(CONT'D FROM PT 1)
If the internet "clubs" can, without cost to us, provide us with Tech info,
the opportunity to sell and buy cars and parts, camaraderie and social
interchange, and the occasional gem of a personal experience story why do
I--and a number of other folks, as well--think that there are compelling
reasons to form a "Superclub" (the Continental Morgan Confederation?) for
Morgans in North America?
Quite simply, there are still a number of things the internet groups can't do,
things which call for a much more formal organization...
We need to have an organization if we want to affect the rates we pay for our
insurance.
We need to have an organization if we want to have an impact on the
availability of parts, let alone cause at least some parts to be reproduced
and stocked on this side of the pond.
We need to have an organization if we want to bring a first class slick Morgan
magazine onto the scene.
I also believe we need to attract members from the vast majority of the Morgan
community who are not yet net enabled.
Most importantly, I think, we need to have an annual Continental Morgan
Convention and Concours with hundreds of 4/4's, Trikes, +4's, Dropheads and
Snobmogs, +4+'s, and +8's arrayed for our viewing enjoyment... We need to have
vendors in tents offering to sell us goodies for our cars... We need hundreds
of tiny model Morgans spread out for our rapt gaze... We need to take a tour,
run an autocross, compete in a Funkhana... The competitive ones among us need
to compete in an annual Rallye for Mogs and Morganeers alone... We need to sit
down across from one another once a year "in real time" and scarf down a load
of barbecue while looking each other in the eye and listening for our raffle
ticket number to be called... In short, we need to have an annual ConMogCon
and we need to have the first one in Y2K.
As I've said before, I think it is absolutely essential that the
ConMogConvention be held at rotating venues in the US and Canada to ensure
that all Morgan enthusiasts have a reasonable opportunity to attend and
participate at least part of the time. Each ConMogCon chapter should have the
opportunity to bid to have a convention in "their" city and the conventions
should be scheduled several years in advance.
And, of course, the establishment of the ConMogCon must not have any adverse
impact whatsoever on the existing local and regional Morgan clubs. To
accomplish this the local and regional clubs need to become chapters of the
"superclub" while retaining their essential character.
Is all this doable? I think so but before we talk about how it might be done I
think we need to talk for a moment about money...
Without knowing at least an approximation of the numbers of members who would
be attracted it is very difficult to discuss budgets and, for that reason, all
this discussion is speculative in nature. I do know that clubs such as the one
I am proposing herein are not cheap. I suspect that the annual basic dues for
non-net enabled members who are affiliated with a local chapter club would
have to be about $50 USD. For members who are net enabled and elect not to
receive printed newsletters and magazines I think the dues could be around $25.
I base this on my assumption that the quarterly "slick" magazine would devour
about half of the dues. This number may seem high but I think that the mag is
going to require professional help, at least for layout, reproduction, and
distribution. (Hopefully, the professional help will come from a Morganist who
may charge somewhat less than "normal" rates!)
Of the $25 not consumed by the magazine, $10 for each affiliated member would
be rebated directly to local chapters for local use. I am certain, for
example, that most locals would elect to distribute some very basic, very
brief local meeting announcement type newsletter. Additional local expenses
might include rent for meeting space and so forth. And local chapters would be
free to charge additional local dues though, of course, they would risk not
attracting members.
The remaining $15 of member dues would remain with the ConMogCon for Superclub
programs which would include off-month newsletters as well as the programs
discussed briefly above.
To ensure that there is no penalty for affiliation with a local club (and
therefore no possible negative impact on the local clubs) those members who
elect not to affiliate would still pay the same dues but all their dues would
remain with the ConMogCon. This would cause most members to affiliate with a
local club even though they might be geographically far removed from the local.
(SEE PART 3)
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