Membership to PCGB

[Ignatzcatz]

With the current upheaval in the hallowed corridors of PCGB it has made me think do I really want to renew my membership. I think it was Graham who spoke about their liking of branding and it was this term that did have a lot of meaning to me. So they are obviously pro factory and consequently like to feature the latest products but the fact of the matter is I don't really like what is coming out of Zuffenhausen at this time. The Taycan is the star of the show of course and having driven it, it is one vehicle I most definitely do not want in my garage. The 911 is a bloated boulevard queen bursting full of toys and tech which no performance driver needs, the Cayman is, well I'm not too sure, just another product in various guises and my only connection to the Boxster is one of my cousins is a beautician. All these vehicles feature prominently in the PCGB magazine half of which is taken up by continually featuring quite uninteresting reports nationwide of people and cars. How many of you actually read the reports about the Aberdeen or Glasgow crews runs to the local hostelry. Same old, same old month after month.
OK I am being a bit harsh but for little old air-cooled me they don't have a lot going for yours truly. Anyway having got this lot of my chest I have decided I shall renew for 2021 But if my thoughts toward PCGB remain unchanged it will be my last year.

[majordad]

I think the Club is good and worthwhile, been a member since I bought my 911s in 1988. Its not true to say it’s modern focused. But DDK is the best club for old farts and old cars.

[anglophone1]

Like you and me Dave, you haven’t met ignatzcatz/Graham, I have - he’s like you and me too!
Thank goodness for DDK.

[911hillclimber]

Not sure if I am the 'Graham' mentioned or Graham Ridgeway, but never the less, the Magazine is just as you describe.
I also get the Triumph Owner's Club and the MG owners Club mag and both are just the same!

Their formats are identical, the Clubs are large and wide, esp the MGOC (50K members?)

I feel the PCGB is great, the Magazine is a part of that, but go to one of the meetings locally or to the Big One, Silverstone, and you will see a very very wide range of Porsches, you will eve get quite a few early cars, esp 911's.

With any club membership, you will get out of it about as much as you put in.
If you wish to be simply entertained, then any Club is a bit tedious.

If you pour your heart and sole into it then it will be vibrant. And hard work, and rewarding.

I too signed-up in 1988, it was a birthday present from the wife to go with the crappy 911 I bought in '88.

I have had some good times via the PCGB and have never regretted membership, I even pay by DD!

If you need a 'club' with intense early 911 content, PCGB is not the place to find it.
Not sure there is anywhere except DDK, and this is not a club in the 'PCGB/MGOC/TDOC' sense.

However, if the Graham you have in mind is our Graham Ridgeway, I think his perspective could be different.

Certainly, the EGM spat is not a reason to consider membership or not, the Club is FAR greater than that.

[anglophone1]

I have amended my post Graham/911hillclimber- I am referring to Ignatzcatz/ Graham here as he is original poster on this thread.

[majordad]

Well said Hillclimber, put something in to any club and you get more back. And agree that AGM or EGM or not, it’s worth joining.

[911hillclimber]

Porsche Club 'stand' at Silverstone

https://youtu.be/V9Fi3zCGHgo

[takeflight]

While I am not a club person by nature, and not overly interested in the new stuff. It’s my experience of the events that I have attended, there is just as many aircooled as our water brothers.
The mag, I could live without it, yes it’s an advert for Porsche, but that’s to be expected, having put a newsletter together in a previous life, it’s not as easy as you may think and that was only four pages of A4 ! (Should employ KS)
The other thing I have noticed is that a lot of females attend the events, while I am not saying it’s Just down to the club, my wife is more a Porsche fanatic than I am. I do believe that having a pleasant set up quite often with seating and of course the coffee, certainly helps the male members that may have reluctant partners.
So for me, I am not interested in the politics and having had my monies worth in free coffees I am quite happy to continue membership.

[alastairp]

Well I am sickened by the kind of people spouting vitriol on the forum (mainly in favour of the current Board) - if these reprehensible individuals represent Porsche ownership, then it is not for me.
To that end, after 10 years of passive participation, I am now actively looking to exit the Porsche experience and intend to sell my 25K mile 2006 987.1 manual Cayman S and re-built 1982 911 SC Coupe.
I am not sure why the PCGB affair has affected me so profoundly, but I think it is the injustice of the treatment of loyal volunteers, details of which are being suppressed by the current Board.
And the crazy thing is, the whole affair tracks back to one odious member in R5 who made a nuisance of himself, raised grievances which the Board failed to deal with and then awarded the individual a pro bono membership. To cover their tracks, the Board then decided to dismiss the Regional Organiser (the new Chair subsequently wrote to him stating: ...with the benefit of hindsight and the information that has emerged subsequently, the Board accepts that the communication methods employed and the information given at the time were incomplete and they led to a number of misunderstandings. For this we offer you a genuine apology.)
The same letter included the following paragraph:
As a frontline volunteer manager of a region, we expect an RO to have unqestionable integrity and be of exemplary character. In your time as RO, you have exceeded the high standards in this respect, and we owe you a debt of gratitude. Thank you for your contribution to the club.
The gentleman in question was hospitalised as a direct consequence of the trauma of his treatment at the hands of PCGB Board in their appeasement of a single member with a toxic and psychologically warped personality who had been causing problems for a number of years.
This member continues to post repeatedly in connection with the EGM to which he is vehemently opposed.
I have nothing to do with PCGB Region 5 (I am in Scotland), I have no connection with any of the individuals involved, but having followed this affair in detail from the outset, I am sickened to my soul at the conduct of the PCGB administration and the ill-informed opinionated membership.
Alastair

