Why??

David Morton · 10-22-04, 09:22 PM

Why do we have two 'clubs' in the UK. I've heard one or two reasons why, but they seem rather trivial. Why, oh, why don't we think about it again, and then get bigger and stronger with, consequently, more venues, outings, and gatherings. How many of us belong in one or the other or even both? How many does each club have ? Who has upset who in the past? AND DID IT MATTER TO ANYBODY REALLY?
Am I (a)talking herecy (b) out of my arse or (c) some semblence of sense?
Dave M [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

JP · 10-23-04, 08:43 AM

AGREED 100%

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

David Morton · 10-23-04, 08:48 AM

What - (b) ? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Malcolm · 10-23-04, 02:25 PM

Not talking heresy, especially as this forum promotes free speech! I beleive both clubs reveiw the situation periodically.

I was present at the split. Some people were well upset and yes, to some, it did matter. A lot. Relevance to today? Opinions vary, people come and go. Some stay a little longer than others. Things change and will continue to change. You guys should have attended your club's AGMs, or if you couldn't make it, write in. Thats how things change.

Right now IMHO, between the two clubs, all aspects of ownership or enthusiasm for the car are covered as far as is practical.

These words are my own opinion and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the GTD40 Car Club committee, of which I am a member.

David Morton · 10-23-04, 06:55 PM

Malcolm,
I do understand your point of view. For my part, I will alternate between the two each successive year, last year it was the GTD so this year I have joined the Enthusiasts camp. It may be that you, the GTD club might / would not have me back again next year doing this.
To be frank, I don't get to any events and scracely meet anybody in either club except going for a drink at the Fairmile or Bullington Cross. Everything happens in the summer and I'm in TCB mode from April to October. (TCB?: Taking Care of Business) I'm sure the magazines are great to anybody who attends the various events and so on
but I scarcely have time to read them. I appreciate there is sometimes good technical editorial but once again time is precious.
I don't have a problem about paying for both, (It not even equate to dinner for one with a medium quality wine in Marlow) but I wont.
What I would do is pay £50 for a combined club.
I meet the same good people at the pubs (except Roy S, Tony H, and Dave C - they seem to be in EVERY pub I go to) To be honest I have to ask Tony H which club meeting we are going to.It's not the sort of thing that registers much with me.
Why don't you ask the total membership to vote on it and the same in the Enthusiasts club. You don't have to wait for an AGM to do this surely. Ask the members first, convene an extraordinary AGM if the results are as I think they will be, then figure out what to do from there. How many attended the last AGM compared with total membership anyway, and how many sent apologies . I didn't because my membersship had lapsed.
Dave M

Malcolm · 10-24-04, 08:31 AM

Don't be paranoid! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]The GTD club will welcome you back when you want to come back!

Ron Earp · 10-24-04, 11:29 AM

Seems like it would make a lot of sense if there was one combined club, without GTD in the name, for everyone. I'm sure I wasn't the only person who thought you had to have a GTD to be in the GTD Club.

As I understand it from reading the board one club is more into competition, and has cars bent on that pursuit, while the other has more street driven cars suited for those activities. All of these can easily exist inside of one club, I would think.

And, with the combined effort on a club magazine it'd be excellent, I'm sure. The GTD Club magazine has always been very strong but the Enthusaists mag, in my opinon, is getting thin on account of changing editors and contributions. Just an opinion of course, and not living over there a realtively worthless one, but one club makes a lot of sense.

Ron

David Gibbins · 10-24-04, 06:50 PM

David,

I agree with you entirely – without knowing what politics have gone on in the past, it does seem to be rather ludicrous to have two clubs competing in such a limited market. Isn’t it about time personal differences were put aside for the benefit of the majority of the average club memberships rather than fulfilling the desires of a limited few?