What Happened at the 108th Annual Meeting???

[Big Don]

I am a fan of Lyle

Me too!

[Dave M]

Reed

As always even the people that try to stay above the frey by trying not to stoop get sucked in by emotion. No one should get a pass just for saying it is politics or they fed up by politics, when the fact of the matter is, because we are a member run organization it truly is politics.

It is political and the movement with the most votes wins. So unfortunately to effect change you are required to participate in the process. Anything outside of actively lobbying members to vote with you is just complaining. We all have an equal opportunity to rally support for our ideas and learn the rules.

The problem is most of us don't want to take the time to learn the rules of the game, few of us actually know all the rules of registration and the race course.

It humors me to see folks that leave APBA for politics..... their solution? Join a different member run organization that they can influence with more weight.

I will try to bury this where no one will see it..... Ed was right.

Reed, I disagree with you to a point. I truly do. As someone who has invested his life into the sport and has seem many ups and downs within the sport, I am qualified to make a more informed decision than a lot of people in the sport. I know what has been tried, what has worked, what has not. And to say that we all need to politic would spell disaster for any organization, boat racing or other. I have strong opinions, but i formed these opinions because of the politics. The only way to get someone within APBA to listen is to scream. A lot of us have followed the process, and it worked great 20 years ago. What hurts the most is the fact you know how to help, but nobody wants the help, because they know best. it is like sitting there watching your relative with cancer suffer. We all know the end result, there is a chance of survivial, but there is a larger chance it won't. Change has moved at way to slow of a pace to do any good. Change needs to happen within 5 years otherwise it could be to late. So If I piss some of you off, get over it. I don't have friends at the races, I intend to win at every race I enter. I don't need a pat on the back to make me feel good about myself.

Politics will burn you out faster than anything else in the sport. Trust me.

[Dave M]

Ed Hearn

Good Job. You followed the rules as they are written currently. The result does not matter. Like it or not, you did what you felt was the right thing to do.

But unlike you, I do hold a few grudges. I do not possess that quality of letting it go forever. I may forgive, but I never forget. I think you should run for office again. And work on making the rulebook, both tech and others very clear, simple, and with no room for ambiguity. I don't have all the answers, but I sure know of a lot of areas that need improvements. I tried many years ago, and nobody believed it.

[14-H]

I am a fan of Lyle

I am a fan of Jill!

[kampkurz]

Our future is in good hands.

Ask anyone that was at that meeting and they'll tell you that i had clearly had enough with the whole thing. What's the difference in my personality? I went and took a nap, changed for the banquet, came down and shook hands with every single person I could find from the 'other side' at the bar.

To me it's not worth it. We all get upset about certain things in our sport, but in the end we're all boat racers and we all like to have a beer with one another after the checkered flag.

Do I think we should have left this alone? yes. But Do i think Ed and everyone else that wanted to go through this process has great passion for the sport. Yes. If I needed a lawyer in Indiana I'd know who to call.

Winternationals in 4 weeks boys! Can't come any sooner! Who's coming west!?

Maturity at it's best. Sorry I missed you after the meeting, would have liked to talk to you. That was one wild meeting, but I was prepared to accept any ruling and move on, just as you have. Later, Mark

[PittmanRacing]

Stop making things so personal

It's time to re-focus on the positive. More importantly, stop being personally nasty toward others. We race because of the people involved....because they are good folks! We all like to win, but it is really only important in our little world of boat racing. Think about it, do any of your colleagues at work even know or care about our boat racing passion? You win nationals, go to work the next week, and your colleagues say "what did you do on vacation"? You say..."I won nationals". They say "cool", then move on to the next conversation.

Everyone I personally know on this site are all good people, regardless of whether we agree or not. If you choose to make a "list", better put me on it (I don't care). Don't talk ugly about our friends. People like Bill P. and Don A. are the first to go out of there way to get new people into our sport....and they did just that 2 years ago for my young daughter. Be nice or say nothing. It's ok to disagree on issues and perspectives without getting personal.

[blueskyracer]

It's time to re-focus on the positive. More importantly, stop being personally nasty toward others. We race because of the people involved....because they are good folks! We all like to win, but it is really only important in our little world of boat racing. Think about it, do any of your colleagues at work even know or care about our boat racing passion? You win nationals, go to work the next week, and your colleagues say "what did you do on vacation"? You say..."I won nationals". They say "cool", then move on to the next conversation.

Everyone I personally know on this site are all good people, regardless of whether we agree or not. If you choose to make a "list", better put me on it (I don't care). Don't talk ugly about our friends. People like Bill P. and Don A. are the first to go out of there way to get new people into our sport....and they did just that 2 years ago for my young daughter. Be nice or say nothing. It's ok to disagree on issues and perspectives without getting personal.

Thank You.. Now lets talk racing in 2013.. Not long now!!!

[Dave M]

I hear You

It's time to re-focus on the positive. More importantly, stop being personally nasty toward others. We race because of the people involved....because they are good folks! We all like to win, but it is really only important in our little world of boat racing. Think about it, do any of your colleagues at work even know or care about our boat racing passion? You win nationals, go to work the next week, and your colleagues say "what did you do on vacation"? You say..."I won nationals". They say "cool", then move on to the next conversation.

