NATIONAL CLUB AFFILIATION

[1HOTACR]

As many of you know, the So Cal Board of Directors has been conducting due diligence over the past several months regarding our club's national affiliation.  Every Board member dedicated tireless hours to collecting, discussing and evaluating piles of information on both national clubs in order to make their decision.  Throughout this entire process, they stayed focused on the goal of keeping our region united.  It was a long, intense process and I believe their decision will move us forward in a positive direction.

I would personally like to thank the entire Board for their invaluable input.  I would also like to thank the So Cal club members for their patience during this uncertain process.  We're all here for the love of our Vipers, and just want to have fun driving them with our fellow club members.

As President, I am pleased to announce the decision our Board of Directors has made.

Letter to So Cal Members:

To:                  All Members
                      Viper Club of Southern California
From:              Board of Directors
Subject:           National Viper Club Affiliation and Membership Status

Hopefully all members of the Viper Club of Southern California have been following the process the Board of Directors has been executing to determine which national Viper club would best meet the needs of our members for 2014 and beyond. We have sent a number of emails and mailed a letter to our members. Additionally, we have posted updates regularly on the SoCal website. A number of members have provided feedback and guidance for us to incorporate into the decision making process. We hope you have had time to digest the information and made the effort to provide your thoughts to us.

It is with mixed feelings that we announce our decision to affiliate with the Viper Owners Association for 2014. This decision was made after investigation and discussions with both the VCA and VOA, discussion with club members and extensive discussion between the BoD members. We are excited about moving forward with a new club and new ideas. At the same time we are sad to end our 20 year relationship with the VCA.

We believe there are numerous advantages to affiliating with the VOA including:

•   Best option for improved relationship with SRT/Chrysler
•   Improved club organizational structure
•   Increased transparency
•   Improved long term management of Club operations
•   Larger membership base

Conversely, we concluded that there are many concerns with continuing in a relationship with the VCA including:

•   Damaged reputation and relationship with SRT/Chrysler
•   Potential adverse consequences relating to financial and legal matters in the future (i.e. Raffle, VPA etc.)
•   Repeated legal threats against the Viper Club of Southern California
•   Continued leadership by VCA Officers and Board Members who had promised to resign
•   Lack of transparency (i.e.; refusal to share financial data) creating concern over financial stability
•   Delayed payment of monies due to regions for membership and/or events
•   Inconsistent publication of the Viper Magazine
•   Significant departure of Regions and Members to VOA

As we have mentioned previously, over the years the Viper Club has relied heavily on the relationship with Chrysler and Dodge. We went from working with marketing executives to having a direct working relationship with Senior Corporate executives like Ralph Gilles. These personal relationships were the direct basis for the Viper Club of America having a truly unique standing amongst car clubs in the WORLD. No other club benefitted from the direct relationship we enjoyed with our manufacturer.

Unfortunately, actions and communications strongly suggest that the goodwill that the VCA has built over the last 20 years has eroded to the point that certain corporate executives will no longer work with the VCA and the club has been relegated to working with Chrysler and  on a "business to business" basis. This will not allow the VCA to continue to function in the same way that we have enjoyed during the past 20 years.  Consequently, we believe that the VOA has the best opportunity to establish positive relationships with the Corporate executives and this is key to maximizing the Viper owner experience. We believe that the VOA is the national organization that can best accomplish this goal.

Maintaining the Viper Club of Southern California Intact

Throughout this evaluation process our priority has been to remain true to the premise upon which SoCal was founded; we wish to remain united as a Southern California Viper Owners Club no matter what. This allows us to continue to participate in local events and remain together as a group. We are currently one of the largest Clubs and, as such, we have a pretty loud voice. We hope that our members remain loyal to SoCal and agree that this decision is in the best interest of our members.

