[DML] Re: DeLorean Owners Association

["therealdmcvegas" <dmcvegas@xxxxxxxxx>]

Well Mr. Shearer (and everyone else), Let's go ahead and talk about
the current image and role the of the DOA.

See the biggest red-flag here is that Ken Baker in his post here wants
to take discussions private and doesn't want to publicly addresses
anyone. Stating that online/public discussions are counterproductive.
This is hardly the case, and once more makes the DOA look like a
secretive organization that can't take any form of creative criticisms
at best.

Two big talking points here, and the first is about the current DOA's
role in owners' experiences. Specifically myself and many others for
years now have been asking the important question of "How will the DOA
serve us?" whenever there is any talk of membership drives here on the
boards. Quite frankly, what is in it for us? What do we get in return
for membership dues? And still after all this time, no one has an
answer. Not a one. The only thing we get is this knee-jerk response to
contact someone in private in the hopes that someone will contact us
to discuss things further. This isn't a hard question at all, and yet
no one from the DOA wants to acknowledge it.

Second Point is the past actions of the DOA and it's board members
towards people. You yourself have taken the stance that you don't know
anything about past actions, and you have assumed that people only had
the best of intentions with the actions that they have taken. Well, if
you don't know what things people had problems with in the past, then
how can you possibly hope to address those problems in order to create
the positive, rewarding experience that future members are seeking
out? What I have read between the lines with your post, and with Ken
Baker's is that no one wants to take criticisim at all in order to
meet members' needs. The DOA simply wants to dictate how DeLorean
ownership should be. Rather than asking people how you can serve them,
you just want their membership dollars to serve you. Once again we see
these same themes prevalent within the DOA's attitude. People
constantly state that the core feature of DOA membership, the DW
magazine does not connect with their interests. Yet no one addresses
these things publicly to ask what it is that people want to see.

If you really want to take the DOA in a new direction, how can you
possibly do that if you don't even know what direction you've all come
from? Your organization is just spinning around in the same circles it
has for so many years.

As far as change goes, there has not been much of it at all. Over the
years from Dick Shipman, to I believe John Truscott I have been
insulted and ignored at every turn. I once called Truscott almost 3
years ago. I heard that the DOA had records on car ownership history.
The only thing that he had was what info they had recorded on my VIN
from the DML. Attempting to strike up a friendly conversation I
explained that I was trying to put together a portfolio for my car of
it's history and restoration. He then proceeded to interrupt me, and
tell me how many young people such as myself keep buying DeLoreans off
used car lots and are totally naive about how to take care of them. I
kept my cool and explained to him that wasn't the situation at all. I
wasn't naive, and I certainly hadn't just bought this car. 5 years of
daily driving with only minor issues to address had enabled me to
triple the mileage since I first picked it up, and that the DML record
he saw were in fact my posts he'd been reading over the years. He
guffed at me, and then told me he had to go. And let's not even get
started with Travis. Travis was supposed to be one of the new
generation of people to help turn the DOA around. Same attitude, and
only wanted to ever flame me in posts, or tell me to shut up whenever
he couldn't prove me wrong. This has been some image over the past 12
years the DOA has put out there to people like me.

Now believe me, I know that one person cannot necessarily be held
responsible for the actions of others, certainly. And I'm not
demanding an apology from you. But what I would demand is a
recognition of these grievances that people have, and at the very
least an assurance that the DOA will never again tolerate such actions
by it's board members and they would be subject to disciplinary
action. That and a solid commitment that you and everyone else don't
just work for the common good of you members, but that you work for
the members themselves. Membership is not the privilege, the act of
serving others is.

Addressing what the DOA's plans are according to your post, you
basically say that the DOA wants to work with clubs and whatnot in
order to help put on shows and events. What I'm reading here, and
please correct me if I'm wrong, is that the DOA is devoid of
creativity and finances and simply wants to muscle in on the action of
other organizations in order to take credit events that they don't
really contribute to. If I've read that wrong, please set me straight
by telling others and myself what it is exactly that the DOA has to
bring to the table? Because what I've seen in the past is that the DOA
wants to put on events, they actually have as little to do with the
DeLorean as possible, and simply rely on fancy brouhahas instead that
don't match up with attendees interests. That's why you had such a
great time @ DCS: It catered to your interests and those of others
regarding the car. Which once again is a revolving theme.

