We are going to get back to the "Heart" of our club.  A group of guys and gals that are truly into the "Driving" aspect of our hobby.     This doesn't mean you have to be a high dollar engine swapped car, (although it helps)   I remember the guys in the early days when Fire451 aka Red Dragon and Copbait, aka JohnJohn  were both in little 4cyl 5spd coupes and they had no problem staying with the crowd.   As a matter of fact they had an absolute BLAST.    The club has gotten too political to the point that nothing ever gets done as everyone is too worried about pissing someone off.     Well I am done with that whole politically correct attitude.  If you were one of the founding members, you know what I am talking about.   If you are here to be in a good mood, have some fun with great people. You're in the right place.   If someone wants to pick up the political end of the torch and hold it high, GREAT.  If someone else wants to  head the Meeting Discussion, Great.  I want to get back to hanging out with my Fiero Friends and Fiero Family.          Now don't take this wrong, I am not leaving or giving up on the club, I just want to see the club come alive with the "FUN" like we use to have.  The smiles rather than the board looks on people faces.

                        I am making a collection of old pictures and clips from the history of my 85GT, I was looking at really old Harrison Pics,  guess what, our First Harrison Run, we had 13 Fiero's, our last one, we had 4 or 5.     Its time, for some fresh ideas, so here we go.

                    If someone else wants a shot at the big table.   You won't even have to vote me out, I'll gladly step down  and relax for a few years.  The other members will have to vote you into office though.  I am not the sole lord and master here, I never intended to be, and I never wanted to become it.  I'm just the main guy that stands up  to organize  stuff.    I'll be in the wings to offer up advice on what can be done if you need a hand.    

First we need to find 5 core members"  that the club can trust.   It would be best if they represented the different, uhm, facets in the club?  I have put examples of what I feel the different priorities are. 

"1" Show car, modified car person, someone that puts looks well ahead of performance.  The exact opposite of me.  If you buy Car wax before spark plugs.  This is probably your area.

"1" Person that is into the ultimate in going fast with bigger engines.  (showing is nice and not against it, but Speed is the #1 priority, I personally would fall into this category. )

"1" Person that is into the higher end spectrum of mods, chop top, wide body, engine swapped.  Both Style, Perfection and speed. (Hugh, John Carlo, Clynt)

  "2" people in the screw the looks, let's have fun.   (anyone with a stock car that's not striving to making it a perfect show car, not in the middle of sourcing there 4th engine with 5hp more than the last one.  (granted they may be sourcing there 4th motor and trans because they blew up the last 3) they just want to have fun, they don't care if it is the fastest, or turns the most heads.  People that you could drop into a 3cyl Geo Metro and they would still find a way to have a ball driving it.  This actually represents about 1/2 the club. Hence why I figure there should be at least 2 people chiming in on that part of the group. These are the core people that make the club what it is.  If I were to list all those names, mine would also be at the top of this list along with 2 pages of members.

Unfortunately this is also the group that frankly "I" have lost in the club.   I personally have gotten too involved with the heavily modified cars and lost touch with the "real" people with "real" Fiero's.   I'll admit that both at meetings and on the lists, I take greater interest in cars that have bigger engines, which in a way puts me at odds with the founding value of this club which is.....

 It doesn't matter if you have the most expensive show car, or the most beaten battered faded car.  If you love Fiero's and you are here to have fun, you are always welcome.  The only rule is be nice and don't' screw anyone over.  If you are a mean/rude/cheating person, take a hike.

        These head people would have to be "active" people.  Someone that is active on the club forum and OR active on the drives events.    Face it, if you never post on the forum, don't bother to come to club drives, meetings or events, your probably not the best candidate to vote for the feelings of the majority of the group.   

At this time, the people I personally turn to when I need "advice or opinion on club politics"  are

Blair S, aka Blair on the forum

Brian B. aka Bassman

John Craker aka Dr. Fiero aka Watts

The people that have done stuff in the background that you probably don't know, which have gone above and beyond to help out, as well as given me advice along the way.

( I started writing down what each person did, and chose not to, suffice it to say they have been instrumental in keeping the club going over the last 12-24 months.)

Graeme B. (designed our Forum)

Ken So aka Beken

Nigel F. aka FieroZen 

John Carlo aka Car2Lo

Glenn F, aka fiero052

Marcel V aka marcelvdgn

Chris Zander aka Fire451 aka Red Dragon, although Chris is not currently active, he was around to remember what the club used to be,  he reminds me of what the founding ideas were for the  club and why we had so much fun in the early days. His Red Dragon Fiero is in the middle of preparing a                                                                massive engine transplant.  Also do date holds the current club record for a 2.8 V6 based non turbo or nitrous pass at mission raceway of 14.9 seconds.

     Note, these are not all, just people I am friends with, some of the people listed above, I have had down and out fights with, where I have considered them arrogant, jerks and refused to  even speak to them until I cooled down.    However they are people that I respect to give me a real world opinion , with their only bias is to making the club a better club.    It's not just a matter of being in the club for a long time, it's not a matter of just being able to take charge.   It's a matter of being able to put input into a subject without sounding like a jerk or ordering people around.   The people you should consider for the board should be people that you see or read their posts constantly.  When you stop and think about the club meetings, who are the first faces you think of.  Those people, the ones that don't just settle into the background, are the people that you should consider to be on the front line, to make the decisions. 

Now if your name was not on the list, don't take it personally, if I listed all the people I am friends with in the club or people that I figure would make good reps, it would be 50 names across several pages.

    There are lots of other members that would be great and do have a firm grasp on the club to be part of the board. 

        I have left Lisa's name out of the discussion, because frankly, there is NO ONE, that I think could directly replace what she does.      She has a special spot in the closet just for "club prizes"  She goes through the assorted flyer's for Canadian Tire, Princess Auto, XS Cargo, and is constantly hunting for good deals on items for the club.    Then at least once or twice a month goes out and buys things.  Then sorts them before every meeting creating packages.  At every meeting she is inside setting everything up, sitting at the table by herself trying to keep everything organized, while everyone else is out socializing and chatting.    In just a few short months, I realize that priorities are going to have to shift, as we are going to have newborn, and at that time, we will have to find people to "help out" with the tickets and taking names and such.     We don't plan to miss a beat and have already made the decision to continue bringing 2 Fiero's to the meetings with the baby along.  (Although we might miss the November 14th meeting, as her due date is Friday Nov 13) 

             Well as I end this, I hope that I have worded it in a way that everyone understands my feelings.              I'm not going anywhere, I just can't make 100% of the decisions and I don't want the idea that if for some reason I can't make an event, that it won't go on.   We need another driving force in the group.

PM Sent.