It would seem there has been a lot of discussion on the issues with the VCA the last week or so and what has taken place in the past. Enough said, I believe! The word; maybe not all of it has been expressed, but enough to invoke required significant change. With all that has transpired, in the interest of moving forth out of this rut, I felt a thread by the members, past members and future members expressing the positive changes the VCA should make in any and all areas was important. Just as SRT listened to our voice to help influence the build of the new GEN V, our only voice as members, past members and future members in this situation with the Board and Execs meeting right now is this thread. This may be our only chance to influence the direction of the club moving forth. I believe it is important our voice needs to be heard. I would ask that we try to keep this positive and only focus on the changes the club needs to make without rehashing the past. I will chime in later with some positive suggestions as I am a relative young-in' at only 7 years in the club. So ask yourself, as members, what changes do they need to invoke? If you are a past member, what changes need to take place to win back your loyalty and membership? If you are a future member, and have read al this the past few weeks, what do you need to see to join in the near future? Remember that Chrysler/SRT are also seeing this so it is time for some very positive influence here. Everyone involved who can do something about this will care about your opinion and discussion points as Viper Owners really do want to fix this! Thoughts? Let's hear from the guys with 10 to 19 years with the club who are or were members!
Where does the VCA go from here (Positive Thread)!!!
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Fatboy 18
Enthusiast
I would like to see total transparency across the board.
I am happy with the Magazine, I know we have been told that we have a new printer, so hopefully the magazine will be back on track and be produced much quicker? (no point in reading about a raffle when its already closed) I know of some UK members do not use the internet, so the magazine is their main link with the club.
I am happy for Vendors to post comments and links to their sites, we are a club and if we can help each other out with keeping our cars on the road, that's what its all about.
I am not happy when posts get pulled because he or she is not a paying vendor. (An ebay link comes to mind on this point).
I like this website and most of the time the people on it, there is a sense of respect in that the language is kept clean, unlike the 'other site'.
I hope the club will be able to re-kindle the rift and that we can get a much closer relationship with SRT.
It was great meeting Ralph and other members of SRT at Le mans this year. I felt proud to be a Venom VCA member. Sadly I could not afford the SRT Hospitality package, but I still got to meet the Drivers and the Big Boss
I like the idea of the club having its own parts website, but I could see this causing some conflict with Vendors and I would also like to know how much the Club is making from this venture?
Never been to a VOI, They sound great, but I've never had the budget
Cheers Mark.
I am happy with the Magazine, I know we have been told that we have a new printer, so hopefully the magazine will be back on track and be produced much quicker? (no point in reading about a raffle when its already closed) I know of some UK members do not use the internet, so the magazine is their main link with the club.
I am happy for Vendors to post comments and links to their sites, we are a club and if we can help each other out with keeping our cars on the road, that's what its all about.
I am not happy when posts get pulled because he or she is not a paying vendor. (An ebay link comes to mind on this point).
I like this website and most of the time the people on it, there is a sense of respect in that the language is kept clean, unlike the 'other site'.
I hope the club will be able to re-kindle the rift and that we can get a much closer relationship with SRT.
It was great meeting Ralph and other members of SRT at Le mans this year. I felt proud to be a Venom VCA member. Sadly I could not afford the SRT Hospitality package, but I still got to meet the Drivers and the Big Boss
I like the idea of the club having its own parts website, but I could see this causing some conflict with Vendors and I would also like to know how much the Club is making from this venture?
Never been to a VOI, They sound great, but I've never had the budget
Cheers Mark.
johniew398
Enthusiast
I am only a five year member; but here's what I would like to see:
1. Total transparency on any subject.
2. Publish meeting minutes and treasurer's reports after each officer and/or board meeting.
3. Don't ban any member just because they ask questions or disagree with someone that is an officer or on the board. Have an official, member approved
method if you want to ban a member.
4. Dealers: I have no problem with restricting dealer advertising to those who are paid site sponsors.
5. Vendors: and again I have no problem with restricting vendor advertising to those who pay. Although both 4 & 5 might bring up the question of why do we need all that revenue?
