PRESIDENT of the JCC.

[Tony Fearn]

In the May 2024 Jowetteer magazine, Richard Gane had a whole page (13) to himself regarding whether or not we need a President for our Club. I enquired if he had a mandate from the Executive Committee to ask this. He has. In Richard's reply to me he also mentioned that he had received just 5 replies, including mine, from a Club membership of around 600 - not very representative! The June Jowetteer has already arrived.

Richard also asked, that if the Club did indeed want a President, whether he/she should be from within the Club itself, or some other extraneous personage. He needs to collate the replies for the next Executive meeting.

I realise that accessing JowettTalk might be on the wane, but I'm sure there are enough of you out there who do dip into it now and then, and surely you could send your thoughts about this subject to his email address, or even by telephone.

Again:- May 2024 Jowetteer magazine page 13 headed 'The Way Forward' shows Richard's email address and his telephone number.

A short email with your thoughts will do, it will save a postage stamp.

Tony.

[Forumadmin]

The presidents and vice presidents we have had over the last 50 years that I have been in the club have, apart from Malcolm Oliver, done little for the club. I think the intention was to have someone of status and influence who could promote the club. Occasionally we were able to get them to attend and speak at the Annual Weekend dinner but there is little time or desire now for such speaches.
Maybe there is someone who commands external influence and could bring more members into the club or get invites for the club to prestigious events.
The president should not just be a name on a letter heading.

[Jeremy]

I agree a club president should not be just a a name on the paper - they need to champion the marque and the club in many circles - but what type of person is best to deliver that is not an easy answer.

Does it go to a person who has served the club well, promoted the use of Jowett vehicles - a reward if you like for years of service - but then this person might not have the links or the clout to deliver the aim of championing the marque and the club in many circles.

So does that mean it goes to a more well know character, a celebrity perhaps. But would that person have a genuine link to Jowett, would they be able to talk with passion and enthusiasm, as well as being committed to that over the course of their tenure.

Then the subject of tenure - should it be a fixed term - many top jobs are fixed term now, a year, 3 years, 5 years - how long can we expect an individual to be effective for before their voice stops being fresh and new and becomes one of many and not heard.

I don't know the answers to these questions, but these are areas I hope that the committee consider in their deliberations. But what I do know is that the club has made tremendous strides to promote both the marque and the clue over the last few years - it did that as a committed group - using the power of many, the camaraderie that Jowett is so well know for and I am sure it will continue to do this for as long as it has a committed membership each with their own reason to be linked to Jowett vehicles and the club. So perhaps we don't need a figure head but to continue together, supporting each other to achieve our goals?

[Keith Clements]

Some good points Jeremy.

The club constitution did and the Company Articles do specify the President's position.

Originally Gerald Palmer, the Javelin designer, was chosen.
Such people with Jowett connections are now very few, if not zero.

Are there any celebrities who have even an incling of interest in Jowetts? The only one I can think of is Danny Hopkins the editor of Practical Classics, but there may be others. We meet such people at the Goodwood Revival when taxiing them around....maybe some might say yes to what are very minimal duties.

[Nick Webster]

I've just been watching the Trooping of the colour and I find myself thinking that I quite like all that ceremony with all the pomp and tradition.

However at the same time I am of a view that the President of the JCC has had its day. In fact a President as the head of any club or Society type organisation of modest size such as the JCC. The role dates back to when people didn't rally challenge the thought that they should look up to another as superior in some sort of aspect of class or society. It ranks with the idea of forelock tugging and implies subservience.

I have heard views that we should find a President who will show favour towards the marque and use their influence in the Motor Heritage industry to keep the name Jowett "live" in the minds of at least enthusiasts and perhaps even the general public. That kind of thing smacks of cronyism and the old boy network that is now open to great criticism as being part of the fall of British Industry.

