BREAKING NEWS – Don Leutz Resigns As President Of The ACBS
Don, President of the ACBS
Okay, there is a bit to unpack here, and I want to make sure I navigate this news correctly. We do have standards here in Woodyboaterville. They are not that high, but standards none the less. Yesterday afternoon we got news of Don’s resignation, which then became he will no be continuing his second year effective after the International… IN GULL LAKE 
Shameless PlugAnyway, Don is a great guy, and the board is made up of some great folks that have pushed very hard to try and make things better, so hats off to the ACBS for trying new things.
File foto of Dick Warner LOVED HIM… Anyway when there was a big drama over the paper being used for the ACBS directory.
Now, there also seems to be a train wreck with some sort of third party email type spam thing going on. Where as the ACBS used a third party email company to sell stuff to members. That of course invites one to think that the ACBS is selling or using emails for whatever situation. That part is kinda unclear. And there is RUMOR that Don was “not supportive of the matter”
I am gonna open up my Varnish Candle can. mmmmmmmmm
And dont even get me started on Facebook.
I warned you, this is a bunch to unpack. And the two things may or may not have anything to do with each other. NOR do I want anything to do with all that. ANYTHING with emails is a touchy subject. Okay get ready. I am going to go off on email companies.
RANT ALERT
WTF! Email marketing companies are the ship stain of the marketing world. Not the turd, thats too nice. They are the stain left behind! The bottom feeders, YA YA there is a ton of data that they use like its some sort of engineering science blend of rational thought. But it’s all digital diarrhea. As a marketer for over 40 years I would never recommend email marketing. Period. Email is like a soft phone call. There is an emotional component to it. Like a letter, which can be very emotional or junk. You can feel the crap all over it. Email is now been ruined by this sort of stuff, spam, phishing and using peoples names to trick you into opening the email. Thus opening up the possibility of downloading a virus, and so on. It’s all about trust, and many email companies use that trust to trick you. It’s all about an “Open Rate” .. Oh by the way if you want to sign up for our email list so you get your stories spammed to you in our email. You can do that at the bottom of the home page. SHAMELESS PLUG.
Okay, back to Don.
Just say’n. COME TO THE DARK SIDE DON! Come on… It won’t hurt.. we have a special BORED Of Directors here. Like a special place to let go and make zero decisions and trash those that do.
I am with Don, I have resigned from many a board of directors. It’s a thankless job, and even worse, when its an all volunteer organization, KILL ME! Now you combine all that with this email mess. And we all need to say Thanks Don for everything you have done for our little universe of classic boaters.
Don’t leave out that there is also a post card part to this campaign.
I feel for management of any of these clubs and organizations after attempting to run CCABC for a few years but as I understand it ACBS isn’t even being compensated with a portion of the proceeds.
Crazy!!
Are we talking about this 50th anniversary interview thing?
Sounds like it to me. I haven’t responded to it. Especially after all of the phishing e-mails that I’ve gotten in response to an ad that I placed on their website.
If it’s anything like the AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) debacle over a memory book thing where you sent in your story to get printed in an AACA year book of sorts, only to have it line the pockets of the year book printers and not the club, then the ACBS should have learned from the fallout from the car world. Whomever this company is, ALL CLUBS should steer clear and stay away!
Sounds like the exact same program.
It’s sad that an organization we all trust sold (or even worse gave) all of our personal information out like this.
USED TO TRUST.
It’s even in the antique/classic boating arena. Wow. All of life seems to be turning to crap. It’s profit before people and product. Sorry to be a downer, but I am tired of this crap.
Yes, someone at ACBS shared all of our email AND mailing addresses with a for profit publisher/junk pusher who is using that information to sell expensive memorabilia that apparently does not provide any funding back to the ACBS.
It sounds exactly like the AACA debacle.