6. Magazine - best car magazine I read. Keep it the same.
7. SRT - publish exactly what SRT officials want to see as far as splitting of VPA even if it includes selling it off.
8. Hold elections on-line for officer and *** positions. You can use something like survey monkey, etc. Only paid members get to vote. That is also technically easy to enforce.
1. Total transparency on any subject.
2. Publish meeting minutes and treasurer's reports after each officer and/or board meeting.
3. Don't ban any member just because they ask questions or disagree with someone that is an officer or on the board. Have an official, member approved
method if you want to ban a member.
4. Dealers: I have no problem with restricting dealer advertising to those who are paid site sponsors.
5. Vendors: and again I have no problem with restricting vendor advertising to those who pay. Although both 4 & 5 might bring up the question of why do we need all that revenue?
6. Magazine - best car magazine I read. Keep it the same.
7. SRT - publish exactly what SRT officials want to see as far as splitting of VPA even if it includes selling it off.
8. Hold elections on-line for officer and *** positions. You can use something like survey monkey, etc. Only paid members get to vote. That is also technically easy to enforce.
Ray W
Enthusiast
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From a former member from inception through 2009. Left club due to disagreements with C. Marshall and the direction he was taking the club.
Chris, Mary, Lee, Marv and Bob Carroll would have to be removed and prevented from attending any management function. Not sure how many others but those complicit should join them. Any who are found to have gained personal benefit through deceit should be banned.
VPA should be disbanded. Stock auctioned off. Conduct expert review of tooling worth and future usability before retaining. The disbanding of VPA needs to have oversight to ensure that previous and future business is ethical. Unethical conduct should be reported to authorities. Make sure we start with a clean house. This includes inaccurate tax reporting, etc.
Viper Magazine and club management need to go to an independent third party. Eliminate the potential for impropriety completely. Whether that is JRT or some other firm the specific need is to be a separate entity with zero strings.
The Bylaws need to be rewritten. Preferably starting with the pre-Daimler version and going from there.
Benefits for *** need to be paired back. End the lifetime free VOI, free annual dues, include travel only for a very few, necessary trips. Not to include brown nosing trips to Chrysler or other locations for Chrysler contact.
Remove the despots from the Viper Hall of Fame. Never belonged in the first place.
Eliminate all paid positions for active members. Only for paid staff or contracts to separate firms.
Eliminate all forum rules related to owner vendors posting. That does not prevent post limits for selling stuff, but those should apply to all equally.
Elimination of dual levels of membership. All members should be considered as equals. No Venom or other preferential treatment.
Chris, Mary, Lee, Marv and Bob Carroll would have to be removed and prevented from attending any management function. Not sure how many others but those complicit should join them. Any who are found to have gained personal benefit through deceit should be banned.
VPA should be disbanded. Stock auctioned off. Conduct expert review of tooling worth and future usability before retaining. The disbanding of VPA needs to have oversight to ensure that previous and future business is ethical. Unethical conduct should be reported to authorities. Make sure we start with a clean house. This includes inaccurate tax reporting, etc.
Viper Magazine and club management need to go to an independent third party. Eliminate the potential for impropriety completely. Whether that is JRT or some other firm the specific need is to be a separate entity with zero strings.
The Bylaws need to be rewritten. Preferably starting with the pre-Daimler version and going from there.
Benefits for *** need to be paired back. End the lifetime free VOI, free annual dues, include travel only for a very few, necessary trips. Not to include brown nosing trips to Chrysler or other locations for Chrysler contact.
Remove the despots from the Viper Hall of Fame. Never belonged in the first place.
Eliminate all paid positions for active members. Only for paid staff or contracts to separate firms.
Eliminate all forum rules related to owner vendors posting. That does not prevent post limits for selling stuff, but those should apply to all equally.
Elimination of dual levels of membership. All members should be considered as equals. No Venom or other preferential treatment.
I could have typed that!
Clean house and rebuild.
