APBA members it is time to get answers!!

[14-H]

Hey Ed-
Your implication that my old man is, well, an 'old dude' is correct. However, you implied that either my brother, myself, or both have children of our own. You most certainly are incorrect. Thank you and goodnight. By the way, nice story about the J motor. I think your story shed some light on the 'other side' of the Crowne Partners' story.

Kyle: Didn't realize that was your dad. If you're going to Lock Haven, be sure to tell Richard that he's being discussed on Hydroracer & ask to see my motor.

[treadguy]

Just had the chance to read the on-line Propeller mag and was floored. Steve Greaves wrote a column on the PRO nationals and didn't include ONE of the talented drivers that won championships there. The DePue Men's Club and the tiny village that was able to move mountains of water had kudos but the reason they did what they did was not addressed at all. I hope someone wakes up sometime soon and realizes this magazine is more about personalities (a lot of our heros as drivers) and not about how a journalist spent their day. Let's get back to how it used to be and hear about our neighbors or someone we met at the last race and how they did. What happened?

[26V]

Well

This thread has been very interesting to read. And I have learned a lot more about the situation that occured just as I was starting into this great sport. But I still have one big gray/blank area that I would like someone to fill in. That area of knowledge is what did the SEA-TAC agreement consist of? Obveously after the judgement we became/remain a member driven organization. What was the the SEA-TAC going to make us?
If you don't want to post an answer hear please PM or email me. I realy would like this info.

[Big Don]

Gene that is a very good question. Hopefully someone that was in the trenchs will post it.

[26V]

Shoot Don, I though you would have a good idea of what it consisted of. Or at least an understanding of what it was going to make us.

[Big Don]

Gene...I only have the koolaid version ...I was not involved or in the court room...maybe someone that was will give us ALL an accurate version.

[propnuts]

Really?

Since this thread has been jacked to death anyway I won't bother apologizing. First of all, who is this "journalist" you are referring to? Steve is a boat parts dealer, a category chair, and I know he does other stuff, but he is not really a journalist. These articles are written by volunteers, and if you don't like them write one yourself (I have) and send it in, they will almost always publish it, the more content the merrier. Ripping someone on hydroracer is easy, I just provided a solution to your issue, up to you what to do with it.

Just had the chance to read the on-line Propeller mag and was floored. Steve Greaves wrote a column on the PRO nationals and didn't include ONE of the talented drivers that won championships there. The DePue Men's Club and the tiny village that was able to move mountains of water had kudos but the reason they did what they did was not addressed at all. I hope someone wakes up sometime soon and realizes this magazine is more about personalities (a lot of our heros as drivers) and not about how a journalist spent their day. Let's get back to how it used to be and hear about our neighbors or someone we met at the last race and how they did. What happened?

[ricochet112]

This thread has been very interesting to read. And I have learned a lot more about the situation that occured just as I was starting into this great sport. But I still have one big gray/blank area that I would like someone to fill in. That area of knowledge is what did the SEA-TAC agreement consist of? Obveously after the judgement we became/remain a member driven organization. What was the the SEA-TAC going to make us?
If you don't want to post an answer hear please PM or email me. I realy would like this info.

My memories hazy, but I do remember the pitch for it, it seems like it was for APBA to be run like a business, instead of a membership run organization.

This is the first year I have not been an APBA member since 1985, with no monthly magazine, there's zero incentive. I can go online and read it for free, I would like the the option of paying more to receive a printed version. We'll be back next year racing, just a 1 year break.

I too would like details of the SEA-TAC prosal, but unfortunatly we'll only hear opinionated sides from the opposing parties.

Here's a little something I found:

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/g...ike-again.html

and more....hmmmm

http://www.pwctoday.com/showthread.php?t=17659&page=7

In January of this year, however, realizing that their unchallenged control of the Association for the past 20 years had come to an end, Mssrs. Strang and Hearn, along with Mark Wheeler, Don Allen, and Fred Hauenstein of Mercury Racing, and Ed Hearn, Esq., attempted to stage a sham vote of less than 1% of the membership to rescind the lawfully ratified SEA-TAC Plan in violation of the New York State Not-For-Profit Corporation Law, and replace it with their age old "good old boy" system of governance.


http://groups.google.com/group/rec.b...h%2F2003-07%3F

[Big Don]

Gene, here is part of the facts...I just happen to have saved this.


TO: APBA Members
FROM: Charles Strang, Ziggy Boettle, Mark Wheeler, Fred Hauenstein, Don Allen, Ernie Dawe, Mike Wienandt, Robin Shane, Howard Anderson and Ed Hearn.
RE: APBA Board of Directors Dispute
DATE: June 20, 2003.