Membership Status and Renewal

We recognize however that all members may not agree with the move to the VOA. If you have renewed as a member of the Viper Club of Southern California and have paid dues to the club for 2014 please note that you have the opportunity to request reimbursement of the 2014 dues paid to our Club. If you would like to resign your membership and not to remain a member of the Viper Club of Southern California or join the VOA you can renew your membership directly with the Viper Club of America. Please notify the Club that you would like a refund, in writing, not later than JANUARY 27, 2014 by sending your request to:

TREASURER, VIPER CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
35234 QUARTZ STREET
YUCAIPA, CALIFORNIA 92399

Upon receipt of your resignation, a refund check will be mailed to you directly by the Viper Club of Southern California.

If you have renewed and paid your membership with the Viper Club of Southern California and you do not request a refund, you will be considered a member of the VOA for 2014. National dues will be submitted on your behalf directly to the VOA. If you are interested in upgrading to a Mamba Membership, please obtain information from the VOA by checking the club's website at www.driveviper.com.

If you have not yet renewed with the SoCal Club for 2014, please submit your dues directly to the VOA. Membership information is available on the VOA website at www.driveviper.com. Now, more than ever, it is important to show your support for the Viper Club of Southern California. If you have not already done so......PLEASE renew ASAP!

If you are interested in joining or renewing membership with the Viper Club of America, please obtain information directly from the VCA at www.viperclub.org. Please note that you will NOT be joining the Viper Club of Southern California and unless you elect to also join the VOA you will not be a member of the Viper Club of Southern California and you may not be eligible to participate in some or all of the local club events.

Throughout this process we have tried to remain objective and impartial. We invested substantial time and effort into the investigation and decision making process and we believe we have reached the best possible decision for our members. We hope that you will agree and now that the decision has been made and announced, we will continue with the process of establishing the relationship with the VOA and creating our "new" club. We know this is complicated but if you have questions please let us know so we can clarify the process.

Viper Club of Southern California Board of Directors

Letter to VCA National:

Via US Mail:
Viper Club of America
P.O. Box 24425
Shawnee Mission   KS  66283
Via Email:
Dan Everts
Fredi Spaltenstein
John Canal
Lucas Chaney
Greg Crouse
John Mavridis
Ron Kooser
Cathy Smiley
Paul Hawker

TO:     Viper Club of America
FROM:  Board of Directors
Viper Club of Southern California
CC:   Viper Club of Southern California Members   
DATE:    January 17, 2014

This message is to notify you that effective January 1st, 2014, the Board of Directors and members of the Viper Club of Southern California have chosen to dissociate from the Viper Club of America. Effective that date, we urge you to immediately remove all references to our club from VCA communications including,  but not limited to, the Viper Magazine, the VCA website, and club forums.  We also strongly suggest that the Viper Club of America also provide notice to any member attempting to renew their membership in Southern California of this dissociation so as to avoid any legal misrepresentation regarding local participation within the VCA.

Please note that the Viper Club of Southern California will advise all members that renewed on or before this date, January 17, 2014, of this decision. The Club will also advise those members that they will have the opportunity to request reimbursement of the 2014 dues paid to our Club should they desire not to remain a member of the Viper Club of Southern California and wish to renew their membership directly with the Viper Club of America.

Please note we expect that all 2013 VCA club members will continue receiving all 2013 membership benefits including but not limited their entire Viper Magazine subscription and liability insurance coverage. It is also expected that any and all dues collected by the VCA on behalf of Southern California members for calendar year 2013 will be provided to our Club according to the payment schedule previously defined and published so as to sustain the current course of conduct and fulfill the VCA's obligation to our members by redistributing dues belonging to the Viper Club of Southern California.

We have truly enjoyed our affiliation with the VCA over the past 20 years. Thank you.

Board of Directors
Viper Club of Southern California

[Jay M]

I'm very pleased to have an answer, and really looking forward to moving forward. 


Thanks for all your hard work to make sure that the best decision was made for us.


It's going to be nearly 80 degrees tomorrow- a perfect Viper day.  I feel like we should all meet for lunch somewhere to celebrate.


~Jay

[Kala]

Yeah! Now its VIPER TIME!

[Sundiego]

Congrats on a tough decision.

[Newport Viper]

I would like to THANK ALL on the SoCal BOD for taking the many, many hours, days and weeks, to pull this together for us!  8)