Is this rumour correct?

[JKY]

The local club here just changed the bylaws: An amendment to our ByLaws has been approved. In it, we proposed to change the requirement for all club members to be members of MAFCA, to be encouraged to join MAFCA.

[30 Closed Cab PU]

Club I am in requires MARC membership, and dues include the Model A News mag.

[TerryO]

with no National MARC Tour this year, I'm setting this year out.

If everyone felt like this then there would never ever be another MARC National Tour...
TOB

[Jeff/Illinois]

On the subject of belonging to MARC and MAFCA-----

There are at last count almost 10 Model A Ford owners/drivers within a 12 mile radius or so of me, with around 15 cars. I live in a small farming community. I have given copies of The Restorer and Model A News to all of them, they thanked me and said they liked the magazines, but didn't want to join the clubs. They are very active in working on their cars and going for rides, the interest is still there and these guys vary in age from 20's thru the 80's range. I'm the only one who ever belonged to the National Clubs.

So kinda what Brent was alluding to, the number of National Club members is not a true indicative of the interest in the hobby. The interest is still out there, just not the interest in club participation.

The BIG difference between the Model A Ford clubs and say the Mustang or Corvette clubs is, Model A Ford people are a LOT lot more down to earth, friendly, and welcoming than about any other car club around. I've seen that from personal observation time and time again. MARC and MAFCA will survive I don't see them going away.

And I don't see interest in cars really going away all that much either. People are still attracted to the cars. Example: Monmouth, Illinois has Maple City Cruise nite the first Friday of August every year. Totally free. You come and go as you please. No admission. No charge for entering your car. They have a live band, concessions, etc. They shut down the downtown and it has grown a half mile north and a half mile south of the square along the old US 67. Local merchants donate to help defray costs. There is a big dollar 50/50 drawing, chances to win a car or parts or meals, all sorts of things. It has grown into the BIGGEST car gathering in Illinois. They average 2300 cars and 22,000-25,000 spectators every year. And you see something from every thing like early 20's Model T's to 2019 Mustang GT's. It's great!! They even mark off an area for motorcycles if that's your thing. And as I said all free. THAT is what draws people in everyone has a blast I mean everyone. From young parents pushing babies in strollers and teen age kids to old guys like the WWII and Korean War vets and that age.

[Jacksonlll]

Jeff, that big event looks really good. If you are near that many A's, why don't you organize your own independent club? That could be a lot of fun as long as those guys do drive their cars.

[Jeff/Illinois]

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Originally Posted by Jacksonlll

Jeff, that big event looks really good. If you are near that many A's, why don't you organize your own independent club? That could be a lot of fun as long as those guys do drive their cars.

Naw, I tried and none of them want anything to do with joining or forming a club. Farmers are a pretty independent bunch

They do like to meet once a month during the warm season at a local eatery, and the antique Chevy and Studebaker and Plymouth guys all come in too and drive their cars THAT is always fun! One guy has a completely original 1929 Chevy Tudor sold new at a local Chevy garage that used to be in that town, another guy drives a '30 Chevy Coupe also original and also sold at a local dealership in a neighboring town that has only had mechanical work done to it. I like Fords but I sure admire those cars and always like seeing them.

One of the guys also collects Farmall tractors. He has 240 of them. Luckily he owns several farms so he has places to store them. He also has Roy Rogers' actual IH pickup truck that is pretty cool. It looks like a mid-50's I don't know those trucks that well.

[McMimmcs]

Originally Posted by Jeff/Illinois

Naw, I tried and none of them want anything to do with joining or forming a club. Farmers are a pretty independent bunch

They do like to meet once a month during the warm season at a local eatery, and the antique Chevy and Studebaker and Plymouth guys all come in too and drive their cars THAT is always fun! One guy has a completely original 1929 Chevy Tudor sold new at a local Chevy garage that used to be in that town, another guy drives a '30 Chevy Coupe also original and also sold at a local dealership in a neighboring town that has only had mechanical work done to it. I like Fords but I sure admire those cars and always like seeing them.

One of the guys also collects Farmall tractors. He has 240 of them. Luckily he owns several farms so he has places to store them. He also has Roy Rogers' actual IH pickup truck that is pretty cool. It looks like a mid-50's I don't know those trucks that well.

Heh Jeff It sounds like you live next to a museum! Do you have pictures ?

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Jacksonlll

Jeff, that big event looks really good. If you are near that many A's, why don't you organize your own independent club? That could be a lot of fun as long as those guys do drive their cars.

Playing Devil's Advocate, what would an independent club accomplish? As it is right now, Jeff likely has contact info on most of those local guys in his phone, so he sends a group text to them saying he would like to meet somewhere to eat lunch and maybe they could all go for a short drive afterwards in the Model-As to get ice cream. Likely 4 or 5 will say 'let do it" and so they meet and enjoy the chat. Nothing formal, ...no taking of the minutes, ...no treasurer's report, -nor any of the other things that you do at club meetings. Just go drive around for awhile and fellowship for a bit. Why ruin something like that by forming a club??
.
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[msmaron]

Originally Posted by M2M

I've heard a rumour that MARC and MAFCA have started to see a large increase in members not renewing compared to this time in 2019...true?

