I know I haven't been very active but I have been on many Charities, Scouting Councils, Military food drives, blah, blah.

These are just my ideas,

Quarterly meetings at any location in person are great. Any paid member can attend.

If a decision is need by the board before a scheduled meeting, Board members should be able to make the decision by phone or email as needed to resolve the issue in a timely manner.

Knowing we all have busy lives. A Quorum is needed to resolve issues.
4 of 7 members or 5 of 8 members (just more than half).

Any thing involving the Club funds must have treasury vote.

Email Minutes of meeting and quarterly treasury report to all paid members.

Anomymous issuse should be directed to any/all 3 governors. (like Jim should shut up) Then the governors should decide validity of mamber's club standing.


A roster could be:
3 Governers (no one need to be president)
Treasurer and assistant (provides 2 person integrity)
Scheduler/Organizer (suggest 2, it would be hard by ones self)

Elections yearly but stagered, not all at the same time.


I do not want a position, I believe someone must have recenly wheeled and know the current climate of the Club and its members.( a year as a paid member)

Crazy Jimmy
jimhinrichs@hotmail.com

I wonder if we are going to have trouble filling all the slots. Also I wonder if quarterly meetings are too much to ask for unless we made some sort of premier events - one per quarter where we went wheeling and had those quarterly meetings. Would allow wheelers to make it a priority to be at those premier events.

I ran a yacht club for a while, and we would have spring and fall parties at my house - it is in Laurel - which may be central for people coming from Virginia and N. Baltimore - not sure the demographic center for the club - seems like we tend towards Bel Air. Format for those parties was that everyone brought some sort of finger food to share and drink to share - alcoholic or otherwise. We have to be cautious if alcohol is offered since everyone is driving home later - watch out for one another and all that.

I have another friend with a great party house (Odenton area) we could make use of - hot tub, pool table, ping pong, darts, that sort of thing - we couldn't trash the place, but is a great venue - club sponsor the kegerator and we have a quarterly meeting... Maybe a texas holdem tournament and club meeting night. $20 buy in, 50% to winner, 25% to second, 25% to pay for the kegerator.

In the Yacht club we had a hard time nominees who wanted an active role in leadership.

BTW in that club every club sponsored event had club sponsored boxed wine or some such nice perk to get things started. annual budget was about $2000.

So, what is our geographic center?

Nick is probably the farthest North at Reading Pa. Anyone more North than that?

Bill might be the farthest West.

Who is south most member?

I think Nester is kind of South/West. Right????


I have a townhouse on waterfront so during the summer members can bring family and the kids can swim. Unfortunately I am closer to Bel Air area.

I think I'm the farthest out of the loop from you guys. But if I have to drive to meeting thats not a issue as long as we try to plan it around events. PA jeeps, club runs, gatherings like next week. I know that its not aways events but I'm more than willing to make the hour and 30 minute (2 hour and 30 minute in traffic) ride to Bel Air.

Matt thanks for your time and help.

I like what I have read and everyone has great ideas.

Well, there have been plenty of conversations, investigations, background check and discussions. I have been monitoring it all, and kept my distance in order to prevent arguments or discussion which I fell is best serve in a close session. Everyone in the world can read, judge and get a perception of what this club is going through and its growing pains. None of which I feel is or should be public. But since I have been asked how I feel, what I think or so forth, here it is....

Lt. Dan hit things right on the nail, I fathered this club and it has been my babe since its creation, hence I feel that my conviction to run this club the way I want it to be is no longer the plan of the day. My babe has grown and seeks its independence. Thanks Dan for that insight. I couldn't have put it in better words.

Nick; let me offer my apologies for perceiving the worst with your intent.

Bill, you have been in this club almost 4 years now, one of the senior members right now. And you have met, rode, ate and hoped a great many of the new members, and a great deal of appreciation is due, thank you. Thank you for your consul and advice in times past.

Matt E. You are doing one hell of a job here, you took it o n yourself to get to the bottom and investigate the actions required to get this club back in the direction it needs to be. Sharing your opinions and insight to what could be and should. I have seen the proposals of me being the CEO with 50% retention of the club decision. Although, nice it is unfair to the general membership and its not within the SOP on any organization. Hence, I will not seek that position. Rather, I will let the membership elect their new leader (s), I hope that those they elect can carry out their duties with conviction, honesty, and fairness to all, to put themselves last and think about the membership first.

