Do members receive a copy of the VCA budget?

[glenn hofstetter]

Thats a good question. I don't think we get back anywhere near $100.00 in value form national VCA. I keep sending my money because the local Viper Club is fun, no thanks to National. What do you want to bet you don't get a complete answer?

 

[slaughterj]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by glenn hofstetter:
Thats a good question. I don't think we get back anywhere near $100.00 in value form national VCA. I keep sending my money because the local Viper Club is fun, no thanks to National. What do you want to bet you don't get a complete answer?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

IIRC, the National VCA only gets $45 of the $100, while the other $55 goes to the Regional VCA.

The complete financials of the club should be accessible to any member of the club, but whether they are or not, I have no idea. Our local VCA is very open with the #s and administers the finances well so far as I've seen (not bothered to snoop into it, not worried about any shenanigans as the Cones are upstanding), as should be the case with other regions and the national organization. I don't know that it should necessarily be simply posted on the website though (i.e., it's not the business of anyone outside the club), but the information should be available to members.

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

We all have choices in life, being a VCA member is one of those choices.

The value of being a VCA member can be measured and compared in many ways. A few examples follow.

Looking for a return on investment?
1. Take the two day Skip Barber School and get a 25% discount which pays for over two years of membership.
2. Save $100 of every Viper Days weekend
3. Viper Magazine
4. VCA liability insurance
5. Get a 10% discount from Helmet City on all merchandise. Buy a good helmet, gloves and shoes and you saved a $100.00.

These are a few of many other examples of savings available to VCA members.

If you do not enjoy the discounts offered to VCA members that is also your choice.

SOCIAL ROI
Local event activities, news letters, etc. How do you put a value on the new friends made from the love of a car?

I am sure the VCA books are open to all VCA Members. But the best way to know more about the VCA is to be an active member. Organize regional events, run for office in your region, etc.

What car club offers more to members than than the VCA?

 

[Jeff Torrey]

I sure do get my $100.00 worth of information from this forum.

 

[Lawrenzo]

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining a bit. In fact I have thoroughly enjoyed myself as a member in the last 5 months. I guess it's my Finance background that makes me number curious. And, after reading my raffle entry more closely, I saw that there can be as many as 2003 tickets sold. That's far more than the cost of the SRT-10 being given away so I was just wondering what happens to the rest of the $$.

 

[kverges]

I am actually the Sec/Treasurer for my region and we DO publish our budget and inform everyone about what money we get and what we spend. As far as I know, there is no published VCA National budget. I do think there should be, and VCA may make money (nothing says it can't). But a club can be amazingly expensive -from other club budgets to which I am privy, a large part of the budget is the glossy publication, which is hugely expensive to print and circulate. But much of that expense may be defrayed by advertising reveue. I am as ignorant as you of what the VCA income statement and balance sheet might look like.

As for this board being a big part of VCA membership, yes and no. This board was self sufficient and in fact was not owned by VCA until a year or two ago - some people liked to portray the board as some benefit from VCA dues or the like, which sure was bunk, and I doubt that any VCA subsidies are required to date to run this board. If anything, this site's revenues are income to VCA. Those selfless individuals who built and maintained this site won't toot their own horns, but this site was built by them, not VCA (unless someone knows something I don't). But this is the official site and most VCA member participation is a big plus to why this site is so valuable. So yes, VCA membership is enhanced by this site.

 

[Gavin]

Ya gotta be kidding - one club meeting and I have my $100 bucks back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Newport Viper]

I saved $98 dollars today on buying parts, by being a Viper Club Member!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jimandela]

read my sig

 

[Jerry Dobson]

Let's get back to the question. He was basically asking if we see a financial statement. Only from your regional club. From National = NO.

You can join this forum without being a member.

You can get the mag without being a local member.

I am a member and enjoy the activities. The Viper/Porsche/Ferrari clubs are all about 100 bucks. But the Hot Rod clubs for the most part are only 15 to 30 bucks......I guess our cars cost more so they charge more.

 

[Lawrenzo]

I originally put this in off topic, but that forum seems to have lost it's following as of lately.

I am curious if we receive an annual budget for our group? Besides the membership fees and the $120,000(approx) left over from the raffle where else do our funds come from, and how are they distributed? Do we have a reserve balance at the end of the year, or does Daimler pick our pockets to help offset the cost of VOI?

 

[joe117]

I don't have a problem paying the $100 to be a VCA member. I do think the budget probably should be published. Why not?
The discounts given by vendors to VCA members are great but I don't think they don't cost VCA anything so why bring them into this. I say publish the budget. It's just good business.

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

I see no reason to publish a financial report.

Please list constructive reasons?

It is a corporation managed by my its officers as they deem appropriate.

FYI, we(members) are not stock holders!

The financial information should be available on a need to know basis to minimize bickering, whining, etc. My opinion.

 

[joe117]

Well, if it's a private corporation then I would agree with you. It's the corporation's business and nobody else's. I was under the mistaken impression that it was a "club", as in VCA.

 

[slaughterj]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder:
I see no reason to publish a financial report.

Please list constructive reasons?

It is a corporation managed by my its officers as they deem appropriate.

FYI, we(members) are not stock holders!

The financial information should be available on a need to know basis to minimize bickering, whining, etc. My opinion.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree that you want to minimize bickering, and constant questioning of how things are being handled, but I agree with Joe117 that club members should have access to the information upon request, and perhaps the overall financial statements for the year could be made readily available.

 

[luc]

The answer to this question can be find in the club Bylaws,which define the purpose,structure and ways the club conduct it's business.
Do the bylaws mandate that the financial report of the club be made available to it's members?

I have no idea since I don't even know how the Bylaws are made available to us the members.

