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phonconn · 08-23-2017, 04:43 PM

OK I WILL TAKE THE WHOLE BLAME!! It was me who arranged the dates for Branson. I am the Chairman of the meet and I did it. Now let me explain why. I too have many friends in the West in MAFCA and see them at our close by MARC meets and they have been my friends for over 30 years.
Here's what happened. There was no meet scheduled for 2018 and driving home from the 2016 MARC Toledo meet my young friend Jan Van Niekirk and I said we should host a National Meet for 2018 in Kansas City. Nice city, lots of great attractions and right in the center of the country. Jan (21) suggested as nice as it would be to have one in Kansas City it would be even better if we could do one in Branson. That city being the entertainment center of the midwest. I agreed that Branson would be great and on the way home we even thought of rhyming words to Branson and came up with A Danicin in Branson in 2018. Our pick of hotels in Branson was the Hilton and adjoining convention center for all our activities BUT the rate was $169 and for our membership that would be really hard. We found the Radisson Hotel with 470+ rooms and asked to see if we could get a block in June of 2018. 24 June - 1July was it until mid August and in August weather is usually pretty gnarly in the midwest. OR we could wait until 2019 and get the 3rd week of June which is rather a traditional week for MARC meets. We did consider the conflict but most MARC members are east of the Mississippi and since the MAFCA meet was in Reno we felt that the membership would most likely not head to the west coast. Traditionally MARC has always had their meets in June and MAFCA has had theirs in July-August with very few exceptions. YES MAFCA did book that week before MARC and it is unfortunate that the two meets conflict but it was a matter of not waiting another year as 2018 was begging for a location so we stepped on our MAFCA friends toes and although I deeply regret the conflict I made the decision to go ahead as they were 2000 miles apart. Branson has so so much to offer and as this was a formed club to host this national meet we are excited that the host hotel is already booked and we are thinking that we will top 600 registrants from this favorable early response. I will miss my friends from Cali as well as Sammy from Az and I deeply regret that these two meets collided but it just worked out that way and I am sorry but I think both meets will do well.
On a different note if this is a good destination for our club and at this early date we might be willing to do it again in 2021 and that is an off year for MAFCA and so we could all get together for that meet with no conflicts.
I just made arrangements for the swap meet spot half a block from the host hotel on the grass in the rough of the golf course next door and so we will be trying to attract 100 vendors or more to make this one of the best swap meets ever. As those who know me know I am a swap meet vendor and so I have a special place in my heart for the vendors and we will cater to their needs and also have a cookout planned in the swap meet on Thursday night hosted by the swap meet vendors for the attendees in memory of Doc Kalinka who had a brat fry on Thursday evening in the swap meet and we want to carry this tradition forward. So the swap meet will be virtually closed on Thursday during the Grand Tour and then open at 5PM for the cookout and run until the last dog dies later in the evening. So dogs and hamburgers, chips, soda, and ice cream on Thursday night to mix things up a little from previous MARC meets. If you have a lot of Model A parts contact me for info on the swap meet which will be open from Sunday through Friday.
I truly am disappointed that our down under friends won't be able to attend both meets and it was not anyone's intent to leave anyone out. I have a lot of customer/friends from both countries and would love to have made a connection with all of them again.
We are running the MARC meet two days longer that normal to give our attendees a chance to see additional shows and get out to some of the activities outside our MARC events so it will run from Sunday to Sunday so we can have some folks attend both if they can arrange to come on Thursday for 4 days.
Again I apologize for the conflict and I would be open to discussing another meet in 2021 but would want some more help. There are 5 of us so far in the Branson region so if the membership likes Branson we can do it again in three years and not conflict with the MAFCA meet.