Make VCA about the Viper and members, not administration.
VRYALT3R3D
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Allow links to ebay. This is the only forum I am on that doesnt allow it
eucharistos
Enthusiast
+1 thanks for saving me the typing
Ray W
Enthusiast
Look at chapters that have consistently ran their club properly. Meaning holding proper open election of board members and keeping yearly financials distributed to members and be able to prove it. Then only those chapter board members should be considered for election to National VCA. A good track record of past performance is the best indicator of future performance. Recommendations from current National Board Members should be immediately dismissed.
Janni
Enthusiast
Great suggestions - keep 'em coming.
One clarification maybe? - as a former Director - there are no lifetime free VOIs. In fact - to my knowledge there are no "free VOI's". There is / was a former president lifetime VCA membership - but that is the only ongoing freebie of which I am aware.
The annual meeting stipend was made available to club presidents and *** members to help cover the cost of the travel - last I know it was $500 annually and receipts were necessary. Usually, it did not cover the hotel for 3 nights, and certainly not airfare - but it was a 'help'. Do you want to get rid of any / all reimbursements for travel to meetings? If so - does that limit the base from which to choose a President or other position?
One clarification maybe? - as a former Director - there are no lifetime free VOIs. In fact - to my knowledge there are no "free VOI's". There is / was a former president lifetime VCA membership - but that is the only ongoing freebie of which I am aware.
The annual meeting stipend was made available to club presidents and *** members to help cover the cost of the travel - last I know it was $500 annually and receipts were necessary. Usually, it did not cover the hotel for 3 nights, and certainly not airfare - but it was a 'help'. Do you want to get rid of any / all reimbursements for travel to meetings? If so - does that limit the base from which to choose a President or other position?
ViperSmith
Enthusiast
If it is a pure volunteer basis, I do think the club should pay for travel (of course, within reason). I wouldn't expect someone giving their time away to lose money on helping.
Does someone need to fly out to the 'Ring on the VCA dime to watch cars race? (Not saying this is true or not, just an example) Not really. travel to VOI to help support it? Of course.
I think it is an easy determination.
Frank 03SRT
Enthusiast
Can you do annual meetings and other meetings via video conference or similar?
FrankBarba
Enthusiast
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Drop the name VCA. Change name to something like: Viper Owners Club
No National Club
State or Regional Club Only
VPA Disbanded - Sold to Highest Bidder
No National Club
State or Regional Club Only
VPA Disbanded - Sold to Highest Bidder
Richard Koch
Enthusiast
I think that your solution is nice and simple and will be a good way to clean up this mess.
Janni
Enthusiast
So with no national club, with whom shall SRT communicate? Does that leave the relationship with the manufacturer up to each individual region and turn things into have / have nots? I don't expect SRT to manage communications with 20+ regions (or however many are established) so I would fear it would create some folks with strong ties being "in" on things and others simply left out.
So you are okay with not having a cohesive relationship with SRT?
And certainly meetings can be done over the phone. (Video conf doesn't really work with that many folks that geographically dispersed) and I have lived with corporate travel restrictions for a few years now - but I have to tell you - you function better as a team with some face to face interaction.
I do think any option should be "on the table" and researched, debated and discussed - no preconceptions on "the answer"....
So you are okay with not having a cohesive relationship with SRT?
And certainly meetings can be done over the phone. (Video conf doesn't really work with that many folks that geographically dispersed) and I have lived with corporate travel restrictions for a few years now - but I have to tell you - you function better as a team with some face to face interaction.
I do think any option should be "on the table" and researched, debated and discussed - no preconceptions on "the answer"....
Frank 03SRT
Enthusiast
If folks are dead set against a national function, one could rotate the leadership between each of the regions, or more likely, those interested in leadership. Do it every quarter or so. I can see where that could get cumbersome, so maybe another avenue would be to have one elected HQ type, and call on members of some of the regions to fill in on the other duties normally handled by HQ. That might help regions feel more part of national business.