Everyone I personally know on this site are all good people, regardless of whether we agree or not. If you choose to make a "list", better put me on it (I don't care). Don't talk ugly about our friends. People like Bill P. and Don A. are the first to go out of there way to get new people into our sport....and they did just that 2 years ago for my young daughter. Be nice or say nothing. It's ok to disagree on issues and perspectives without getting personal.

But I am not the one who called anyone a **** ing moron......

And I am sure the heck not the one who told someone to go live in another country. And I have never once bad mouthed the sidewinder or the Tahotsu. The process, maybe.

No wonder I gave up. I know many who gave up the fight, and the membership numbers prove that point. In the end we all do this for fun. Politics are not fun, that is my point.

[reed28n]

Best Intentions

Reed, I disagree with you to a point. I truly do. As someone who has invested his life into the sport and has seem many ups and downs within the sport, I am qualified to make a more informed decision than a lot of people in the sport. I know what has been tried, what has worked, what has not. And to say that we all need to politic would spell disaster for any organization, boat racing or other. I have strong opinions, but i formed these opinions because of the politics. The only way to get someone within APBA to listen is to scream. A lot of us have followed the process, and it worked great 20 years ago. What hurts the most is the fact you know how to help, but nobody wants the help, because they know best. it is like sitting there watching your relative with cancer suffer. We all know the end result, there is a chance of survivial, but there is a larger chance it won't. Change has moved at way to slow of a pace to do any good. Change needs to happen within 5 years otherwise it could be to late. So If I piss some of you off, get over it. I don't have friends at the races, I intend to win at every race I enter. I don't need a pat on the back to make me feel good about myself.

Politics will burn you out faster than anything else in the sport. Trust me.

Dave, you kind of proved the point I was trying to make. You have an opinion and I believe everyone's opinion is respected it is just fuzy and people get confused when the debate insues. If people don't have good facts or can't express their opinion clearly or start to lose ground you start to see things swing to a personal nature and not topic based.

People are threatened by new ideas and change and to your point the debate is no different than the race. Only people are trading words not paint.

We do have folks in APBA that are just good at rallying support or just have the advantage of location to pull members in their direction. The hard work of building a consensus will not happen on hydro racer it will happen face to face and at the races.

Don't forget - everyone in stock outboard has an equal vote. All of the folks that sign up as a racing member that race their 25SS 1 time in 5 years carries as much weight at Billy Simmons who raced his his ASR 52 times in one year. Part of the issue is a new racer that we haven't met yet doesn't have a vote at all. Who will look out for that guy?

Why do you think there is a camp that will never let a racer say they will quit, because that is a vote. And that voter will vote with that camp every time.

[Dave M]

And U Proved Mine

Dave, you kind of proved the point I was trying to make. You have an opinion and I believe everyone's opinion is respected it is just fuzy and people get confused when the debate insues. If people don't have good facts or can't express their opinion clearly or start to lose ground you start to see things swing to a personal nature and not topic based.

People are threatened by new ideas and change and to your point the debate is no different than the race. Only people are trading words not paint.

We do have folks in APBA that are just good at rallying support or just have the advantage of location to pull members in their direction. The hard work of building a consensus will not happen on hydro racer it will happen face to face and at the races.

Don't forget - everyone in stock outboard has an equal vote. All of the folks that sign up as a racing member that race their 25SS 1 time in 5 years carries as much weight at Billy Simmons who raced his his ASR 52 times in one year. Part of the issue is a new racer that we haven't met yet doesn't have a vote at all. Who will look out for that guy?

Why do you think there is a camp that will never let a racer say they will quit, because that is a vote. And that voter will vote with that camp every time.

I get it now. Thanks for the clarification. If you ever want to hear the real reason Dad got out shoot me a PM. I will NOT post that here.

[STEVE FRENCH]

Whatever, Eddie. We all know how you hate to lose an argument.

It's like trying to teach a pig to sing: all I do is get dirty and annoy the pig.

R-19

Kinda like try'n ta teach one ta ...........fly??

[Howie Nichols]

New Officials

Here's a positive note! With all the people discussing the varied rules and what they mean it seems as though we just got a ton of new officials!

I challenge each and everyone of you to take this years test for Referee, Inspector, Scorer. After you have worked at least one race then maybe you can appreciate the folks that have had this job for many years.

I would sure like a break from officiating every race I go to, then I could spend time working on our equipment, hanging out with my family, and helping anyone else who needs it. Thanks for all who step up, take the test, and work an event!

[stevegray]

???????????

CUT THROATS, back stabbing whatever you call it, results are the same, just wild cat and call it a day.

[daveracerdsh]

National meeting

Call it the sun down here toasting my already diminished brain cells....but I still dont know what Howard is upset about. Was it the vote on Matt Dagastino....could someboyd fill me in. Thanx. Acapulco Dave

[Big Don]

Dave, no one, not even Howard has a clue what Howard is mad about.

I think he is mad at the people running APBA, but then I'm not really sure. You see, I drank so much kool-aid as a kid the sugar made my brain cells develop real slooooowwwwww.

I think his latest rant is over Matt winning.