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Tim Chance touched on this, and based on information I received from the National Office some years ago, I was told that before they came up with the penalty, there were so many that waited till the first race of the year (sometimes late spring or early summer based on location) that money to operate the office was very short until that time ,and it caused a financial hardship for APBA.
Whether true or not, I have no idea, but it sounded plausible.
I can tell you that one of my differences with APBA is the very snotty way they handled a membership check that arrived at their office TWO days after the due date, and was for a full racing membership AFTER I HAD QUIT DRIVING, as I felt they could use the extra money.
I got a note from someone in the office demanding the extra dollar penalty (don't remember what the amount was, but it was substantial). I seem to remember it was mailed on a Friday at a drop box and sat in the box over the weekend, and that made it late. The only other membership money they ever got from me after that was a non-racing membership that allowed a protest (with another member) of the "radio rule" a few years ago. The protest was upheld showing that the PRO Commission at the time had passed a rule with no authority to do so. They went ahead and cashed the original check though, even after my conversations with them about the extra "gratis" money being included for a racing membership even though I was not racing anymore, and it only being 2 days late. It then took six weeks to get it back after I decided they did not deserve my money after all with the "attitude".
The lesson I hoped to get across to them was I could be just as stubborn and unyielding as they. They won that argument but lost my membership money and good will. I have about half dozen more stories similar to that one, including being physically barred from my category meeting at one of the National Meetings some years back. I did not and had no desire to attend any of the other functions, but had gone out to the west coast for the specific reason of attending my category commission meeting ONLY, and was barred at the door. Edgar Rose was the APBA President at the time I believe, and he kindly got me a badge so I could attend the meeting. He was the only one who used the slightest bit of common sense, including the PRO VP at the time and the seated commission. all of whom sat on their hands while this was going on in plain sight. I seem to remember for several years after that a category member was allowed to attend their commission meeting only without cost. To Mr. Roses credit he recognized the importance of allowing a member to participate in their own commission meeting, if that was all they were there for, which I was.
Membership driven organizations sometimes forget why they exist, and over the years, based on my experience anyway, lots of the problems that APBA has suffered, come from that type arrogance that has been experienced by many.
Whether true or not, I have no idea, but it sounded plausible.
I can tell you that one of my differences with APBA is the very snotty way they handled a membership check that arrived at their office TWO days after the due date, and was for a full racing membership AFTER I HAD QUIT DRIVING, as I felt they could use the extra money.
I got a note from someone in the office demanding the extra dollar penalty (don't remember what the amount was, but it was substantial). I seem to remember it was mailed on a Friday at a drop box and sat in the box over the weekend, and that made it late. The only other membership money they ever got from me after that was a non-racing membership that allowed a protest (with another member) of the "radio rule" a few years ago. The protest was upheld showing that the PRO Commission at the time had passed a rule with no authority to do so. They went ahead and cashed the original check though, even after my conversations with them about the extra "gratis" money being included for a racing membership even though I was not racing anymore, and it only being 2 days late. It then took six weeks to get it back after I decided they did not deserve my money after all with the "attitude".
The lesson I hoped to get across to them was I could be just as stubborn and unyielding as they. They won that argument but lost my membership money and good will. I have about half dozen more stories similar to that one, including being physically barred from my category meeting at one of the National Meetings some years back. I did not and had no desire to attend any of the other functions, but had gone out to the west coast for the specific reason of attending my category commission meeting ONLY, and was barred at the door. Edgar Rose was the APBA President at the time I believe, and he kindly got me a badge so I could attend the meeting. He was the only one who used the slightest bit of common sense, including the PRO VP at the time and the seated commission. all of whom sat on their hands while this was going on in plain sight. I seem to remember for several years after that a category member was allowed to attend their commission meeting only without cost. To Mr. Roses credit he recognized the importance of allowing a member to participate in their own commission meeting, if that was all they were there for, which I was.
Membership driven organizations sometimes forget why they exist, and over the years, based on my experience anyway, lots of the problems that APBA has suffered, come from that type arrogance that has been experienced by many.
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