours on the computer keeping records of names, member numbers, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of our members. Also, accounting records are kept for tax purposes.

As new members join throughout the year, their information is recorded and “new member packets” and newsletters are sent out weekly.

Club T-shirts must be ordered periodically throughout the year from a screen printer. Orders for T-shirts and club vehicle decals are processed and shipped regularly.

Another thing that Bill does as coordinator of the SCCOA is to provide members with the benefit of his expertise. He literally spends hours EVERY DAY talking to “ya’ll” on the phone. I often have to remind him that hey, you have a wife and two kids, remember us? The only way I can talk to him without being interrupted is to get him out of the house. And even then he brings the darn cell phone with him!!! Grrrrrr. He gets “the look” from me every time the phone rings during supper and he says, “Can I get that?” I know that Bill enjoys talking to you guys. He gives advice and encouragement and has helped innumerable people with their questions. I don’t know too many people willing to devote that much time doing that.

Another activity that Bill does for the club is the SCCOA web site. It has evolved through the years and has turned into a hugely popular site. The web site has helped many people and has been a source of enjoyment for thousands. It’s what links us all together. Questions are asked and answered, and complaints are voiced and heard. Many hours have been spent developing and maintaining the site. Many thanks go to our webmaster, Ron DiPaola, for keeping the site updated. Also many thanks go to our moderators whose job is to delete inappropriate listings.

Another activity that keeps Bill busy is Organizing SCCoA events. He coordinates with the hotels at several of the large events annually. At Carlisle, for instance, the club is now staying at two adjacent hotels and group reservations are made at each. Promotional material is also gathered and put into the CT ahead of time so members can plan to attend upcoming shows.

During the past 7 years since the club was formed, our annual dues has stayed at $40, despite increases in expenses. We have tried to keep our dues affordable to all. For those of you who are wondering what your membership dues are used for, I have compiled a list of most of our expenses.

Printing Costs
Mailing Expenses
Bulk Mailing Permits
Chargin’ Thunder Envelopes
Office Supplies
Advertising
Membership Cards
SCCoA Car Decals
SCCoA Business Cards
Flyers
Reprinting of Back Issues
Credit Card Processing Charges & Fees
Business Start-up Costs
Fax Costs
Club Events / Car Shows
SCCoA Sponsorship for National Show
Web site Fees (which have increased 10 fold by-the-way in the past three years due to the sites popularity)
Web site Equipment
Phone Bills
Web site domain registration costs
Club banners, and many more miscellaneous expenses.

When Bill Hull first conceived the Super Coupe Club of America in 1996, he envisioned creating an organization of SC owners for the purpose of educating its members about the mechanics and maintenance of these cars. He also realized that distributing publications would cost money. He wanted to eventually retire from painting and start his own business, thus, the idea of the Super Coupe Club of America was born. I remember fondly of our first “meet” in Carlisle PA when he had only 10 members. From the first day, the Super Coupe Club of America has been a business. Hull wanted to provide a service to fellow SC owners, as well as be compensated for his time and efforts. If the club had been run by volunteers, I guarantee that no one would have been willing to invest the massive amount of time and energy required to make this club what it is today.

In fact, Bill Hull soon tired of the enormous time commitment involved with running the SCCoA and desired to sell his business. In 1999, Bill and I purchased the business from him and we became the coordinators of the Super Coupe Club of America. The price we paid was equivalent to one year’s earnings. So in essence, that first year and a half when we took it over, we ran it absolutely for free!!! Not to mention the 12 months that Bill volunteered as editor of the CT before we took it over completely. And yes, the SCCoA continues today to be a profit organization; a business that provides a service. For any of you who have the misconception that we are getting rich off the club, you are very much mistaken. We assure you that our profits are minimal when you consider all of the hours we put into the club. We have made only a few dollars an hour after taxes and expenses.

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continued....

As of date, the SCCoA has 515 members. Many of you have commented to us that you appreciate the club being a “one stop shop”. Members go to one place to register, get information and advice, and receive newsletters. The right hand knows what the left hand is doing. Having one club coordinator makes service to you simple and convenient.

