Why is there no Club business posted on the webpage(s)??
BoD needs to get the members up to date I wrote an email to all of them concerning the harassment of Oaks widow concerning his writings not to be published on the internet. Seems Duck is more interested in destroying this club than being a leader
Tony Lehman 10968
I am with Tony on this. We are totally in the dark. Look forward to seeing what’s going on. It would be nice to see something here on the web rather than waiting to read about it in the Airmail.
Doug
#17074
Posting in response, by request from Duck -
Subject: Another letter from the BOD
At a called Board of Directors meeting on 12/20/2022 a majority of the
Board voted to terminate the Club’s business relationship with B. Jan
Hoffman as editor of the Airmail magazine. This was a tough decision that
came out of a history of the editor as a paid contractor of the Club being
unwilling to accept direction regarding the editorial content of the
magazine, repeatedly publishing inflammatory opinion pieces and an
unwillingness to communicate with all members of the Board equally. This in
no way negates Mr. Hoffman’s contributions as one of the founding members
of the Airheads Beemer Club. Separating the responsibilities of the editor
from his role as one of the founders is tough but the distinction must be
made.
It is unfortunate that this Board has been divided over almost every issue
that has been presented. Some members are unwilling to look at change in
any way but as a bad idea. For the most part the feeling is that nothing
has been accomplished since this Board was seated over a year ago. This
frustration is felt by every Board member.
At the same meeting noted above, the three members of the Board that
remained after Tim Roberts’ precipitous departure voted to accept the
contract presented by Road Wolf Design to take over editing the Airmail.
This decision opens a new chapter for the Airmail which will include in
addition to the printed copy, a digital copy for those so inclined, a
coordination between website and print, and the ability to deliver the club
magazine to our out of country members at a reasonable cost for them.
Everyone’s Airmail will continue to arrive in the same time frame that it
has been in the past.
Yours,
Duck Koch
ABC 2059
Georgia Airmarshal
Director, Region 5
Chairman of the Board
Quote from above….”It is unfortunate that this Board has been divided over almost every issue
that has been presented. Some members are unwilling to look at change in
any way but as a bad idea. For the most part the feeling is that nothing
has been accomplished since this Board was seated over a year ago. This
frustration is felt by every Board member.”
It IS unfortunate. But that is the nature of the position. BUT-your viewpoint that “Some members are unwilling to look at change in
any way but as a bad idea.”
That, Seems to trigger you because it isn’t what YOU want. If so we have a really big problem here. You and the board seem ignore the wishes of the majority of the members. Your position is to REPRESENT not IGNORE, not -do what you want, because you think it best… yes, please try to improve the club and its management- no one argues that point. Yes, it’s a bitch of a job, often thankless. But that IS the position you accepted.
Yes- Please guide us into the future, Lead with suggestions, explain things, propose ideas. But when things are not what you want you collectively must NOT go against the wishes of the people because they disagree with YOUR view of how the club.
You should be respecting the wishes of the majority of the membership wants. It is obviously clear now that there is a question if this is being done. Can you provide documentation that what you have implemented has majority approval of the people you represent?
It would appear not with the replies and responses here, on FB and Airheads mailings and behind-the-scenes-personal-emails.
We (inclusive) dictate what the club shall be and where it goes. It is very obvious you do not have the entire membership’s viewpoints OR you are ignoring them ( in which case if proved you should be removed from office for lack of confidence)
There needs to some seriously candid conversations, IN PUBLIC, about what is going on.
Edward Adams
16,830
858-752-3669
eda239@yahoo.com
In Tim Hille's posting above [of Ducks letter], first paragraph concerning their sacking of B. Jan, he states that "...This was a tough decision...". That is BS! Both Tim Hille and Duck Koch have stated in writing that they "dread" the arrival of their monthly Airmail magazine for fear of what B. Jan has written. [I can provide these emails by request] Liking or disliking B. Jan's editorials aside, these two have been looking to get rid of B. Jan as Editor since they joined the Board. And now, if you have a posting to the magazine, you are to send your material to Tim Hille or Duck Koch directly. If/when they find another editor, or more likely an editorial board, you can bet your a** these two will be reviewing your submission for content they deem suitable.
Tim Roberts ABC #12059
NM Airmarshal
ABC Region 2 Director
mojo-airhead@comcast.net
Inflammatory opinion pieces? I must have been taking an anti-inflammatory.
Got some good inflammation now, however!
I stopped reading B. Jan's pieces long ago. If i want "biker" fiction, I'll buy a copy of Easyriders (do they still exist?). Regarding his opinions, why should our dues go to providing *anybody* a guaranteed monthly soapbox for *whatever* their opinions are? I don't subscribe to the Airmail for that. Just talk about airheads.
Clearly other members think this way and must have voiced some concerns to their Air Marshals or the BoD at some point, or it wouldn't have become an issue.
It seems that the paid contractor (B. Jan) was not listening to his employers, repeatedly, from what I can discern having read the previous postings.
Having said all that, I do think there's something to be said for showing respect and deference to our founding members, as the originals, and the keepers of the flame as it were, but maybe B. Jan can agree to a less opinionated and more ecumenical approach to writing and stay on as editor. But maybe it's too late for that. It's not really clear.
Eric Zwicky
#13780
Richmond VA
I agree, the Airmail has been a pretty poor publication for a while now. I understand that during the pandemic there were no events to cover, but the magazine can be so much more than that anyway. I’m hoping for an updated look and some new voices.
Al Carey
Dublin, NH
I get the feeling that B. Jan would rather post member's stories than his own, and that he simply has to fill up the space in the magazine every month. I've liked some of his articles; if the reader doesn't like his stuff all you have to do is turn the page! And I think the Board had no good reason to fire him, they just hate his articles with a passion.
Agreed, largely the content included in Airmail is uptake of member submitted accounts of activities mostly celebrating great times sharing Beer/Brats as a result most attendees and their bikes left all the better for having participated(;))! After the readings what have you in your hands turning pages? Decades of the repetitive submissions is something as a record skip that repeats the lyrics. So what else is "Fit to Print" in order to extend useful and entertainingly read? Adversting/Contacts/Want to find or want to sell content Then Tech-advice on demand. As I understand-it, the Tech' Q&A section as another section on verge of self-destruction under the guise of "Whose the Guru" that will not seek Intellectual Property expectation, then there must be a liability risk for "Poor-Advise" against both the Guru and the Club. So "Where's the Beef to fill in between the covers, I would like some insight from those whom voted B. Jan-out to offer some direction towards improveing content, otherwise we'll have more of the same which is not necessarily more. Bill E Denzer #3809
Inflammatory opinion pieces? I must have been taking an anti-inflammatory.
Got some good inflammation now, however!
I agree. What was so "Inflammatory ?" Let me which issues to look. I save the last couple of years.
Marc
I'm disgusted with board of directors (BoD) decisions to eliminate Oak's material from Airmail, firing Airmail editor B. Jan Hoffman, censoring Airmail and not soliciting any member's opinions before voting to institute these directives. Indeed, a trio of directors voted against surveying members opinions regarding these directives.
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