Club meetings

[GTRS Fiero]

Having now attended club meetings for several different clubs, I'm noticing some differences, which precipitate my questions:
1.  Which is better, a greater number of members, or a greater percentage of members who are involved in club activities?
2.  Which is better, the perception of expertise, or the actual expertise?
3.  Which would you prefer: meetings, cruises, or car shows?

[GTRS Fiero]

So, here's my opinion.  I'll use GFC and myself as examples.  GFC ran just fine without me for many years, and could continue to run without me.  Since I am not local, the club itself does not rely on me.  If, however, the local members were gone, GFC would cease to exist, regardless of any efforts on my part.

GFC offers a message board from which everyone can benefit, and where everyone is welcome.  Many Fiero clubs do not have a message board, although they may have a facebook group.  Sometimes GFC recruits people from other areas to participate on the board.  What I have not seen GFC do, is recruit paid members from, say, Alaska or Hawaii.  I'm not really sure of the benefit of doing so.

To be clear, GFC does allow non-local people to be paid members, but that is a choice for a given member.

Now, let's flip this around.  Who in GFC believes that a paid membership to a Fiero club in Washington state, for example, would benefit them or that club?  Should that club actively recruit people from Georgia as paid members?

Having been to meetings, participated in car shows, and been on cruises, I can say that I enjoy each of these things--if done correctly.  I think that, the more car shows people attend, the more people will attend the meetings, and the more cruises there are, the more people will participate in the club.  I do not see these as separate, but as parts of the whole.

[Fierofool]

If the club ceased to exist, the only thing that could remain would be the website.  Someone would have to take the responsibility of maintaining and funding it.  All assets must be liquidated and our charter dissolved. 

I often invite people from outside our local area to register and participate in our forum.  You, Todd, PK, The Swayne Brothers, and many who've not accepted the invitation.  I know other club members have done the same.  As you said, if they choose to pay dues, that's their choice.  At one time there were a number of benefits of being a paid member.  Discounts at Grainger, Advance, The Fiero Store, to name a few.  It seemed that few members if any took advantage of those discounts and in some cases, stores not in the immediate area wouldn't honor the discount agreement. 

We have come down to three benefits that I can think of, offhand.  Discount at The Fiero Store, Free Parts from The Parts Barn, and a darned good bunch of members.  In a reciprocal agreement with another club, our officers who have access to the club email also receive a free newsletter from that club.  It is only available to their paid members, unlike our newsletter that is free to anyone who wishes to subscribe.  Other newsletters also charge for advertising.  We don't. 

I can't see any benefit to being a paid member of a distant club unless there are tangible benefits, such as those we offer.  I am a registered member of another club forum, but there are no dues, and there is very little activity on it.  On the other hand, MAFOA and NEFA seem to be quite busy and have lots of participation in their events.  It's unknown how many paid members they have, nor do I know what tangible benefits they offer to paid members.

Unpaid members, or Associate Members as I refer to them, are just as important as those who pay dues.  That is, if they offer their knowledge to others, offer their help to others, and participate with the club.  Participation isn't necessarily expected or possible with distant members, like f85gtron, handymanpat, Montegut, Todd, Donster or PK.  All of these folks are willing contributors without making every or any events in some cases.  I don't think Paul has ever been to a meeting in Atlanta, but he is a major contributor.  He's got a strong following of his newsletter articles.  Thank you, Paul.  And thank you, Michael.

Speaking for myself only, I like activities where I can drive my Fieros.  Cruises, trips to some special venue, trips to the ocean.  My money is limited, so a 1-day trip that only costs gas and food is ideal for me.  The car isn't suitable to show at this time, but I hope to have that remedied in the near future.

If someone wants to set up a cruise or trip, I'm willing to follow along.  I'm not organizing any more events, other than Run For The Hills. 

[Slyp]

Well said!!!!!!!!

[GTRS Fiero]

There is fellowship at the meetings, but a different sort of fellowship on cruises.  Sometimes, though, I like to stop and look at the Fieros.  It is nice to talk Fiero, and see what people have done with theirs.  Not everyone has a show car.  I understand that.  The thing is, if everyone thinks they must have a show car to attend, few will show up.  Any Fiero that is safely driveable should attend.

It is easy to get into the mindset that everyone knows more than you, or that your Fiero isn't nice enough.  I have found that there are Fiero people who know far less about Fieros than I do.  Oddly, they are more easily believed, apparently because they have been around longer.

Day trips are great, if there are Fiero people within 2 hours or so.

I think that the forum is invaluable--and it's available for free.  Yes, associate members do add to the forum.  Our forum is nice.  No ads, mostly easy navigation, and mostly useful.  I've tried to fix every thread I saw was no longer helpful, although there are still some.  Our forum is active.

Yes, you did invite me, but no strings were attached.  Some clubs only have paid members, and if you don't pay, you get nothing from them.

