I strongly urge all ACNA members to vote responsibly in the upcoming election. I received this email from Tom Vandervoort today and it states my position as well. I know Tom well and Dean Treadway even better. There are serious changes being attempted by a few individuals on the current board that will affect this club for years to come.

Please vote. If you do not receive your ballot in your Quattro Quarterly, please contact your chapter president and/or board members.

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Fellow Audi Club Members:

I'm part of a growing group of Audi Club members who are deeply concerned about the future of our club. We hope you will consider the points that follow and that you will join us to protect our club's integrity and future growth.

On the annual ballot in the Fall 2006 issue of the Quattro quarterly magazine, you will find a slate of candidates for the Audi Club Board and five proposed by-law changes that need to be voted on by the end of November.

Regarding the candidates, our group asks that you VOTE FOR THREE LONG-TIME AUDI CLUB MEMBERS from different parts of the country who are committed to the club's future. Those members are JOHN HORNER from the Michigan Chapter, MATT HULL from the Potomac-Chesapeake Chapter and DEAN TREADWAY from the Golden Gate Chapter. All three will bring their chapter leadership, business acumen and successful business experience to the Audi Club Board.

The by-law amendments being proposed were pushed through the board by a small group without the participation of the the full board. We urge you to contact as many fellow club members as possible and ask them to VOTE AGAINST ALL FIVE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS for the following reasons:

1. The first proposal consolidates power in the hands of a few by limiting the number of consecutive years a member can serve. This proposed change would immediately force long-time directors Mike Fisher and Craig Liechty off the board. These two progressive, dedicated gentlemen are responsible for much of the club's success in recent years.

2. Three proposed changes attempt to severely limit the ability of the general membership to seek change or call into question actions of the board. The proposals increase from 100 to 500 the number of member signatures required to call special meetings, form a voting quorum or enact by-law amendments.

3. The final proposal improperly increases the power of the Executive Director by making the position a voting member of the board's executive committee. As a paid employee, the Executive Director should not be making policy. As a person with experience serving on chamber of commerce, Red Cross and other non-profit boards, I know it is bad business practice and not something that is normally done in non-profits.

We need your vote and those of your fellow Audi Club members to ensure a successful future not dominated by a small group from my own Glacier Lakes Chapter. We need a board with broad geographic chapter representation.

Please help us and vote!

Tom Vandervoort

Audi Club Member #3918

Senior Instructor ACNA

Glacier Lakes & Golden Gate Chapters

P.S. -- Please keep a copy of your ballot and a record of how and when you submitted it.