[Healeys] AHCA June Delegates meeting

[Quinn, Patrick]

G'day

I am not a member of any US based club however I am a professional
writer, contributor to both main US magazines and editor of a number of
historic motor sport magazines.

Without knowing the background or wanting to know if this was forwarded
to me for publication I would politely advise the contributor that is
not appropriate for publishing.

The outlined concerns, while of vital importance to all parties do not
belong in such a magazine as Healey Marque.

My approach would be that once the question under consideration is
settled then it's published as a way of informing readers. Thus
satisfying the magazines responsibility to "inform" and under no stretch
of anyone's wildest imagination does the question come under
"entertainment".

Both US magazines are excellent publications and should be welcomed when
published.

Hoo Roo

Patrick Quinn
Sydney, Australia

Subject: [Healeys] AHCA June Delegates meeting

The following commentary was rejected by the editor of the Healey Marque
as
not being compatible with the magazine's purpose to "inform and
entertain."
I post it here in hopes it will be at least informative

NOT A GIANT LEAP FOR DEMOCRACY

The semi-annual meeting of the Austin Healey Club of America Delegates
occurred on Tuesday, June 23, 2007.  The first order of business was to
address the issue of revising the definition of a quorum in the AHCA
bylaws.
>From what I understand, last year at Conclave 2006, two delegates left
the
meeting to participate in a Conclave event, resulting in the delegate's
meeting no longer having a quorum.  I also understand that this was the
first time in the 46-year history of the AHCA that a quorum didn't exist
at
an official business meeting.

To address this once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, someone proposed revising
the
bylaws to redefine a quorum as only the number of delegates present at
the
meeting, and eliminating the requirement for a simple majority of
delegates
to be present when items required a vote.  This motion passed by a vote
of
20-8.  The result of this change in the bylaws is that only 1 person
needs
to be present at a delegate's meeting to pass policy.

Democracy seems to have taken another blow to the head.  As one delegate
expressed, this action seems to be sending a message to the local
chapters
that the AHCA does not need the local clubs, but be sure to keep sending
in
your dues.  While an organization needs to respond to circumstances that
prohibit it from making official decisions, it seems that there are many
options other than letting a small handful of members make all the
decisions
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