| ford38v8 | -- 10-18-2009 @ 12:46 PM |
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Our National Meets have evolved into events that provide for everyones interests, from the Concourse, Ladies Luncheons and Awards Banquet to Swap Meets, Raffles, and Seminars. From Local Attractions to Garage Tours and of course every excuse to get together to eat, kick tires, and tell car stories. Over the years, attendance has grown to proportions that require larger facilities more able to accommodate our needs. We have become accustomed to being able to meet all our friends and make new ones merely by hanging out in the Hotel Lobby. We enjoy strolling out to the parking lot to view the cars, where we'll find all but the trailer queens. We won't settle for a 2~Star Flea-Bag, and most of us can't afford the 5~Star hotels. We want to take over a hotel, see no guests but ourselves, and have no dire need to leave our self-contained Ford World until we depart for home. Our Meets are not cheap to put on, and certainly not cheap to attend. They require several years and many volunteers to plan, coordinate, and stage. Our Regional Groups are composed of folks who, for the most part, have never done this, and require the guidance and moral support from the many who have, and in most cases, the Seed Money from the National Club. Over the years, all but a notable few have at least broke even, and most have added to their local Club coffers. It is a lot of work and is a risk, and we don't fault a Local Club for making a profit if they can. There has always been the desire to make our Meets more affordable to those who aren't swimming in money. Unfortunately, there aren't many ways to accomplish that while providing for everyone's interests. In fact, there isn't any way that I know of. Something's got to give, something's got to be left out. Some folks will be disappointed. A short, compact No~Frills Meet centered around a Concourse with no extras is not, in my humble opinion, what we come together for every year. We are a Club composed of people who own antique Ford cars. We enjoy our cars, and we desire the company and Camaraderie of others who share our interest. We drive, fly, and swim to get to our Meets, and we don't want to blink twice and have to return home, wondering if it was all worth it. We want to have seen it all, done it all, learned it all, enjoyed it all, and have no doubt that we'll do it all again next year. I for one am willing to give up my Steak & Potatoes if I must, in order to attend a National Meet of the Early Ford V8 Club of America, and if you know me, that would be a considerable sacrifice. Just my humble opinion. Alan
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| nelsb01 | -- 10-18-2009 @ 9:03 PM |
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Humble and correct. No National Meet has to better than any previous one. It should be a gathering, that includes the requirements, and some time to enjoy and get to know the area where the Meet is held. I am a member of the International Thunderbird Club, and their Meets, are continually a slam bam thanks for coming event, and if you want to know about the area and see the sights, come early, or stay late. They are "arrive, eat, clean, show, award, and go" Meets. If your Regional Group is thinking about the possiblity of hosting a Regional Meet. There are people to contact that can answer your questions and talk about the ways that you can host one, without going into debt, and still have a good feeling of accomplishment when it is over.
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