So I just got scammed out of $180 bucks for an ACBS 50th Anniversary digital publication? And with the blessing of ACBS? Well shi+! I received the postcard well before the email – wondered if it was spam. Messaged ACBS to see & was told it was in fact real. So I made the call. Wasn’t wild about being pitched a variety of expensive merchandise packages at the beginning of the call, but went along, for the 50th anniversary of a club I’ve enjoyed. Then came an email follow up to the postcard. Then an email, I believe from ACBS, inquiring my thoughts on my call wherein I participated in the anniversary project. I expressed my trepidation at the sales pitch & lack of advance warning of that, in the prior communications. Then came an email on the available merchandise & pricing, which I viewed as being prompted to my response to their previous email. Did ACBS themselves get scammed? Did they participate in a third party scamming their members? This all has me now questioning my membership in the organization.
Called in this morning after I questioned ACBS about this being a scam. ACBS said it was a good thing, so I spent 15 min on the phone with a Sales Lady that was much too interested in my boating story. Then came the sales pitch: for 2 payments of 225 each I could get a BAG, Sweatshirt, Book ect…ect. I told them I was downsizing like most old timers.
She kept dropping items & price until I was only left with the “Book” at $100+ bucks. I finally got her to give me some time to think and ended the call with no loss except for my time.
Called in this morning after I questioned ACBS about this being a scam. ACBS said it was a good thing, so I spent 15 min on the phone with a Sales Lady that was much too interested in my boating story. Then came the sales pitch: for 2 payments of 225 each I could get a BAG, Sweatshirt, Book ect…ect. I told them I was downsizing like most old timers.
She kept dropping items & price until I was only left with the “Book” at $100+ bucks. I finally got her to give me some time to think and ended the call with no loss except for my time & a bit of pride.
And there is the comment that splains the larger issue.
Except for one full time employee and one part time employee it’s an all volunteer organization so obviously they would need to contract with a company to do something for the 50th anniversary of ACBS. The ACBS is a small club and shrinking compared to AACA. I just got into the hobby about nine years ago and got the sickness terribly.We own Five wooden boats now and want to see the hobby continue. It’s not just about the boats , it’s about the folks you meet in the hobby. People from all different walks of life brought together by a common interest. Want the ACBS to thrive? Be a part of your local chapters as an active member. Some chapters are struggling while others are doing well.
You guys just need a boat ride.
So does that mean no directory still? Am I the only one that read the part where we were supposed to get one every year?
I miss Cathy and Stacy.
I called the number and was asked for 2 payments of $225.00 each. Hung up and had thoughts of calling ACBS and ask what is going on. This was happened week . I decided at that time to distance myself from the organization.
I agree that it is a small club. We are a small community. Which is why trust is so critical. You are buying something from a friend. Like Carla, we all had insurance with Carla, who just happened to be at Hagerty. People sometimes forget this way of life because its all gotten so big out there. But in our little universe its still about the people and looking them in the eye. Thats what was so difficult to write about this today. Its like calling out friends. But if its true that the ACBS did not get any of the money from those sales. WTF!
This is how it starts, you should call the office of the ACBS and ask them whats up before you write stuff. He’s stepping down because of a hip issues and could not be at the shows or at the international meeting due to it. So he bowed out to let someone how could be there and do the job. The 50th anniversary recording and information was to compile members stories. They did ask if you wanted to buy into different levels of the recorded stories, kind of like the directory but in no way did they make you pay anything.
It would have been better to post a lame ebay post or something about you, if what you are really doing is for the better of the boating community.
Exactly and perfectly stated Mike !
Mike, what do you think is better for the long-term of the community?
Calling out the organization when they screw up and give our contact info to a third party scam company in hopes that the leadership will make some swift corrections to win back our trust.
Or
Let the problems go unchallenged until there are no longer enough boaters who trust them to keep the club afloat?
Hint: If you are suggesting people stay quiet, YOU are part of the problem.
Matt, you said something in your comment that “if it’s true that the ACBS did not get any of the money from those sales. WTF!” Operative phrase “if it’s true ” This post has generated more attention and comments than anything I’ve seen all year and apparently we don’t yet know what’s true and what isn’t. Yet here we are ruminating and threatening to drop our memberships before any of us know anything. I would like to suggest everyone calm down, relax and wait. Everything to this point appears to be conjecture at best. Before we all jump to conclusions, let’s wait for more information and evidence. In ways great and small, we grow most when we challenge what we assume, what we take for granted, what we “know” to be correct. I’ll stop by offering up some food for thought.