As for events/cruises, or whatever, ideally different people should plan them.  I am not a freeloader, but I cannot help with this.  I can get lost going anywhere.

Paul's articles are great, offering a more authoratative air to the newsletter.  I usually do not list any references.  As I've stated before, the newsletters have something for everyone, although the focus is for the beginning/average owner.

[pgackerman]

I'm a member of NIFE mostly so I can get their hard-copy magazine.  When showing my car I'll put a few of the magazines out as proof there are other Fiero owners and they like their cars.  This also implies the viewer might want to take a look.

Fierofool is correct about my never attending a club meeting in Atlanta.  Two hours there, two hours back, and Atlanta traffic all seem to outweigh and meeting benefit.  However, I've met up with group while working on the Warrior Project Car and when it was given away, at Sonic, Heavy's BBQ in Crawfordville, and at a now closed car museum in Eatonton.  This September I plan on doing Run for the Hills since my youngest will not be performing

Guess this means I like meetings with a purpose, as long as they're not out of the way. 

BTW:
Having now attended club meetings for several different clubs, I'm noticing some differences, which precipitate my questions:
1.  Which is better, a greater number of members, or a greater percentage of members who are involved in club activities?
ANSWER: greater percentage of members who are involved in club activities

2.  Which is better, the perception of expertise, or the actual expertise?
ANSWER: actual expertise

3.  Which would you prefer: meetings, cruises, or car shows?
ANSWER: Meeting at or before a car show and then going for a cruise.

[GTRS Fiero]

Um, not sure what to make of the bottom part of your post.

I agree about attending meetings with a purpose, but I have gone a bit out of my way to attend.

[pgackerman]

At work we have meetings to have meetings with no defined goal or expected outcome. 

Working on the Warrior Car had a goal of getting it running.
Showing up at Sonic, Heavy's, Coffe & Cars, and the Museum waved the Fiero Flag. 

Since I won't drive my Fiero through Atlanta, Fiero Flag waving is out.  Generally I do not know the purpose of the meeting ahead of time and even if I did wouldn't invest the many hours it would occupy.

Besides, after the bureaucracy of the work week the one thing I do not want is another meeting.

[GTRS Fiero]

Well, I'm last on the info chain.  I don't know the meeting agenda after the meeting.

Whatever you do, do not drive your Fiero in Illinois, if you don't like Atlanta.  The roads are so bad that the frame on my truck hit the pavement on the interstate!  Drivers are...bad.  Bugs are attracted to cars.

I used to attend the executive bored meetings.  Eventually, I arranged expensive caterers.  Meetings got to be expensive.  No more meetings.  The most important thing I learned from meetings is that economists are unable to do basic math.  I also learned that bureaucrats only even try to understand things that are in useless reports.  When trying to explain why the road needed to be widened, they just couldn't understand...until I made them actually stand on the road.  After they were nearly hit, they agreed to widen the road.  So, they wrote a report that was almost 500 pages in length, and took 1 year to write.  I summarized their report in 4 words, "Widen the d--m road!"

I think you sortof made one of my points.  Why attend a Fiero meeting, and not drive a Fiero?  Only, I did, like 9 times.

[pgackerman]

I think you sortof made one of my points.  Why attend a Fiero meeting, and not drive a Fiero?  Only, I did, like 9 times.

Some folks don't learn as fast as others. 

[GTRS Fiero]

Well, the Fiero has a shortage of seats, so that was 3 times.  Twice, my Fiero was across the country from me.  The other times, I flew in, and someone picked me up.  The nearest Fiero meeting is more than 4 hours away.

[GTXVette]

 You hit it right on pg.
  BTW:
Having now attended club meetings for several different clubs, I'm noticing some differences, which precipitate my questions:
1.  Which is better, a greater number of members, or a greater percentage of members who are involved in club activities?
ANSWER: greater percentage of members who are involved in club activities

2.  Which is better, the perception of expertise, or the actual expertise?
ANSWER: actual expertise

3.  Which would you prefer: meetings, cruises, or car shows?
ANSWER: Meeting at or before a car show and then going for a cruise

[GTXVette]

   Your 3rd answer is no more than I was Attempting to set up. weather working at Mikes and having a meeting with a wrench in one hand and a sanwitch ( BBQ) in the other, or starting at larry's  in tha A M, running the local mountains over here till a late lunch and ending up as a club at Riverstone  . Also I don't own a streetable Fiero  so though I have owned several in the past I will still try to promote the Car and this Club.

[GTRS Fiero]

My Fiero is streetable, if the cops aren't looking.

[GTXVette]

  Some cops are smarter than Others, Like the one that goes to your house and waits for you to get Home,
 
   Then again my Paint may be my give away,  Or not,  Charlie saw it the other Day and said 'NOTHING'.
     
     might need to brighten it up sumore.