Some of you have suggested that the club elect officers. In the past, we didn’t see how this could have worked in our situation. The trouble with having officers is that being a national club, it would be hard to hold meetings and elections. Especially since most of the members do not know each other. Much of the feedback we get from our members is that they appreciate our running the club because it simplifies things.

A second reason for not having officers is that our club membership changes dramatically from year to year. Being older cars, these cars are bought and sold frequently and thus our membership changes. An officer may be committed to the club one month and then sell his car and be gone the next.

A third reason is that too many cooks in the kitchen create bad soup. I have heard about clubs whose members argue over the most trivial of things and nothing is accomplished without bad feelings. And besides, where is the “kitchen” anyway. Not everyone has a computer so having meetings via the Internet would not be fair to all members.

A fourth reason not to have officers is that many folks have good intentions but do not carry through with their assignments. Delegating responsibilities sounds good, but can everyone be counted upon to fulfill their duties in an expedient and reliable way? Also, being scattered all over the country makes it difficult to coordinate assignments.

A fifth reason is that with officers, rules and bylaws of the club would have to be created. We felt that most folks just want to have fun with the club and could care less about rules. Life is too short. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Finally, I conclude with a tribute to my husband Bill. He is a good man, a fine husband, and excellent father. He is devoted to God, family, country, and responsibilities. He has worked hard these past years as your club coordinator, and has been utterly devoted to serving you in the best way he knows how. On behalf of the Super Coupe Club of America, we give him our “Thanks!”

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From The Birds Nest II
By Bill Evanoff

The SC community lost a valued member this month. Adam Mullen lost his fight with GHD, a bone disease, on 9/24/02. He had just celebrated his 19th birthday the previous day. On one of the T-Bird message boards, Fred Holzhauer best expressed everyone’s thoughts on this tragic loss when he said the following:

“I would like to say a few words about Adam Mullen. Adam was a true enthusiast about his car, a Thunderbird Super Coupe. It was our shared enthusiasm for the vehicle that brought us together. Adam has had a profound effect on more people than most, at his age. If you were to follow the goings-on of any of the online base of Super Coupe enthusiasts, it would become apparent what a huge loss that community is experiencing, as is his family.

I find it interesting that a lot of his internet-based friends preface their remarks by, “I never met him personally.” That is misleading. It was Adam’s personality that came through loud and clear as he addressed the online Super Coupe community, by posting public messages, or using the e-mail medium, privately. It was my privilege to meet him personally, in Carlisle, PA. Thanks for coming, Adam!

Adam was not afraid to dream. Nor to think. Nor to learn. It has been my pleasure to have had many inspired and engaging discussions with him. He was a sponge for information. Finally, Adam faced his disease with courage and dignity. We all were very happy to provide him a diversion from it. I would have been proud, had he been my own son.”


SCCoA Family Chat Continued:
Patty has given an excellent introduction to what I have to report and I thank her for the “bragging” she did for me. It’s true that I’m a very low-key guy and I may not give myself sufficient credit for the hundreds of things I do as coordinator of this club. I do what needs doing and keep doing it all year long. I don’t waste time bragging about it because frankly, most people simply don’t care. They expect that things will get done, as they should.

In this editorial I’m going to update everyone on the current status of the club and give a projection of where I see the SCCoA going in the future.

Current Status:
First of all, the SCCoA today is what I would call a raging success story. Since becoming the SCCoA club coordinators in 1999, Patty and I have signed up nearly 800 new members to date. Our largest membership year was 2001 with over 600 members. This year the club is currently at 517 members, with more signing up every week. I fully expect to meet or exceed the 2001 membership numbers from last year if history holds true for the final quarter of 2002. These numbers to me are simply astounding when one considers that the car has been out of production since 1995. Is the SCCoA the BEST place for SC/XR7 owners to get printed information and coverage about their cars? Absolutely!

The Future:
Change is good, but everyone hates it. Anyone working at a large company has heard the “change is good” line before. In the business world if a company is not constantly changing and improving to meet its customers needs then it will likely go out of business. The same can be said for the SCCoA.