On a general note,I am a member of quite few other clubs,SCCA,NASA,Shelby Club,etc,and they ALL have their Bylaws readily available to members (and non members) and either publish annualy their financial report in their newspaper or mail it to any members that make the request.

Fred,the VCA being a CLUB,we the members OWN it and have a right to know how OUR money is spent or how business is conducted.
As to "minimize bickering" being a reason not to make the financial report available to the members,what will happen if we were using this "logic" for the "biggest club" that most of us belong to, the USA.
You can vote but we will not tell you how we spend your money,this way no bickering and no complaints.
Do that make sense to you?

Luc.00GTS

 

[-RUNNR]

By-laws are easily found on this site, by clicking Membership -&gt; Regions, then selecting National By-Laws.

Or, here is a direct link.
http://www.viperclub.org/vca/vcabylaws-july-17-02.doc

For what it's worth, as a non-profit organization incorporated in New Hampshire I do believe my club MUST make these numbers available. Not sure on a national level.

-
Don Boston
Soon-to-be-ex President, NEVCA

 

[luc]

Don,

Thanks for the link.

Page 42 of the Bylaws state:

All FINANCIAL REPORTS SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE BY THE NATIONAL TRESURER,UPON REQUEST, TO ANY CLUB MEMBERS.

That is only normal and it is suprising that some peoples,like Fred,don't think so.

Luc.00GTS

 

[Joseph Houss]

I will inquire about this with Viper HQ. It seems logical that this should be made available to our members.

FYI:

From the $100:

- $55 to region
- Viper Mag subscription (including 1st class delivery)
- VCA Notes Printing and publishing
- Zone Rendezvous subsidies and registration gifts
- Membership renewal and maintenance
- Correspondences to members
- region subsidy (when requested)

Your National VCA Prides itself on making sure all expenses are competitively priced, and that all efficiencies are utilitzed.

As you can see, the raffle programs have been instrumental in allowing your regions to request additional funding, subsidize zone events and future additional activies, etc.

Keep in mind, that the raffle programs do incur many expenses (necessary for a legal raffle) that are unavoidable. The net yield goes right into the treasury for the above mentioned National financial responsibilities.

 

[Andrew2KRT10]

My 2 cents? I could not be bothered examining a budget for a $100.00 per year membership cost. I like the magazines, and whatever else goes on during the year is worth it for me. But please! Don't give me the "savings" argument. That is the biggest sales scam going. In other words, I have to spend money to save money or get a benifit? No thanks.

 

[Viablo]

I for one have enjoyed the benefits of the club, and never really cared for any financials. If the club is a non-profit organization, it was probably organized under section 503(6) of the Internal revenue code . If revenues exceed 25,000 a year the club has to file form 990 with the IRS which is open to public inspection. This form shows all the income and expenses for the year.

 

[JonB]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by kverges:
[B.... This board was self sufficient and in fact was not owned by VCA until a year or two ago - ....... If anything, this site's revenues are income to VCA. Those selfless individuals who built and maintained this site won't toot their own horns, but this site was built by them, not VCA (unless someone knows something I don't). [/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I was the VCA's 1st treasurer in 1995-6. We disbanded the office since we did NOT have a treasury and Dodge did not let us collect/accrue funds! After D-C, the VCA needed to become financially viable and "help pay its own way" with the genberous help of Dodge. So a Treasurer's office was created at VOI-5 and Mitch "The Miser" Wherly has been VCA treasurer since.

CORRECTION:

Those 'selfless' individuals who built this site DID do it for their own profit....which became the primary reason the VCA aquired this site at VOI-6. VCA oversees its operation since, and pays the site operator for his work.

The selfless VOLUNTEERS especially do deserve our sincere thanks and praise and horn-tooting

 

[malcoll]

Wow... apparently this request has been made on MULTIPLE occassions... seems the response from Joseph Houss was essentially the same...... YET NO FINANCIALS HAVE BEEN RELEASED AS FAR AS I CAN TELL.

This is absolutely bordering on criminal behaviour... at the very least this behaviour should be totally unacceptable in an organization that "prides itself on making sure all expenses are competitively priced, and that all efficiencies are utilitzed".

So what IS the hold up..... I am sending ANOTHER e-mail to the Treasurer....since I haven't even been afforded the COURTESY of a response to my recent follow e-mail request?

Lance

 

[GTS Bruce]

The money forked over by members is chump change($100.00)However disclosure is prudent.No disclosure will lead to some member somewhere contacting a state attorney general which will make the club,officers and all of us look really bad and or stupid. Bruce

 

[ChrisXoxide]

I don't mean this in any offense to any of you guys, but I am laughing SO hard right now. You all are so mature and professional and grown up.

I wouldn't have ever even thought about this. I guess you all are correct that everyone should see where money is going, I think thats the way most organizations work, but it just makes me laugh reading how professional you all are.

Only in a Viper club =D

 

[Craig 201 MPH]

I see no reason to publish a financial report.&lt;P&gt;Please list constructive reasons?&lt;P&gt;It is a corporation managed by my its officers as they deem appropriate.&lt;P&gt;FYI, we(members) are not stock holders!&lt;P&gt;The financial information should be available on a need to know basis to minimize bickering, whining, etc. My opinion. &lt;P&gt;

do you care how your taxes are spent?

 

[luc]

Mr Houss, our National VCA Pres ,stated on 10/23/02, over 1 YEAR ago, that he will "inquire with Viper HQ".

End result,after numerous requests for the Financials?

NOTHING, but sandbagging, What do they have to hide?

Luc. Past member,current enthusiast,waiting for Financial
00GTS

 

[Jerry Dobson]

Did anyone ever get the Financial Statement?

 

[FranciscoR.]

oh crap.....NOOOOO!!!!!

 

[Mopar Steve]

Wasn't that posted in the member area? I remember reading something like that.