Radio Free Registry

[356JAGER]

Mic,
The line is that they don't want to 'embarrass' any candidates. Really ?? Aren't these guys adults ? I'd be much more willing to bet that the club would be embarrassed by the almost total lack of involvement by the club members (magazine subscribers) other than the same small lot that keeps the shades drawn and the wagons circled. No wonder given the 'friendly'welcome given newcomers or those asking questions. If you then respond with the hostility shown by the old guard, you're the bad guy and the old guard portrays himself as a victim, even though the originator of the whole mess. See the following link. UPDATE: Or not. Seems they've decided to pull evidence of the kind of welcome provided by the leadership. Seems like a pattern of behavior given what is alleged in the lawsuit.

http://forum.porsche356registry.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38410&sid=edc9071ee965ccdfd7190008e50ca0bc

[S.J.Szabo]

Math Redux

Note: The Author is deleting this post of his own volition.

More information will be necessary for a more accurate forensic evaluation.

[356JAGER]

SJ,
Wondered how you missed that, but see you didn't. Thought you were just being generous. Using the number's provided by Mr. Maltby himself puts steroids on your figures.

[DG58INNM]

I'd be much more willing to bet that the club would be embarrassed by the almost total lack of involvement by the club members (magazine subscribers) other than the same small lot that keeps the shades drawn and the wagons circled.

Sometimes I think some of you guys are sort of harsh on this subject. But then, on the other hand, I receive the following e-mail:

"Dear David Gensler,

Your membership in the Porsche 356 Registry will expire on 05/31/2015! This means that you only have two issues of the best Porsche 356 magazine on the planet left.

Please renew now so you do not miss a single issue of Porsche 356 Registry magazine or any member benefits such as online access and event participation. You can renew your membership by going to https://porsche356registry.org/ click on Profile>Membership tab. Renewing will extend your subscription from your current expiration date. Don't procrastinate, do it now!

NOTE: If you recently renewed your membership, please disregard this message.

Keep the 356 faith,

Membership Manager

Porsche 356 Registry

Note: Please do not reply to this email. If you have a question, contact membershipmanager@porsche356registry.org. Thanks."

After reading that, its hard to consider the annual dues anything other than a commercial magazine subscription.

[356JAGER]

David,
That would be it. Very little online participation by the 7000 ? subscribers, and a very hostile reception to any perceived slight making it very user unfriendly. As to 'event participation', as of this juncture, there are no 'events' (usually the two holidays put on by member volunteers on their own dime) scheduled for this year, so yes, simply a subscription to a magazine posing as a non-profit car club.
Best
Joel

[Bill Sampson]

David:

Just let me thank you for your thoughtful input here and elsewhere - not just on your most recent post but in general.


Bill

[Steve Heinrichs]

Guys (and including, of course, the Registry Trustees and others who read this Forum and, particularly, this thread),

It is instructive today to see the Registry Forum posts regarding the 2014 Trustee Election.

A request for information as to voting results is followed by several posts...mostly advising "wait". Al Zim makes a post noting that members have a right to the information. I, for one, saw no accusation as to corruption by anyone. That post is followed by CJ Murray asserting that accusations of corruption had been made and that a person doing so should be suspended.

So, Rosemary Sampson responds and notes that if the rule existed, Murray would have been suspended long ago. To which, Murray demands proof that he ever accused the Trustees of corruption.

A stunning, unmoderated, set of comments by Murray who has managed, however, to demonstrate fairly clearly what has happened to others along the way who simply ask for information.

Meanwhile, Trustee Liberty weighs in on a technical question after the Murray post and seemingly does notice or elects not to try to put a stop to the mischaracterizations.

And, to think, a former Trustee and others run off a new member for hiting the send button three times and then have the audacity to characterize the former Trustee as the victim. This after also turning another new member's effort to find his father's car's vin number, into former red herrings and throw a decades long major contributor under the bus.

Excellent posts for the trial. Much appreciated.

Steve Heinrichs

[S.J.Szabo]

In one of those delicious bits of irony, it is clear that a great deal that is wrong with the Registry is openly demonstrated on a regular basis on the forum, by the small but helpfully vocal defenders of the Status Quo and of the privilege to be as toxic as whim may dicate.

I would add my kudos to those known dissidents (and to those whose numbers are increasing, who are being subliminally influenced to join said ranks) with the courage and enduring affection for the-Club-that-should-be to encourage even more startling illustration of just who is at the root of the problem.

Finally (for now), to Mr.Heinrichs, I offer the gratitude of many for being a courageously dedicated defender of the true Faith.

[DG58INNM]

Joel,
Yup. Its really pretty damned funny. From a practical point, I understand the magazine is a big part of it. If its just a small local club, a newsletter is going to be the focus for a lot of members, and how folks stay informed. Expanded to a national level, sure, a magazine acts to connect and inform people. But that e-mail renewal message appears to drop all pretense of it being anything other than a subscription. You would just think they could be a little less obvious about it.

Last year I seriously considered not renewing my membership (or should I just now say "subscription"?) Finally decided to stick with it another year and see if the promised changes materialized. I was pleased to see minutes start to be published. As I mentioned the other day, I like the magazine, and don't mind Gordon(or anyone else) earning a living by producing it. But still it seems like there is more secrecy than transparency.

