Radio Free Registry

[roy mawbey]

I did post this once before but, its a clear statement of account from a well respected car club over here. Its not as large as some but it produces a nice magazine and a nice written statement of how each members subscription is spent. I am not an accountant just a retired engineer but it seems to show what I would expect it to show.

The printing a postage costs are shown and they send the magazine over seas as well. If I were a member of this club it would satisfy me enough no doubt, to see this every year and decide if I wanted to contribute again the next year.

Its clear as even this club has mentioned, its harder now to keep the membership at a level that pays for everything otherwise things have to change.

Roy

[Bill Sampson]

Thanks Roy. That club presents a pretty standard looking balance sheet and income and expense statement. Do you know if that club permits members who may wish item details to review/copy them? In my opinion any volunteer organization should furnish the members those rights.

Incidentally, the tax returns of most non-profits are public record. The returns are of interest to the IRS, naturally, but are made public for the express purpose of informing potential members or donors of how the organization spends its money. It probably won't surprise you to learn that there are "charities" in the USA where most of the donated money pays salaries to the founders.

ANY person can locate tax returns, which generally include income and expense and balance sheets, for most non-profits in the USA here:
http://foundationcenter.org/ Reading tax returns is an excellent cure for insomnia I'm told by recovering CPAs.

Bill

[bbspdstr]

After seeing Roy's presentation, I looked for the same type of financial information in the Registry mags, going back 4, and can't find it. Anyone know what issue that was in? I just wanted to compare formats, is all.

Looking in the last 4 mags, I saw a 'certified' audit promised for the following issue and if it was there, I could not find that either.

I will need to sign in to the Registry site to see if it was a 'members only' posting. I noticed that meeting minutes were to be available there as well. Anyone seen those? I also noticed a Felix Macaluso quote that "peer reviewed" budgets would be up next and feel that would be good to view, if and when.

With an open mind, I am attempting to read and learn....about things going on within and outside the Registry. What are a result of those (like me) suggesting or asking about topics such have been touched upon in the magazine or are they 'forced' by the Heinrichs lawsuit?

Are the certain 'new' steps mentioned in the mag well-intentioned or are they a forced march? An audit, finally, after 38 years? Bring "those disgruntled back into the fold"? Really?

Here's a saying used by a prominent 356er, attributed to Ben Franklin; "Well done is better than well said."

[Bill Sampson]

Bruce:

The issue in which the financials appear has varied over the years. My back issues are far enough away from me and I'm packing up to go to Lake Arrowhead where a car club will actually have a fun and inexpensive event (along with a wooden boat show). But, Rosemary, who is a member of the Registry, furnished me this link to the 9/1/2011 to 8/31/2012 fiscal report:
http://porsche356registry.org/registry-holiday/latest-news/514-accountant-s-report-fiscal-year-2012.html

That will work only for members.

For the 9/1/2010 to 8/31/2011 fiscal year members can view the report here:
http://porsche356registry.org/registry-holiday/latest-news/492-356-registry-treasurers-report-fy-2011-sp-804.html

Since you're a member you can use the above links. Mrs. Sampson sometimes shares her knowledge with her husband, generally assisting me in dealing with my numerous imperfections.

Tax returns containing much of the same info, PLUS, some interesting answers to the questions on the returns can be located here, for many years back:

http://foundationcenter.org/

A number of members including my wife wonder when some form of interim report will be made for an organization now 3/4 of the way through its current fiscal year. Since it has been losing (her) money for some years she hopes that a turn around is in sight. In every human endeavor (permit me to omit sex and surfing from this postulate) a current and accurate count of the money makes things run more smoothly.


Bill

[356JAGER]

DELETED

[Phil Planck]

This topic has over 5000 views. Don't know if it is possible to find out how many unique viewers there are, but assume it might be enough to start a new 356 club. Instead of waiting for the Registry to change to what most of the active participants want, why not just start a new 356 club that adheres to it's founding principles and promotes many local events and face to face contact. No print mag, just a web based communication medium. Why keep wasting your energy on what may be impossible to accomplish?

Phil Planck

[admin]

Great ideas.
Lets see, there are 29 pages to this thread.
If someone comes here and is interested enough with due diligence to read the entire thread end to end, that would be around 173 persons that have looked the thread over. But, in reality, those views occured when the thread was smaller as well, so just double or triple that number for a good guess.