LifeIsGood
Enthusiast
My understanding is that Chrysler was going to sell it off for scrap metal. I don't really agree that any of the tooling will ever come to fruition. There are aftermarket vendors out there that are providing a lot of parts to older vipers. I've heard many times from multiple sources that the tooling that made the GEN I/II hoods only provided a usable hood 1 out of every 4 or 5 molded. I highly doubt that there will be any takers for the viper tooling...scrap metal. The VCA is paying $60K a year to store a bunch of garbage. By the way the $60K is being paid to Tim Wollesen. The same tool that sent the latest reported letter to Ralph's boss. So he's in bed with the VPA and was, until very recently, the SW Zone Director of the VCA. His wife, Dawn, uh um, won one of the raffle cars a few years ago, uh um. I'm not a great legal mind like say, Bob Pantax, but even I can see that there may be a (insert sarcasm here) slight conflict of interest in all these folks being in bed together.
Allan
Enthusiast
That's the problem. No protection, and look what happened. 
latamud
Enthusiast
Slash and burn.
Viper Garage Elite
Viper Owner
Elect all new officials by the paid members and no salaries paid. Take the crony capitalism out of the equation with VPA Let members have freedom of the press and buy from whom they like
TrackAire
Enthusiast
I did not know that the VCA is paying $5000.00 per month. How many square feet is the building the VCA is renting? What is the address? Has anybody ever seen pictures of the inside of the warehouse with the VPA parts in it? Has any customer of the VPA every been to the warehouse to pick up parts?
If this "warehouse" isn't at least 10,000 square feet in size, then the VCA membership is getting boned again.
Can somebody please report how much the VCA members pay for the warehouse in Michigan and the warehouse in Kansas?
George
FrankBarba
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The Warehouse has been a secret since its inception. Only Chris Marshall, and his Cronies know where the parts are stored.
When i inquired about the warehouse many years ago and received no answers. I do believe it is in Kansas.
When i inquired about the warehouse many years ago and received no answers. I do believe it is in Kansas.
To my understanding, the warehouse is NOT owned by Tim. Tim has a business that RENTS warehouse space from a landlord, but his company did not use all the space available. When VPA got started up and needed the extra space, he asked HIS landlord if he could rent out the rest of the warehouse space. Pretty sure Tim is not getting paid anything to store parts, it's just in the same location that he has other stuff in.
Regardless, I really don't see why people would want VPA disbanded. They are a dealer that offer Viper parts at really good prices, why would you want to lose that as an owner who might need them in the future? If the financials are a continued issue, I don't see a reason you couldn't split it off from the club, but require a club membership to be able to order from them or something so that there's still a benefit to having a membership. That way they could also always list their best discount prices on applicable parts. They could still sponsor the club for events like VOI or zone rendezvous like any other vendor. Their money would be theirs to spend however they see fit. The club would only get money through memberships and maybe raffles and anything donated to it by any vendor, but this would all be on record so people can see the cashflow.
Regardless, I really don't see why people would want VPA disbanded. They are a dealer that offer Viper parts at really good prices, why would you want to lose that as an owner who might need them in the future? If the financials are a continued issue, I don't see a reason you couldn't split it off from the club, but require a club membership to be able to order from them or something so that there's still a benefit to having a membership. That way they could also always list their best discount prices on applicable parts. They could still sponsor the club for events like VOI or zone rendezvous like any other vendor. Their money would be theirs to spend however they see fit. The club would only get money through memberships and maybe raffles and anything donated to it by any vendor, but this would all be on record so people can see the cashflow.
VIPER GTSR 91
Enthusiast
Posting for paid members only and when trolls are suspected (very few if any when you have to pay to post) ban them quickly. A good post by the way on this subject and some great replies above.
GTS Dean
Enthusiast
Nicely said, Ron. (edited quote only to save space)
Frank 03SRT
Enthusiast
MoparMap, I don't think it is so much about the value of the VPA, but how it was developed by insiders that stand to benefit financially. Where I worked, we were required to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. This appears to be more of an opportunistic infection, or worse.
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