Dear APBA Members and Friends:
As many of you may have already heard, on May 23, 2003, we joined together and brought suit in Erie County, New York in an action to ask a New York Judge to make a determination as to the identity of the lawful APBA Board of Directors according to New York Law (APBA is a New York Corporation). No monies from the APBA have been used to bring this lawsuit. The suit has been paid for by individual APBA members and friends whose only interest is in seeing that control of the APBA, through the democratic process, remains in the hands of the APBA membership. The lawsuit asks the Judge to determine that the November 2002 election, was in fact an election for the APBA Board notwithstanding the fact that the Ballot submitted to you had been altered to indicate that the election was for the so-called "performance board." This would mean that those members who met in Detroit at the Annual Meeting as the APBA Board were the correct Board of Directors and that all actions taken at the Annual Meeting are valid.
Our theory is that the election process had begun in July of 2002 whereby all persons identified on the ballot had been nominated to run for the APBA Board of Directors and had accepted that nomination. In August of 2002, the APBA Board passed what has been called the SeaTac Reorganization Plan. As a result of this action by the Board, the ballots for the APBA Board were altered to indicate that the election was for the "performance board." The SeaTac Plan, we have urged the Judge, illegally altered this election most notably because by laws were never adopted to implement the SeaTac Plan. In the event the Judge determines that the November election was so flawed that it became invalid, we have asked the Court to conduct a new election for those positions on the Board of Directors which became vacant as of November 1, 2002. Finally, we have asked the Court to determine that those individuals who claim to be members of the APBA Board of Directors as a result of the SeaTac plan that was never implemented, are, in fact, not members of the APBA Board.
In short, we have asked a New York Court to guide us on the lawful path to end the confusion that has been created as to the proper governing Board for the APBA. In the event the New York Judge determines that we may have positions as members of the APBA Board, we assure all of you that we will faithfully execute those duties to the best of our abilities and to protect the APBA as well as any rights the APBA might have as a sanctioning body for powerboat racing in the United States. Indeed, we all took such an oath in Detroit to do just that. In the mean time, despite all of the controversy that has surrounded this issue, we wish each and every one of you the very best in pursuing your powerboat racing endeavors in 2003. May you all arrive safely in the Winner's Circle.

[tcf284]

i disagree with the propeller going to digital for one main reason other than boatracers who else would see about boatracing if the propeller was more available it very well may spark interests in new possible drivers for the last 2 years i have been to about 8to 10 races and the trailer we use is an open trailer with bunks and boats and evry single time we stop for gas someone will ask us whats that ,how fast do they go, where do you race , bottom line the ineterest to see these boats race is there but here's the challenge, i faced this years ago before internet when/where's the next race without hydro racer,or a telephone number of someone actively involved who knows when the next race in your area is, oh yeah sure i live in tampa fl and have seen advetisement for the offshore running in st pete or in sarasota but i race stocks live closer to lakeland than st pete or sarasota but i did not see and advertisement for the usts in winter haven in march nor the stock winter nationals that i raced in at lakeland that same weekend apba should invest in advertising these lower levels because thats where people get started in racing i know i dont have a million dollars to purchase and race an offshore or an unlimited but about 3500 can get you a descent running c-stock that will get you the desire to race then its on lol

[bill boyes]

I believe selling off parts of APBA I.e Unlimited and Offshore was a bad move.

[propfxrO84]

I am a new guy, only been racing since 1990, so be easy on me. But, I think I have this figured out......APBA "needs" the Unllimiteds, and Offshore, for bragging rights and "look who races in my organization" pizzaz, but, with them in your org. it costs too much money to put on stock/mod/pro race (insurance, sanctions, etc.)? Kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place??

[26V]

Bill,
who sold off unlimiteds and offshore? I didn't see a mention of that in any of the other articals or communications I read.

[Big Don]

Gene, hopefully someone will clarify better…but what happened was APBA sold off the rights to both and the promoter was supposed to pay us certain fees. There was a dispute over the fees owed to us as some point.

I believe what was attempted by one of the groups was their group tried to take over APBA. That meeting was the SEA-TEC meeting…unfortunately what most of the BOD at that time didn’t realize was what that really meant to our membership. I have never seen it but the way I understood it would have given a lot of our money pretty much to that group that was trying to take us over.

That pretty much started the ball rolling.

[14-H]

Since this thread has been jacked to death anyway I won't bother apologizing. First of all, who is this "journalist" you are referring to? Steve is a boat parts dealer, a category chair, and I know he does other stuff, but he is not really a journalist. These articles are written by volunteers, and if you don't like them write one yourself (I have) and send it in, they will almost always publish it, the more content the merrier. Ripping someone on hydroracer is easy, I just provided a solution to your issue, up to you what to do with it.

I totally agree with this. (not that it matters).