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BMW ACA/CCA Member Letters
Dan Patzer
We started out as a mutual sympathy society, the early Seattle area dealer network was lacking in professionalism, courtesy, and technical expertise.
Having joined the club in '71 and creating the Zündfolge shortly thereafter, I remember having to "TOE-the-LINE" as a representative of the official BMW club, taking care to not bad mouth the distributor, Max Hoffman, the dealers as they came and went, or the product. What a love/hate relationship.
The BMW CCA guys could get away with murder. Most local clubs joined with them and now even BMW is pressuring us to. Why did we bother being so good?
In reality, like everything else this boils down to numbers. They want our members to boost their numbers and certainly their coffers. It's staggering to consider the million dollars involved. In addition to fifty thousand membership fees, there are track fees, Roundel ads, and the sales of Club Stuff. I'm in awe at how large the professional staff is and wondering about the salaries involved.
They've recently had problems controlling the ebb and flow of the moneys. Cronyism has crept in, and questions are heard about who even holds the rights on the LOGO.
Do we need to spend more money, and have most of it go away? Will we have about the same product as we have here and now? Do we want what they offer? Nice magazine, professionally produced, and highly financed.
I think Crocodile Dundee said it best, "It's like two fleas fighting over the dog their livin on."
Dan Patzer, #497
29 year member BMW ACA & creator of Zündfolge
Co-president, Washington State BMW Riders
BMW CCA NW Regional Tech Service Advisor
Bill Proud
As one of the initiators of the current move to start subject chapter, I'd like to offer these comments to the ACA club membership.
Put aside thoughts of one entity 'taking over' another as seems to be so readily promulgated. Think 'Working together' for the betterment of Washington BMW owners. Think what 700 CCA membership 'rebates' to a local chapter ($13.50 per head?) will allow that group to do .....hopefully NOT just rent racetracks to play boy-racer, how'zabout a picnic for members' kids and sponsoring a BIG fund raiser for a charity?.....or starting a club tool-chest (things like reset tools , engine hoists- not everyday hand tools) for members to rent cheaply? All these things would be in addition to the kinds of stuff the ACA does right now (like publish the best local magazine in the country). Why would this be 'mutually exclusive '?? Doesn't have to be if MEMBERS choose for it NOT to be. Might be some devolution of power , might even be a logical(?) merger some day if seen to be propitious by the MEMBERS when the new entity has had
chance to prove itself.
Any one notice my EMPHASIS on MEMBERS here?? GET OUT YOUR VOTING PENS, it's up to you.
Bill Proud
Ex-President, BMW ACA (1978 !!)
Joni Candey
I just wanted to send a note on my feeling about this issue. I have heard from both sides on this. I don't feel that there is a need for any changes. I like the fact that the club is run locally and I would like it to stay that way. I have been very happy with the Club and activities. The board runs the Club very professionally and I think they do a great job for us, the members. They do this because they enjoy it. I am sorry that they are being accused of not running the club properly. >From what I see they do a fantastic job. We already have the option of being members in both the CCA and ACA clubs and if we merged with CCA I can only see that it will take away more benefits than it would give. Thanks.
Joni Candey, #15215
Peter Wong
I'm a member of both clubs because while I enjoy the local events, I want access to the national activities, Roundel, the specific marque mailing lists, and the discounts. You can think of it as my willingness to pay over $50/year to belong to one club that offers all the benefits of both clubs.
The ACA/CCA separation has always confused me. I first joined the ACA not realizing that it didn't allow me to participate in the Oktoberfest raffle or to receive Roundel. After some confusion where I called the CCA asking why I wasn't receiving Roundel, I joined the CCA which led to further confusion when I received a letter from east of the mountains! So I called BMW CCA demanding I be switched to the Puget Sound chapter upon which I discovered there wasn't one! I'm sure I'm not the only one who was confused by the arrangement.
I'm not clear on all the issues being a relatively new member without sufficient knowledge of the background behind staying independent, but as it stands, I'm a member of both clubs and wish it to be just one.
Peter Wong, E30 M3
ACA #4976, CCA #170346
Editorial
Guidelines
We
ask that all letters address the issues. We will not publish anything which
defames any individual. In order to confine the discussion to the pages of the Zündfolge,
and to be sure everyone has access to the same information, we will not publish
references to web sites. Everything published about this issue will be posted on
the Club’s web site (www.bmwaca.org) after it has appeared in Zündfolge.
Please keep your submissions to less than 250 words. Letters over the word limit
will be returned to the writer for editing. We intend to publish all
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responses must be signed and include the member’s ACA membership number and a
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also provide your response on disk or typewritten on paper. Mail your letter to
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Editors, 2641 39th Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98199.
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