[alastairp]

Further to the above, what did it for me once and for all was when some pr!ck posted this:

I have to say I echo the views of other members this morning. What a sad state of affairs. All of this because someone's mate had his volunteer position taken away? I think we all need to get some perspective.

Class.

[Ollie]

I thought that they were starting to get some traction on the events side with the earlier cars which is what I'm in it for. The KG Event at Goodwood was a strong start and well attended. There was another one programmed... not sure if it went ahead or not and forget the name.

Covid put an end to that run... I'm optimistic for some more of this style of event.

From a publication point of view the magazine is less inspiring on this front. Maybe this will change??

[takeflight]

Well I am sickened by the kind of people spouting vitriol on the forum (mainly in favour of the current Board) - if these reprehensible individuals represent Porsche ownership, then it is not for me.
To that end, after 10 years of passive participation, I am now actively looking to exit the Porsche experience and intend to sell my 25K mile 2006 987.1 manual Cayman S and re-built 1982 911 SC Coupe.
I am not sure why the PCGB affair has affected me so profoundly, but I think it is the injustice of the treatment of loyal volunteers, details of which are being suppressed by the current Board.
And the crazy thing is, the whole affair tracks back to one odious member in R5 who made a nuisance of himself, raised grievances which the Board failed to deal with and then awarded the individual a pro bono membership. To cover their tracks, the Board then decided to dismiss the Regional Organiser (the new Chair subsequently wrote to him stating: ...with the benefit of hindsight and the information that has emerged subsequently, the Board accepts that the communication methods employed and the information given at the time were incomplete and they led to a number of misunderstandings. For this we offer you a genuine apology.)
The same letter included the following paragraph:
As a frontline volunteer manager of a region, we expect an RO to have unqestionable integrity and be of exemplary character. In your time as RO, you have exceeded the high standards in this respect, and we owe you a debt of gratitude. Thank you for your contribution to the club.
The gentleman in question was hospitalised as a direct consequence of the trauma of his treatment at the hands of PCGB Board in their appeasement of a single member with a toxic and psychologically warped personality who had been causing problems for a number of years.
This member continues to post repeatedly in connection with the EGM to which he is vehemently opposed.
I have nothing to do with PCGB Region 5 (I am in Scotland), I have no connection with any of the individuals involved, but having followed this affair in detail from the outset, I am sickened to my soul at the conduct of the PCGB administration and the ill-informed opinionated membership.
Alastair

I have no knowledge of what’s going on, I don’t visit the club forum, but surely the AGM is the place to try to address the situation.

To sell your cars because of a situation in a club that to my knowledge no one is forced to join, isn’t that somewhat drastic ?
Or am I missing the point.

[Sam]

Further to the above, what did it for me once and for all was when some pr!ck posted this:

I have to say I echo the views of other members this morning. What a sad state of affairs. All of this because someone's mate had his volunteer position taken away? I think we all need to get some perspective.

Class.

It saddens me reading this. Take a breath before you throw in the towel on your hobby over other people arguing.

Put down the internet and go for an almighty, white-knuckle strop round those glorious Ayrshire roads in that SC.

There are challenging people in Porsche clubs as there are everywhere. You won’t find the golf club, church or local BDSM meet any different.

[jwhillracer]

It saddens me reading this. Take a breath before you throw in the towel on your hobby over other people arguing.

Put down the internet and go for an almighty, white-knuckle strop round those glorious Ayrshire roads in that SC.

There are challenging people in Porsche clubs as there are everywhere. You won’t find the golf club, church or local BDSM meet any different.

Well said Sam!

JW

[alastairp]

Thanks for reading and responding Sam.
I am waiting for the EGM outcome before making any final decision and will still lurk here and on IB for the moment.
I see from your signature you have a 30%-built house.
We spent nearly 5 years in a caravan and moved into our 85%-built house in December 2019.
It is still 85%-built, but the shed is 100% built.
Thanks again.
Alastair