Which brings me to some questions... what do you guys want to happen with the chapter? Would you all like to have more get togethers? ( If so we need members to ATTEND them, not just the standard 4 or so that have been regulars...) Would you like to have events? Ideas? Suggestions? This is EVERYBODY'S chapter, not just a few of us, so EVERYONE can say what they want to do, or things they would like to see changed, and so on.

Another question is would you like to change the leadership here? I will not be offended if someone else would like to take over, my intent was never to stay in the leader position forever, I just wanted to get us going, (didn't necessarily even want that, but it was felt I would be the one for the time) I will freely say it isn't easy to do it, and can be frustrating trying to do things and get lack of response... and it isn't something I want to continually do. Perhaps there is a better leader among us that would like to give it a shot... I have never done anything like this, so it is a learning curve for me to try, so maybe there is a more seasoned person among us that can do better.

We currently have no kind of schedule for elections, so is that something we should do, have a regular schedule for electing the leaders of the group, so that new people that want the chance can try their hand at it? If so, then how long should the terms be?

 

come on guys Roger is asking about more GTGs how about someone answering, and getting involved with this chapter it can be a very lively and fun place to come visit on the web. take a look at some of the other chapters the guys all know what each other is doing, about thier families, what mods are bieng done to thier trucks etc. this allows for if someone needs help maybe someone in the area can come over, and help out, or provide parts or just advice, plus they have gtg's and get to be real life friends, now the ones we have had were a lot of fun, and I hope we can have some more if only 4 guys are interested in showing up so be it, but we need that time to just BS, and have a good time.
BTW Roger personally I think you are doing a good job.

 

I don't even own a truck or a drivable ford for that matter. I still attend meetings. Roger your just going to have to set a president on the terms lenghts (I also think you are doing a great job).

 

I agree Rob... Roger, you've done a great job. It's a lot of work for the amount of reward. Personal situations "seem" tough (I think) for a number of us. Too little money or time or too many home commitments / honeydew list. There needs to be a balance in life and we need to decide (each of us) if we want to make something here..... gotta run. (time to pickup kids - ironic that I can't finish a post!)

 

What do we need to keep things going? Does FTE "pull" chapters for lack of $ or ??? I'm guessing money to keep the servers rolling is from memberships and advertising ( that us non [aying member see). I doubt there would ever be a whole lot bought from FTE stores but maybe that's just me.

I think regular posting is really important - assisting others, offering past experience and you learn a lot (at least I do!!). I like the idea of helping each other out too. I have a buddy that we do that fairly regularly. Guess I need to look up ppl in the DM area.

I think we need a "draw". We can BS here and have fun, but a g2g should be more than meeting at a park or going bowling - those are ok too, but needs to be interactive and about something we all like - like maye Ford trucks?

Maybe someone could host a gtg. I'd like to have a "How to" demo... like maybe somebody who has done some trannies show some rebuild tricks. Ppl could bring their own beverages and we'd fire up the grill or something. I'd really enjoy something like that and then would be able to attempt my own later. My place is still about a year out on something like that tho... no cement, piles of junk everywhere.

Any other ideas?

 

None of the money we raise as a chapter goes back to FTE, it is for our own local use. It has been suggested to have little tech meetings, but interest fell flat on that too. The get togethers can be whatever the people attending want them to be. We could even do a group job on a member's truck if someone wanted the help. That kinda is the point of the BS sessions, to get to know each other and make frineds that WANT to do that kind of thing, and also to share knowledge, that happens a lot at the meetings we have had, a lot of experience is exchanged at that time. That tends to be the main topic of "bs" anyway... but that is also wht we have continually asked the other members what they wanted, and the response is generally pretty light... but I haven't totally given up, but that is one of the things that frustrates me, is that we try to get everyone together to be able to do such, and shows are not out of the question if there was enough interest to do them. My truck is no show truck, but then if we brought our trucks to show, it wouldn't have to be about pretty truck, but maybe about the different mods we have done and the results, as well as how to do it... Oh by the way, the only way a chapter will be shut down is lack of participation. That is for online and offline. In order to set this chapter up, we had to meet offline and vote for the leadership. 5 people showed up to make this happen for everyone.

 

John had offered just that a long time ago. Offered us his shop, grill, and floorspace for sleeping =). One or two guys with a project to do come up and do their business with the help of the rest of us.