Now in closing, I'll acknowledge your comment that you want people to
put aside grievances and not work against you. Sure, I recognize the
DOA as a club, but strictly as a regional one. You may happen to
accept memberships from residents of other states and even countries,
but seriously, what do you have to possibly offer anyone outside of
Southern California? Nevada and Arizona have their own groups and
don't need the DOA. Even Northern California has it's own group. What
is it that you and every other member of the DOA's board believe it is
that you have to offer anyone? We have the internet, parts vendors,
tech support hotlines, and many friendships already formed, what do
you have to contribute?. I honestly need to know, because so far the
only true aspirations I have seen that the DOA collective has now are
to simply to try and regain a position of power over the DeLorean
community, rather than to help anyone in it out.

Be happy with SoCal, and leave it at that. I along with many others
have recognized you for quite some time, and will continue to do so as
a local club that serves the interests of it's local members. Be happy
with that, and we will all welcome you as our equals, but not any
types of superiors. If there is to be a new National Club, I for one
would welcome the DOA with open arms to be contributors within the
cooperative. But never, EVER as an authority to have any type of
majority control what so ever.

Please, speak with us now.

-Robert
vin 6585 "X"



--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "delorean83us" <delorean83us@...> wrote:
>
> Hello Everyone,
> 
> I am Mark Shearer, VP of the DOA, and I would just like to inject my 
> two cents into this topic.
> I have been a DOA Board member for 2 years (and a member since 1998) 
> and with that, I have heard some of the past 'issues' that people 
> have had with the DOA, while the secret meetings and secret finances 
> may have been a reality at some point within the organization, I 
> myself was/am not aware of how those things from the past will help 
> us move forward to the future.
> Here are my thoughts.  All of the things that happened in the past 
> are in the past.  I had nothing to do with them, Ken had nothing to 
> do with them, Steve had nothing to do with them, Elliot had nothing 
> to do with them, and others that may have been on the board during 
> those times, I believe, did not set out with mailitous intent to harm 
> other groups or the community.  So let's move forward.  A lot has 
> been discussed at our meetings and we've had a lot of talks to get 
> this thing moving in the right direction again.  We are planning to 
> be more 'open' we are planning to be more user friendly and many 
> other things BUT we, the new people, can not afford to keep looking 
> back!
> I was just at DCS '08 this weekend, I came not as a representative of 
> the 'Evil Empire' but as a normal, everyday DeLorean owner and 
> lover.  And I had a blast!  I saw some friendly faces and met some 
> new ones and that is what DeLorean ownership should be about!  I did 
> not/do not care what, if any, group someone was a part of... it was 
> enough to know we all love the DeLorean and what it's place in 
> history is.  As for the DOA, I want to see the DOA begin to grow 
> again, not because I want to 'take over' all the other clubs, but 
> because I believe (personal opinion) there is a place for a national 
> owners club.  BUT while I believe this, it does not mean that I/we 
> are going to be activly working to 'kill' other groups, infact just 
> the oposite, 'we' would like to begin to work more closely with those 
> other groups to forward the DeLorean car and its maker... and if we 
> get a couple new members from that, that would be great.
> We would indeed like to be more of a presence at future DCS' and we 
> want to work hand in hand with Ken K., and other DeLorean groups.
> We all have seen and read a lot of posts over the last few weeks 
> since 'the revolution' and believe me, we are reading them all and 
> taking them all to heart, even the mean ones, but let it be known, we 
> the new leaders of the DOA are NOT WORKING AGAINST ANY OTHER GROUP OR 
> ORGANIZATION, and we ask that you put aside your past hostilities of 
> the DOA and NOT WORK AGAINST US!  We're all new on this board and we 
> have nothing to do with the past and we are looking forward to 
> getting back to working with the DeLorean community for the benefit 
> of the DeLorean and its members.
> Sorry for being so long-winded, and thanks for listening.
> 
> Mark Shearer
> Vice President
> DeLorean Owners Association


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