But then again, the actual number of unique viewers might be less. I don't understand website jargon, but if a 'hit' is the same thing as downloading a web page, I would probably be guilty of 150 to 200 hits on this thread alone, because I will open the thread in the morning to see what's new, leave to do real work, and then come back several times during the day to look (lurk) again to see if any more bits of wisdom and wit have been served up. I think that each of my 'looks' probably qualified as another 'hit'. I know I am not the only one with this perverse curious lurking behavior.

I think the club you suggest has already been Incorporated under Ohio Law. While I was studying up on Ohio Law and Incorporations, I ran across this interesting club:

http://www2.sos.state.oh.us/pls/bsqry/f?p=100:7:117701930186003::NO:77_CHARTER_NUM:2054204

There was a recent Business Name change, but that should be no issue.
I doubt that I would be allowed to be a member in this club, as I probably don't meet the standards.

[bbspdstr]

The address "http://www2.sos.state.oh.us/pls/bsqry/f?p=100:7:1627720958382803::NO:77_CHARTER_NUM:2054204"
isn't valid according to Mozilla Firefox.


It must be all hot links are down on all 356 sites or forums. Here is what clicking on it got for me:



"The URL is not valid and cannot be loaded.

Web addresses are usually written likehttp://www.example.com/
Make sure that you're using forward slashes (i.e. /)."

Jerry, would you look into this for us? Check the Registry, would you please? Thanks.

-Bruce

[356JAGER]

DELETED

[admin]

Please bear with me for a moment, as I would like to attempt to express a very valid point. I will attempt to do this with as little sarcasm and condescension as I can muster (which is apparently very difficult for me).
Please help me understand.
The group represented here has a myriad of un-tapped talents.
There are persons here with vast experience in running Not For Profit Clubs of all sizes.
Many have served as trustees, officers, etc. in these clubs.
There are persons here with expertise in law. Especially Ohio law.
There are persons here with expertise in incorporating businesses as corporations for non-profit.
There are persons here with vast accounting experience and impeccable standards.
There are persons here that have fantastic ability to build and run a successful website and/or forum.
There are persons here that fully understand magazine publishing and/or e-newsletter publishing.
There are persons here that have vast technological experience with 356s and other versions.
There are persons here with lots of experience in organizing and executing events such as Holidays.
There are persons here that understand what the next generation of 356 owners will want, and how to give this to them.
There is apparently a very large faithful (albeit somewhat silent) following of persons that would leap at the chance to move to a new club.
Heck, you even already have a club in the making already incorporated and idly waiting. (The link to this in my previous post has finally been repaired).
What's the show stopper here from preventing you from pooling all this talent and just creating the Club you have always wanted?
Please understand, I would be all behind you forming your own club, as that would best utilize some of these great talents mentioned above, instead of wasting them on beating up an existing club that you don't really like anyway. It would resolve all your issues, and put you in the driver's seat to run things like you want.
And if you are happy, this old grumpy plaid shorts depends-wearing lurking flaming troll would have no more reason to exist.
Just Do It!

[jstenner]

----

[admin]

Yet it is not, because many of the same choose not to be current members. So why is it so important to belong to a club you despise? Just make your own new Utopia.

[DG58INNM]

Robert,
A good nom de plume is a time-honored tradition of many great authors. Doesn't bother me in the least if that's your choice, and your reasons are none of my business. Your last post, positively drenched in sarcasm, gave me a good laugh. You give as good as you get!

But I take issue with your statement about "beating up an existing club that you don't really like anyway". I really do like the existing club. I think most of the others here do to. I just happen to agree with some of the other folks on this forum that some changes are needed. Mr. Baker covers my primary concern (transparency) with his post on page 26.

I'm not out to beat up on any old grumpy plaid shorted depend-ed types. Heck, I'll be one myself someday (my wife's greatest fear is that I will be one of those who wears the beige walmart coveralls 24-7....she's probably justified) I don't think that's the intent of most of the others on here either. Well, maybe a few enjoy their barbs a little too much, but not most.

And regarding that link to the Ohio Secretary of State's page (the link worked Ok for me)I'd consider it proof positive both of Mr. Sampson's good intentions towards the Registry, and a wicked sense of humor. I'd be honored to be a Pariah.

Take care,
David Gensler
(my real name, but only because I wasn't clever enough to come up with an amusing "handle")

[356JAGER]

DELETED

[Losthillsguy]

I will attempt to do this with as little sarcasm and condescension as I can muster (which is apparently very difficult for me).

LOL You got that right!