It is an honor and a privilege to serve as the 2024 president of the Jaguar Owners Club of Oregon. It is a humbling experience to walk in the footsteps of giants – those who have served our club and helped guide it to the organization we know today. It is a truism that one cannot receive a complete appreciation of an organization or an event until they have fully immersed themselves in its day-to-day inner workings, and I am humbled at my opportunity to do so. My thanks to the JOCO board for this privilege, and to the membership for your support.

I wanted to bring up something that happened recently that makes a somewhat troubling point for our club, and particularly to your newly appointed president. Our membership chairperson/coordinator relayed to me that some members – both long term and some who are relatively new – chose not to renew their membership for 2024. One of the reasons that came forward was that those members disagreed with the choice of venues for the Christmas Party and/or the Annual General meeting. Events which (apparently) none of them chose to attend.

Here is my “two cents waiting for change” perspective: Quite often the phrase “failure to communicate” is found to be the start of – or a root cause of – a much bigger problem, whether it is in the corporate world, or as intimate as an interpersonal relationship. And that is something that we have now experienced as a club, and need to address now, and to be vigilant and responsive to going forward.

Everyone is absolutely entitled to their opinion and, if they feel it is warranted, it is their right to “vote with their feet.” All of us came to this club because it offered something to them that they found value in. However somewhere along the line that perception vanished for them, and the club as a whole is the poorer for it.

Combining the two thoughts (failure to communicate and learning from the past) I have a strong, urgent, and ongoing request to every member: Any time there is something that you would like to say, please say it, either in the open forum of the Board meeting or in private with a board member or club officer. [From our webmaster: “It is possible to contact any board member or officer directly with any concerns. By clicking on the envelope icon below photo and name on the Board Member or Officer page, a page with a form will open to make it possible to send a message.”] Board meeting are held on the second Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM (unless otherwise noted). Meetings are always open for any member to attend, and you are encouraged to do so. Board meeting times, dates, and location are published on the “Upcoming Events” page on our website www.joco.org and in the Cat Fancier. If you have something to contribute to the club, please let me or any board member know, so that your issue(s) can be placed on the meeting agenda and discussed appropriately.

The point is – we cannot improve as officers, board members, or a club as a whole without everyone’s input (or “feedback” if you prefer). Expressing your ideas and honest critiques is absolutely necessary to keeping the club on its best trajectory.

[It is also fair to note that many people, in fact all that I have talked to that attended either of the events were quite complimentary about them, and were glad that they went. Attendance was about average for a Christmas Party or the AGM, so my take-away is that both events were a success. Thanks also (in no small part) to our friends at Jaguar Land Rover of Portland, and the tireless work of Gene Owens, Tim Ashcroft, Ashley and Curt McKay, and Bill Relya. Congratulations to all who planned and contributed to both events.

On an entirely different subject, I would also ask you to read the missive elsewhere in this issue of the Cat Fancier regarding a proposed drive to Everett, Washington to visit a couple of very educational venues. Yes, there will be out-of-pocket expenses for lodging, meals, and admission tickets, but the overall experience may be just what some of us “gear heads”/history buffs/aviation enthusiasts are looking for.

Thank you, in advance, for helping improve the club and your experiences as a member.

All the best,

Carl A. Foleen   

E-mail: p47_fan@yahoo.com