WV All British Car Club

[DanB]

A group of guys are getting together next Friday evening in Charleston to start the wheels rolling for an All British Car Club in this region of West Virginia.
I am posting this on here for two reasons. First, if there is anyone reading this list near Charleston that would like to participate, or knows of someone near here that would be interested, let me know and I will fill you in on the time, location, etc.
Secondly, I would like to ask the rest of you for recommendations. Many of you have ideas on how it should be structured, what works best from a standpoint of scheduling, meeting venues and events, etc. I don't expect the group we have to be too interested in formalities, but you never know.
Again, the meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 17 in Charleston, WV.

Thanks,

Dan

 

[Geo Hahn]

Good luck -- all-marque clubs are great and practically a necessity for those who are not near a big metropolitan center.

Our club languished a bit until one day it hit us... well hey, we can drive these things! IOW, go easy on the meetings, rules, officers, potlucks, t-shirts, etc and get the group on the road.

 

[DanB]

Thanks for the encouragement, Geo. I hope that is what it turns out to be, guys driving cars and sharing knowledge/skills turning wrenches, bending elbows, etc.

 

[Tinkerman]

Dan, we started one in in Cumberland county Tennessee about three years ago. We are very informal, a few meetings, do some drives get together at local cruise ins. Kind of fun. Three of us got it going, we call ourselves the three old cranks. What really amazed us is the number of cars that came out of the woodwork! We figured 10 to 15 at the most, we currently have a membership list of about 30+!
I think you will be surprised at what happens. To start with we did have a meeting at a local restaurant, from that point on it's been mostly word of mouth. That meeting was posted in the local newspaper along with our phone numbers.

Good luck, Tinkerman

 

[DanB]

Did you get any response from your newspaper ad? We haven't done an ad yet, but we do have our first meeting set for next Friday evening at a local pizza joint one of the guys owns.
I was hoping there would be some local people on these forums too. I posted on MGExperience, TriumphTR7.com and here. This seems to be the most active Triumph board.

 

[DanB]

I have had several good suggestions from the different postings I have made on various sites. Some recommend a more formal structure of governance, others more informal. What has worked for the folks here?

Dan B

 

[AngliaGT]

Try craigslist also.It's free,& a lot of us
check in there daily.
We have a loose-knit group here,that I've
ended up running (no one else wants the job!).I just
have a list of names,phone numbers,& email addresses.
We usually meet for breakfast,then head out on a ride.
Some people just show up for breakfast.It's low-key -
no dues,no regular meetings,no rules,no bosses.
I see advantages to both ways,but I prefer the
low-key approach.A lot depends on how many people you
get.

- Doug

 

[Twosheds]

I have had several good suggestions from the different postings I have made on various sites. Some recommend a more formal structure of governance, others more informal. What has worked for the folks here?

Dan B

In my experience, informal works best.

 

[vagt6]

I'd suggest to have written bylaws, get them from an established, maybe a regional marque club.

It's always a good thing to have a formal plan or "constitution" from the start. Then, elect a board or slate of officers and let them decide on the rest. After all, it is your club.

But I think good bylaws or a charter that outlines the club's purpose, goals, etc., is a very good foundation and a prudent way to start your club. It may also reduce your liability exposure, always a good thing.

You never know, it's a litigation jungle out there . . .