Mine was to create a brotherhood, using the principles of leadership in the Marines; it worked fine for the first 5 years of this club. Now a new direction has been called out and a new leadership to form. To many I am to serious about things with the club, well, someone has to, it’s not all fun and games. There are responsibilities to the club, the environment, the Associations and the general public. Since most of the members wished to only ride, spend time together in social environments, camping and trips, now one seen to have the time that it takes to cover all the hats it takes to run such an organization. But you have spoken, I listen, and now I wait for your action and direction. I will step aside and let you choose. I don't need to be the CEO, I have establish throughout the internet who I am, what I am about, and what I have accomplished. All ask is that you keep the ADA alive as part of this club charitable charities we sponsor, Paul Sobwick has asked to be put in charge of such events, his skill in marketing and resources are in his reach.

Nester, you came to this club back in 2005 by invitation of Rich, young and full of piss and vinegar. You grew with the club as time passed on and have made a mark within the club. I have nothing person against you and never have. I would ask you to think how things were, are and where they are going. You have assumed a leadership position indirectly and have great skills on mechanical stuff, much better than I. I hope that continues for the sake of the membership. Sometime, information can be good and others it can be bad. We all intrepid things differently and at times emotions take over or get in the way. I try to keep a level head and use diplomacy whenever I can. Nothing is solved in anger or when in a rebellious state of mind.

Rich, I have to thank you for this forum, it does give people a place to air their stories and chat. But you abandon our friendship and association and for that I am sorry you feel alienated.

To the rest of this membership, I'll just say it’s been my honor to know everyone here or at least most of you. I have enjoyed riding with you. I have structure the new by-laws and the SOP for this club anew; hope it helps direct you in the right direction. I will always be near and I keep an open door to my friends. I will not interfere with the due process of the clubs independence, so let the chips fall where ever they fall and let’s pick up the pieces and to humpty dumpty together again. I will now go back to my sabbatical and chill until Friday for the get together at MaGerk’s. Happy holidays to all.

Thanks Tico.....


I hope all members take that from your heart and read between the spelling errors we find you famous for... and see that you have offered to the plate the chance for the majority to rule..

Lets move past this now and start the New Year of 2009 out the right way..

I am starting a new post with the positions from the by-laws for the Board of Directors. Please see that post ...

Hey what kind of a guy would I be if I can't laugh at myself too. Got to give you something to talk about me on, hahahha

Matt sent you a PM.

Got it and replied... thanks for the thoughts.. i think i have it covered. let me know..

oK, I posted the new memebrship application, New Indemnedy waiver and the By-Laws on the very top of the forum, that way is there for review and down loading.

My I make a recommendation; Since the majority prefers thius midium of communication, and there is a validity and need for the MeetUp site, we can creat a link to several things through here on the same bar where we show the picture link. It needs to be structuresd as follows:

Club By-Laws
http://files.meetup.com/220677/BY-LAWS-Maryland%20Rock%20Raiders%20Club%2012-9-2008%20Corrected.pdf
Club Application
http://files.meetup.com/220677/MARYLAND%20ROCK%20RAIDERS%204X4%20CLUB%20APPLICATION%20FOR%20MEMBERSHIP%20Rev%2020.pdf
Club Waiver Form
http://files.meetup.com/220677/MRR-%20Liability%20and%20Indemnity%20Agreement%20Form.pdf
Club Web Site
http://www.marylandrockraiders.org/

Club Photos
http://www.marylandrockraiders.org/
Club Sanctioned Event
http://www.meetup.com/Maryland-Rock-Raiders-club/calendar/

This will provide the greatest circulation of information feeding each site to another. With both sites being linked to the home Website. Why this way? Because we are found easily through all e sites. You want to reach out and touch someone, here is the way, you want to get the word out, here it is, you want to grow there is no better medium.

Googles feeds the website, MeetUp feeds Craigs List and others, and thr forum is fed by links from the two other sites. Just think about it. I have provided the links to the above for your action......SHould you decide to accept this mission...hehehehehe
Just my opinion and marketing skills.

When will the link to the forum change on the MRR homepage??

I will re-enstate it tonight!

good deal thanks

I know I have not posted anything since all of this has come to the surface. But like others I have been reading and keeping up on everything that has been happening. I have been on plenty of phone calls with Matt E. as well as some emails with other members.

Matt E. has done a phenomenal job monitoring and bringing us all back together. Already I feel the great positive direction we are headed for 2009. As some members have said in previous posts....we are going through some growing pains, as everyone and everything in life does. I think this is the best thing to happen to this club since I have been a member. Already, we have great enthusiasm and great ideas for the future of this club...i.e. the challenge to make ADA double it's success with the help of many more hands this year, the tent idea at RCRocs, a bigger group turnout and exposure at PAJeeps, more involvement with other clubsand and most of all the dispersment of duties for the club.

All in all what I have taken from these past couple weeks is that we all still have one common bond, one thing we do not want to lose...and that's Good friends that want to wheel together and help others with the organization that we are a part of..one that Tico gets props for starting and keeping it alive to this point.

I look forward to the New Year as we grow even more, get involved more and most of all....WHEEL more!!!