The Vin# thread on 356Talk is just another example of that. There must be something more behind it we are not being told. I have a personal suspicion of what it is, but no evidence. Any way you slice it, it was a very nasty thing to do to Bill Block. I note that the current VIN database is woefully incomplete, at least in the case of my three cars, all of which were up to date before the changes. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! The comments by current and former trustees don't hold water, and seem to me like a convenient excuse. Its always the "we were forced to do it because of legal concerns" line. That's not just the Registry of course. I see it used everywhere, by everybody, all the time. But for God's sake, just grow some balls!

Now we've got this recent weirdness over the election results. I'm also curious what the vote tallies were. As Phil noted, it was stated they would be present in the next meeting minutes, which I will be anxiously awaiting. But we also have Curt telling us they can't be released because it might hurt someones feelings? What's it going to be? I don't recall this ever being an issue for the club before. In fact I can't think of an election anywhere where they just tell you who won, but not what the vote counts were. Venezuela maybe?

I can't deny that I was disappointed in the election outcome. I was hoping for more fresh faces. Happy for Curt, and hope he lives up to the expectation. Felix seems like a decent guy, more willing to consider change than the others, and I'm pleased he's back. The other two incumbents don't say much. I don't know either personally, so are they good guys, bad guys, or? Their candidate statements amounted to "vote for me because I've been doing it for so long you shouldn't vote for anyone else". That's the same strategy Congress uses, and look what we have there! But it works I guess. The challengers all wrote very good statements, explaining why they wanted my vote and what they believed in. Any of them would have been welcome. Thanks to them for their efforts.

on the subject of incumbents, in general I tend to oppose them. I like the notion of term limits. "Professional" politicians are a large part of what's wrong with our world. I've often felt that the desire to hold office should automatically disqualify one seeking it. But even so, I admit that I am sorry to see Vic gone. I'm well aware that some of you here don't get along with him, but I liked him. Sometimes I agreed with him, sometimes I didn't. But no one can say he didn't tell us how he felt, and I appreciated that. I voted for him in the previous election specifically because of his strong (to the point of pissed-off!) candidate statement. He had an opinion and wasn't afraid to make it known.

What to do, what to do? Renew my membership? Throw in the towel? The way its going they'll probably kick me out too! Don't know that it really matters much. We've got our very nice local club folks here. Had breakfast with two of them this morning. I could always borrow their magazines, and any more, I don't get on 356Talk much.

No point in my sitting and writing all this today. David's random musings! Except that its snowing and I don't feel like walking out to the workshop. Well, I better get off my butt and go out and start welding!

And Thanks, Bill. I always enjoy your comments, legal analysis, and sense of humor (I forgive you for the cheap shot you took at the honorable Mr. Bush). I should warn you that Wheeler isn't getting any smaller! Times a wasting.

DG

[S.J.Szabo]

Mr.Gensler:

Thank you for illustrating my postulation above.

Welcome to the Light Side.

You also demonstrate the essential problem with enlightenment; the urge to divorce oneself from such foolishness.

Please consider this: whatever change, however small or disingenuously "embraced", that has occurred, has been the result of reasonable fellows like yourself, who believe that in some personal corner of this world, there are wrongs that deserve to be righted.

There is a club of fine fellows who really, really like the 356 at the core of what has been, for some very unsavory reasons, perverted into a front for a private exercise in petty power and phony prestige, supported by a profitable publishing operation. This core club's salvation is dependent on those who care enough to work for it.

We need all the help we can get.

[Jack Staggs]

A few days ago a friend directed me to a post on the 356 Registry site . While there, I noticed another thread with an unfortunate exchange between Registry members. I couldn't help but think that I recognized the original posters name, John Davenport. He was looking for information on a particular 356 engine number. Does anyone know if this person is the same one that contributed or perhaps co-authored the book "PORSCHE 911 in Racing"? I think that I have a copy of it around here somewhere... Has he authored any other books about Porsche? A couple good friends of mine are restoration kooks on 911.
Thanks,
Jack

[Steve Heinrichs]

Jack,

Interesting questions to which I do not know the answer. I did, however, just notice that former Trustee Vic's (except one) and others' post have been simply deleted. Fascinating.

I'm sure glad I saved them before they went away.

Steve Heinrichs

[356JAGER]

Jack,
Perhaps that gentleman will find this site and enlighten us.

Steve,
Perhaps the folks that 'lost' the posts referring to you and others in a disparaging way, are still unaware that not much 'disappears' on the internet.

Best,
Joel

[Steve Heinrichs]

Yes, it is unfortunate for some at least that they must learn the hard way that internet material, including web site posts, really do not disappear even if one donates the host computer to charity after "cleansing" it of stuff that is problematic.

Steve Heinrichs

[merbesfield]

Guys, it's unfortunate but the old guard has won the war you waged through attrition and time. No one, or very few, really give a sh#*%t any longer and that was really apparent from the beginning. The few serious folks are hear and the rest are just like the typical American voters that have no clue or are not educated enough to know better or more likely don't have the time to really care much about it. This is really old news and you need to let it go. I'm sure this will piss off some guys, but this ship has long sine set sail. Let's just focus on these great cars and move on.