I am always hesitant to make changes to the clubs status quo because things have been going well with the club since 1996. When I became the club’s coordinator I saw no need to change virtually anything that Bill Hull had set in place. But, over the past year it has become evident that some major changes should take place and I would like to expound upon where I see the club going for 2003.

For starters, the club newsletter will be stopped after the December, 2002 issue. The main reason for this is that for some time, there has been a decline in the article submissions that I felt were pertinent to club members. Granted, there are still many interesting technical topics to discuss related to the SC/XR7, but as these cars have been out of production a long time, there really is not sufficient “new” information to support a 36 to 40 page newsletter every three months.

I know this will be a big disappointment for everyone, but as the CT editor I have been struggling to fill the CT every issue this year. I simply cannot continue the newsletters, in their current form and length, without a huge increase in willingness to contribute interesting technical articles on subjects that have not already been covered previously. Perhaps the CT will continue at some point in the future as an Internet based document. It may also reappear as an annual or semi-annual publication.

Without a newsletter, the major asset of club membership, I don’t feel it is necessary to charge $40 for club dues next year. What membership may cost is still up in the air but I envision that the club will become solely an Internet based entity. For SCCoA.com to continue there must be a source of revenue from the web site users to pay for the ongoing hosting fees that come with a site. Currently, the cost to operate the SCCoA site is slightly less than $4,000 a year.

Where would the $4K come from? That question is still under discussion but several ideas are that we would offer a “Members Only” section that will be password protected. To access this area would require a certain level of donation to the site “expense fund”. Other means for meeting expenses would be simply to ask for donations from users. The site has several thousand people who visit regularly and if each were to only donate a few dollars annually, expenses would be easily met. Overall, how membership fees will be charged is still an open issue.

As a final change to the status quo, I will gradually be stepping aside as coordinator to make way for a few new individuals, or perhaps eventually an elected group of club officials. To start this process I have asked George Davenport if he would be willing to help bring about the changes I’ve suggested. George has been a respected club member for years and I doubt there is anyone in the SC community who has not drooled over his awesome short wheelbase SC. George has accepted my invitation and he will become the interim SCCoA coordinator starting January, 2003. I will assist George until a more formalized leadership team is established. When this will happen is up in the air but I will be stepping aside when the membership agrees upon who and how they would like to be governed. In essence, the SCCoA will no longer be privately owned, but will become as much a formalized club, with elected officials, by-laws, and such, as the members care to have. George is excited to volunteer for a period of time but he has also stated that he may or may not wish to assist with the ongoing operations of the club once it is reestablished.

The reasons for these major changes are multi-fold. For starters, I have been coordinating the club since 1999 and have been CT editor since 1998. At times, I feel that I am getting burned out. New blood will likely invigorate the SCCoA to greater success.

Secondly, there are those who wish that the club was more like a club. Hence, they want elected officials, open accounting books, and more formalized rules and by-laws for the SCCoA. If the membership wishes for these changes, then I should step aside as the sole coordinator.

Finally, there are some individuals who do not think it is appropriate for someone who is a parts vendor in the SC community to also be the SCCoA’s sole coordinator. From my personal experience this is not an issue with the vast majority of SC owners. I strive for impartiality and I have always attempted to keep the club and Super Coupe Performance separate entities. Other than an ad in the Chargin’ Thunder, the two have virtually no other ties. Simply put, one does not have to be in the club to buy SCP parts, nor does one have to buy parts to join the SCCoA. Most SC owners appreciate a single source where they can get accurate advice on their cars and purchase parts if they choose to. Despite these facts, there are those who adamantly object to me being the club coordinator simply because I also sell SC and XR7 aftermarket parts. I realize there is no way to please everyone, but this is another reason to step aside.

In conclusion, the time I have spent as the SCCoA coordinator has been a blast. The changes forthcoming may seem dramatic, and may be difficult to accomplish, but we all have to remember that this is, after all, simply a car club. Webster’s states that a “Club” can be defined several ways but we are best described as “A group of people associated for a common purpose”. No matter what changes, in form or leadership, the SCCoA may go through in the future, we will always share a common purpose…a passion for the Super Coupe and the supercharged Cougar XR7.