Roush Owners and Enthusiast Association Mired In Bad Politics, Financial Questions

Staff Report

ROEA members asking a lot of questions, getting few answers.

06-24-09: It started out to be a first class enthusiast group to celebrate Roush Mustangs and other vehicles by the maker. The group, separate from Roush Performance Inc, chartered the Roush Owners & Enthusiasts Association back in 2003 and like most new car clubs they elected a board and began business.

But soon after a growing odor began to swell around the organization as the club went down the unfortunate path that many clubs do. Many members see top officers who have taken it upon themselves to build the club into their own kingdom sorts, closing them off from taking part in club management.

Over the past five years nearly a dozen board members resigned in disgust, alledging being shut out of the club management by its top officers. By most measures it appears the club has failed to gain a strong following of members. The organization has rarely been able to keep more than 100 paid core members with a high turn over rate of those who join but never renew. Roush Peformance has built thousands of cars and many wonder why few remain a part of their official club.

Many feel the reason the enthusiast body has failed to support the ROEA is due to the lethal allegations of bad management, percieved lack of value for membership dues and swirling questions of financial impropriety. In the over five years the club has been in existence, the board of directors has steadfastly refused to divulge financial reports or accounting to members and even board members. Though it is a state law that such papers be filed with the State of North Carolina where the club is incorporated, nothing of the sort can be found on file at the time of this writing.

The club management's long standing refusal to share financial information with members or lower tier board members has many in the club wondering where all their money has gone. The club routinely spends $10,000-15,000 on large national track events which only garner 6-7 entries - an expenditure that many believe is not appropriate.

Dozens of rank-in-file members signed onto a petition earlier in 2009 asking for the resignation of the President and Treasurer of the ROEA, stating they had failed to adequately manage the club and promote an equitable forum for members. Their petition was apparently ignored and the board of directors seem to have closed ranks tighter.

As the top management of the club appears to have become paranoid, desperate and tight in their grip for power they have recently begun forcing new board member candidates to sign a binding legal agreement that would allow the ROEA to sue them for speaking out against the management or divulging club business information. There have been reports that the club has already threatened law suits on other board members for various reasons.

In addition, the top leaders are alledged to have rewritten club by-laws, raising the bar on minimum qualifications for new board member candidates. Knowing very well most of what is left of the club’s members could never qualify for leadership, the changes reportedly allow them to remain in power without challenge from the members.

The membership has done what most members in this situation do, stop renewing and look elsewhere for the club experience. Many of them have found a home at FnSweet.com - which boasts over 5000 members and continues to grow with regional and national events being added to their calendar.