I love you all MARC and MAFCA and you truly are my dearest friends and I look forward every year to old home week and will miss those I usually see from the west. I will see you in Hersey though this next fall. I welcome any comments or help. 816-213-8437
Dan Bixby

08-23-2017, 04:43 PM	#42
phonconn Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Kansas City Area Missouri Posts: 384	Re: National Meets same date OK I WILL TAKE THE WHOLE BLAME!! It was me who arranged the dates for Branson. I am the Chairman of the meet and I did it. Now let me explain why. I too have many friends in the West in MAFCA and see them at our close by MARC meets and they have been my friends for over 30 years. Here's what happened. There was no meet scheduled for 2018 and driving home from the 2016 MARC Toledo meet my young friend Jan Van Niekirk and I said we should host a National Meet for 2018 in Kansas City. Nice city, lots of great attractions and right in the center of the country. Jan (21) suggested as nice as it would be to have one in Kansas City it would be even better if we could do one in Branson. That city being the entertainment center of the midwest. I agreed that Branson would be great and on the way home we even thought of rhyming words to Branson and came up with A Danicin in Branson in 2018. Our pick of hotels in Branson was the Hilton and adjoining convention center for all our activities BUT the rate was $169 and for our membership that would be really hard. We found the Radisson Hotel with 470+ rooms and asked to see if we could get a block in June of 2018. 24 June - 1July was it until mid August and in August weather is usually pretty gnarly in the midwest. OR we could wait until 2019 and get the 3rd week of June which is rather a traditional week for MARC meets. We did consider the conflict but most MARC members are east of the Mississippi and since the MAFCA meet was in Reno we felt that the membership would most likely not head to the west coast. Traditionally MARC has always had their meets in June and MAFCA has had theirs in July-August with very few exceptions. YES MAFCA did book that week before MARC and it is unfortunate that the two meets conflict but it was a matter of not waiting another year as 2018 was begging for a location so we stepped on our MAFCA friends toes and although I deeply regret the conflict I made the decision to go ahead as they were 2000 miles apart. Branson has so so much to offer and as this was a formed club to host this national meet we are excited that the host hotel is already booked and we are thinking that we will top 600 registrants from this favorable early response. I will miss my friends from Cali as well as Sammy from Az and I deeply regret that these two meets collided but it just worked out that way and I am sorry but I think both meets will do well. On a different note if this is a good destination for our club and at this early date we might be willing to do it again in 2021 and that is an off year for MAFCA and so we could all get together for that meet with no conflicts. I just made arrangements for the swap meet spot half a block from the host hotel on the grass in the rough of the golf course next door and so we will be trying to attract 100 vendors or more to make this one of the best swap meets ever. As those who know me know I am a swap meet vendor and so I have a special place in my heart for the vendors and we will cater to their needs and also have a cookout planned in the swap meet on Thursday night hosted by the swap meet vendors for the attendees in memory of Doc Kalinka who had a brat fry on Thursday evening in the swap meet and we want to carry this tradition forward. So the swap meet will be virtually closed on Thursday during the Grand Tour and then open at 5PM for the cookout and run until the last dog dies later in the evening. So dogs and hamburgers, chips, soda, and ice cream on Thursday night to mix things up a little from previous MARC meets. If you have a lot of Model A parts contact me for info on the swap meet which will be open from Sunday through Friday. I truly am disappointed that our down under friends won't be able to attend both meets and it was not anyone's intent to leave anyone out. I have a lot of customer/friends from both countries and would love to have made a connection with all of them again. We are running the MARC meet two days longer that normal to give our attendees a chance to see additional shows and get out to some of the activities outside our MARC events so it will run from Sunday to Sunday so we can have some folks attend both if they can arrange to come on Thursday for 4 days. Again I apologize for the conflict and I would be open to discussing another meet in 2021 but would want some more help. There are 5 of us so far in the Branson region so if the membership likes Branson we can do it again in three years and not conflict with the MAFCA meet. I love you all MARC and MAFCA and you truly are my dearest friends and I look forward every year to old home week and will miss those I usually see from the west. I will see you in Hersey though this next fall. I welcome any comments or help. 816-213-8437 Dan Bixby