I personally enjoy the BS'ing we do. I was dissapointed personally at the relative flop of the meet I put together (Bowling), but it was still fun in that I got to see the "regulars" again. I'll be seeing Rob 3 or 4 times this summer (SAS, in addition to mud dragging), maybe we should have a meet there at the mud drags he goes to. Get to see his 528 (I believe?) roaring and crushing chevies =). And even my all-bark-little-bite 302 romping around in the mud with borrowed shoes from Rob =). I don't know the times of when it is, but we could do food before or after, as well as BS afterwards and all that.

I don't see any need for a change of leadership at this point, and the only reason we would need one is simply if you said you wanted to step down. But I don't want that to happen, even if you DO live in misery =).

 

Ok you mentioned trannies later this month, I have to rebuild one for the race truck granted it is a race only tranny but a lot of the stuff I do is stuff that can be done to any C6 (and a lot of stuff in trannies crosses OEM lines), and a lot of peoples fear, and reluctance on auto rebuilds is lack of knowledge once you see how simple they really are anyone can do it, and several probably will.
Now I don't have a real good place to hold a gtg, or even a real good shop although we could BBQ if someone wanted. Now I don't need help rebuilding it, but if someone wants to gtg, and see how, what and why I do things to them I am willing.

 

Sorry I missed that.... I take it the "shop thing" didn't happen or poor turn out? And I didn't mean that bowling was bad, my whole family goes from time to time and we enjoy it - not any good at it, but it's fun. I have things that I do with my family and we have friends we do things with locally....

This environment seems to be learning, helping, anna lil BS. While BS is fun, lots of ppl won't take a long drive to BS, so I was trying to figure out a way to build on the other angles.

Personally, I get online whenever a have a few minutes to try to learn something, BS a little and offer a little help along the way if there is something I might know a little something about.

 

Personally I am on here way to much, usually BSing, and once in awhile offering some of my limited knowledge, but mainly just full of it.
But right now I am off to the shop to go play with some playdoe

 

No fear here... I usually take broken stuff apart and learn - half the time I find parts need cleaned and reassembled. Getting some pointers etc will save me a lot of time and help to to ask 1/2 way intelligent questions. Being "self taught" on a lot of things.... I sometimes find out I've been doing things the hard way for years!

If it turns out to be a weekend - let me know. I might be able to swing by.

 

wooohooo I'm in (i always trying making it anyways)!!! when this going to go on ?

 

I have to get the kit here, I will try for sat the 21st but will post that later for sure, I am ordering the parts in the morning I hope.

 

You're right on with the trans statement, most people seem to be intimidated by automatics, and trannies like the C6 are a breeze... wish I could make it to see what tricks you use to beef them up and change the shift charachteristics, although I may already know... it's still good to compare notes. My nephew's graduation is the 24th in Boise, Idaho, so I won't be around... maybe another time. If someone really wanted a road trip for something different, and don't mind the backwoods kind of shop, I will be planting the Cummins one of these days, looking ro be mid June now... talk about delaying a project... It won't be functional, because once it is set, I will have to get drive shafts made, and I suspect it won't be done in a day.
Also, if anyone else has need for help, or just wants to have an extra hand or two, don't be afraid to mention it, as there is generally someone available to help. I've been doing this stuff for years, had my tech school training in 90, and worked the field for a while, but welding paid more, so went that way and wrenched on my own. I still do it fairly regular, but my back surgery has slowed me down, but the knowledge is still there. At this time, I have to keep it here in the SE corner for my travels, but after I finally have some kind of steady income, I may be able to travel further. That is the biggest holdup on my trying to organize much for get togethers, as I feel I should be there if I set it up, but that doesn't stop the rest of you from doing your own with the other locals, and you can do anything you want at the local meetings you should choose to do.

 

Sounds good to me. Hey, sounds like we might just have our next meeting.... or at least a BS session?

'Cept now I'm wish'n I hadn't gotten rid of the 250 I bought last year. Got it from a kid for $100 - He fried the C6 but it had a decent 351. I had hoped it was the modulator or the vac line, but the fluid was loaded with metal shavings and burnt brown gravy. Anyway I had too many treasures already and the salvage yard gave me $100 for it.... (broke even $wise) and pull a few parts for myself - mirrors, class III, etc.