Too often we…enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. — John F. Kennedy
You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant. — Harlan Ellison
The fewer the facts, the stronger the opinion. — Arnold H. Glasow
Let’s wait for more information before we rush to condemn
Then there’s that old Groucho line, “Any club that would have ME as a member…….
I get the issue and the volunteerism problems, hard to find enough folks to do job descriptions fully. Some of which may be at the root of what this digital scam might be about relating to the 50th. But–negatives happen in most organizations and must not cause everyone or even a few to loose or give up what the boat club is about and its community. We obviously all love old antique boats which is what its all about. So, as for me seems we need to rise above it and try to help in whatever way will make the club better. Certainly we should keep headquarters up to date if something fishy is observed by any of us, all in the spirit of helping.
I’m typically a daily reader rather than a writer but thought I had to chime in on this one. See you at Gull Lake
Well I guess as P. T. Barnum said ” A Sucker Born Everyday ” was tp\old that it would benefit ACBS so I gave to what I thought would help out. Wont happen again and will not be paying future dues if this thing goes to hell.
I’ve thought those people who call asking if you want to sell your house were the absolute bottom of the barrel scum, Oh, that and that guy who calls every month pretending to be someone who knows me on a first name basis and wants me to contribute to the “policeman’s fund” or is it the “fireman’s fund” this month.
Well, I got the card and the email from ACBS and thought I would just wait and see…and what I expected happened. I got the Antique car club one too.
What a world.
I have gone hot and cold over ACBS for years…no more… I am DONE. I will pay the extra non member BS to be at Dora….safer.
John in VA
and to rant on…you know what the saddest part is? I carried the print ACBS membership book with me in the truck knowing that if I got into boat, trailer, truck, lost my wallet, needed a friend…trouble… I could just look up where I was and a sympathetic FRIEND would be right there. I answered the call a time or two…living as I do close to I 95…it connected us in such as REAL WAY…. no more…
Having been a member since ‘82 at the local chapter level and travelled to a handful of quarterly and annual meetings over time, I stepped back to focus on my boat(s)/family last decade. There’s travel expenses and politics at international level that I’m happy to see volunteers take on. I enjoyed meeting and talking with those who were willing to make that commitment to the organization. I hope everyone who wants to “ throw the baby out with the bathwater“ reconsider their membership and commitment to ACBS. There’s more value keeping it together and hope these issues can be resolved for the good of all members.
I didn’t drop my membership, but I did delete as much of my info as I could from my profile and I sent Lora an email expressing my displeasure.
I am not throwing the baby out, but the bilge needs to be drained.
I know Don, he’s a stand-up guy. Was disappointed to learn of his resignation (don’t know the full reason). On the email/post-card issue…it is BS. Have heard from many members who are upset about it. I immediately replied to HQ I would not be participating and wanted to know who was behind this bad idea. Crickets. Quite frustrated with the ACBS right now.
I can’t remember if I dumped ACBS (A CAN OF B.S.) before or after Hagerty doubled my rates and I had to move on from them.
We just got back from Alaska, so I think I missed the deadline. Saw some of the comments when we could get email and Facebook and decided not to participate-ACBS has my info and it doesn’t need to be verified. Member since ’87 with a few lapses and have known quite a few board members-yes, it’s a thankless job. Regardless of the fallout over this, I’ll still be running a wooden Chris Craft on Keuka Lake.
I’m a little late to this party, but, I got that card in the mail and I assumed they were trying to get the directory out that they’ve been promising for years that I’ve always wanted. But I discovered it was a fleeting for more money
So Matt…what cool treasures did you find at your last pick!?
Sorry. The assertion against Woody Boater “This is how it starts, you should call the office of the ACBS and ask them whats up before you write stuff.” is utter BS. Given the timing, Don should have been out in front of this with an obligatory email blast to the ENTIRE ACBS membership about his resignation. Counting on anyone in the ACBS office – if they even answer the phone – to have credible information about an issue of this importance . . . . is fantasy.