Maybe Corona will lead to a merger?

100% correct...a RUMOR!!! However the renewal time is Dec/Jan actually...

[Jeff/Illinois]

Originally Posted by McMimmcs

Heh Jeff It sounds like you live next to a museum! Do you have pictures ?

I'll grab some when this virus thing is done next time they gather!

[Jeff/Illinois]

Originally Posted by msmaron

100% correct...a RUMOR!!! However the renewal time is Dec/Jan actually...

I noticed in the membership figures in both club magazines that the numbers really aren't off much from years past, and MAFCA seems like they even picked up additional members as I recall.

[Jeff/Illinois]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Playing Devil's Advocate, what would an independent club accomplish? As it is right now, Jeff likely has contact info on most of those local guys in his phone, so he sends a group text to them saying he would like to meet somewhere to eat lunch and maybe they could all go for a short drive afterwards in the Model-As to get ice cream. Likely 4 or 5 will say 'let do it" and so they meet and enjoy the chat. Nothing formal, ...no taking of the minutes, ...no treasurer's report, -nor any of the other things that you do at club meetings. Just go drive around for awhile and fellowship for a bit. Why ruin something like that by forming a club??
.
.

Brent you pretty much nailed that observation, that is precisely what we do Everybody has a good time. And it seems to draw someone else in with the interest in old cars that we didn't know about before.

[McMimmcs]

Originally Posted by 1931 flamingo

I had a letter from MAFCA last week wanting me to re-join (I no longer have the A). Said membership was down by 2200. That's a lot.
Paul in CT

This doesn't sound like a rumour !

[Jacksonlll]

You guys already have an informal club and it sounds great. I agree, no minutes or officers, just driving And having fun.
You are all welcome to attend our Michigan Roundup in August if you are up to it. Just a fun weekend.

[redmodelt]

I have seen both clubs publications and everyone wants to say how great they are and worth the price of joining! I understand that as club publications they are published to keep members informed on happenings around the country, but I could care less esp showing pictures elephants instead of the cars that went on the tour. I am more interested in teck stuff and even that falls short.

While it is true I am more Model T in my interest, even those club magazines fall short in my OP for the reasons I would be interested in joining.

I am glad our Model T club does not require joining a national club, frankly I would have to skip of lot of MicD's happy meals to pay, oh wait I all ready do!

There is one A club in the Portland/Vancouver area that does not require membership in national club, that would be the club for me if I had an A.

Even the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America has an on-line membership that is quite a bit lower then the one with printed magazine. Maybe something for ALL the clubs to think about? Or even a supporting level with full benefits of the club but no magazine. The clubs would be supported and all important information could be found on their web site.

Oh for bathroom office reading, how about a lap top? LOL

[Aretino]

Online makes sense to me

[Ernie Vitucci]

Just my humble opinion...The National Clubs and the National Parts Suppliers are part of what makes the Model A Hobby as nice as it is. Without both, I suspect that the folks making our replacement parts would loose interest in making parts that would then be more difficult to market...then where would we be...like we were in the 60's and 70's...Ernie in Arizona

[redmodelt]

Considering the number of cars/owners that are not members, I don't think the clubs drive the need for parts, ownership/need for parts does. I think the need for parts would still be there with or with out the clubs. If for example only 1 in 10 (random number I don't nor do I think anyone has a true number) are members of a club, only 1 person would even see an ad a national publication unless they shared their copy with others. Bad parts are bad, that is what feedback is about. How often do you see a review of bad parts sold by someone advertising in a national magazine when that supplier is supporting the club with their ads?

Clubs are great, but they only represent a small part of the overall ownership. Sure someone can bring the RHJS to the table, but I wonder what the overall percentage of people that really care if their car is up to those standards or if they are just happy to have a cool old car to drive?

Maybe the people that post here might be more incline to try for that standard, but again they are only a small percentage overall of people that own vintage cars, in this case Model A's.
This forum is kinda proof that even without club involvement there is an active lively discussion about Model A's.

[Mikeinnj]

Merge the two clubs.
Keep all the staff members working.
Publish one issue each month all year-round.
Delete the women's fashion stuff and build on tech articles.
Offer online subscriptions at reduced rates for those not wanting snail mail delivery.
Change national meets yearly at north,south,east,west locations.

[McMimmcs]

Originally Posted by Mikeinnj

Merge the two clubs.
Keep all the staff members working.
Publish one issue each month all year-round.
Delete the women's fashion stuff and build on tech articles.
Offer online subscriptions at reduced rates for those not wanting snail mail delivery.
Change national meets yearly at north,south,east,west locations.

What you say makes a lot of sense!