I don't think we need a President whom we hope will prove advantageous to the club. My good friend Noel Stokoe has declared that he wishes to stand down from the role of Publicity and Club Librarian. While Noel has done an extraordinary job for many years, perhaps now is the time to review the function of these positions that have become very much aligned with the emphasis on the Librarian role. While maintaining a history of the club is still (perhaps increasingly) important, may I suggest that a new position of Public Relations officer would fit the description for the function we are hoping a President might mostly achieve. Elected, as other officers, on an annual basis, a dedicated PR officer could be tasked with proactively creating fresh news and publicity for the club and being part of the EC would be fully up to speed with the various club activities that would need "pushing".

Nick

[Keith Clements]

A decade ago we discussed having a Marketing person in the club which is more expansive than the Publicity Officer role which Noel fills.
The second position Noel filled was Librarian.
All these roles are really there to coordinate or drive the specific function in which really all members should participate.
These roles are not elected but are created and filled by the Club executive. Finding volunteers to fill them can be an issue. It might be better not to have roles and officers but to define specific tasks that need doing and then find a volunteer to do them. Such tasks should be well defined, easily accomplished and time bound in a short time frame.

Thus what we would like a President to do could be a single specific objective repeated by different people in different years and performed by suitable people.

This discussion should be expanded into many avenues as the company, the spares service and the social aspects need to be reviewed in all areas. Then having confirmed or redefined our goals, aspirations, governance and processes we can see what roles are required and whether members are available to perform them .

[Chris Spencer]

Maybe there is someone who commands external influence and could bring more members into the club

The above is a fantasy statement - You will not expedientially grow the clubs membership larger than what the survival rate / amount of available Jowett models that are available - what you can do is maintain a strong publicity campaign in order to market the Jowett appeal - Has Jeremy points out its an agenda that has been strongly promoted & delivered upon for the the last few years - In turn it ensures that virtually every Jowett that comes to the market finds a new home - some with existing members but many with new members. Whilst we may loose a number of members for various reasons annually equally we find new members that maintains a steady membership number. For a smaller club with a focus on vehicles dated from 1910 to 1954 that is a huge achievement whilst many other clubs find their membership dwindling in numbers annually.

The original point / question of which do we need a president in this day & age, personally I'm not sure that we do. What we do need is a strong committee capable of teamwork & networking whilst maintaining a strong focus on public relations & publicity

[Jeremy]

I agree with you Chris, it is amazing what the club is doing already. A strong committee that works well together is the key, we have that and should support that so that it continues to thrive going forward.

[paul wilks]

Having been spurred on to respond to this issue by my good friend Tony Fearn, can I offer the following?
I was always aware that we had a President and whilst it was Gerald Palmer, with his obvious strong links to Jowetts, and later to Raymond Baxter, I was never really sure of the role, other than it being a sort of 'Figure Head'. As has already been said, folk with any links whatsoever with Jowetts are now few and far between, therefore, it would seem obvious to look elsewhere within either the Motor industry or the Motoring Press sector for a potential nomination as President.
But we are left with some fundamental questions. What is the role? How could the role help the Jowett marque? Would it be just a figure head? What sort of practical support should we expect from a President?
I am left with the nagging doubt that we are 'whistling in the wind'. I think that far better than agonising over whether or not we need a President, what the role could/should be etc, we should concentrate our efforts on looking at the way our elected 'officials' can be better supported. We don't have massive resources. But we have loads of enthusiastic members and we are attracting newer members too!
That surely is far better than 'boasting'(?) "Do you know our President is xxxx. But we never see them!"
Paul

[Jeremy]

We are thinking along similar lines there Paul - there is quite a consensus here.

Will this thread get fed into the committee deliberations or does it need to be sent in another way?

[Chris Spencer]

Will this thread get fed into the committee deliberations or does it need to be sent in another way?

Jeremy - I'll ensure that it does

[Tony Fearn]

Thanks Jeremy and Chris, and all others who took the trouble to post.
I was going to post that query myself.
I wonder if Richard Gane knows about the action on JowettTalk?
Tony.

[Jeremy]

Thanks Chris

And thanks Tony for starting the discussion off - I hope it has added usefully to the debate

[Dianne Davies]

If it's okay with everyone who contributed I will copy these comments and make sure they are reported to the EC.

[paul wilks]

Okay by me, Dianne!
Thanks
Paul