I read this article http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/politics-and-petrol-20120518-1yu53.html in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday – an interesting take on car club life. Thought it might be of interest……

An interesting article. To be fair most of the problems it mentions are not specific to car clubs, they can happen in any group. For instance, the AGM of The Society of Genealogists a decade ago was a blood bath!

~iw

About 40 years ago my brother built a Norvin. To get some of the bits and generally out of interest he became a member of the Vincent Owners' Club. When it was finished he took it along to a meeting. All they did was to pick holes in it telling him it was vandalism to put that engine in that frame. The strange thing was that he was the only one to have turned up on a bike, they were all in cars. He never went again.

Interesting read, thank you

Hits close to home these days. Groups rarely push the cream to the top.

Sounds like TM Not strictly a club but certainly a group of like-minded enthusiasts.

I have experienced the political type club and now avoid it like the plague.

Interesting, a long time ago I went to my then local mog meeting, firstly I was looked down upon because I only had a modern 4/4 and secondly it was unbelievably cliquey.

Second meeting was the same so I never went back and have now moved away in any case!

So I guess it can happen anywhere and in any club

A good few years ago an acquaintance was congratulating me on a recent promotion when he said (with a wide grin) "it's no surprise to me, scum always floats to the top"

A lot of them are specific to classic car and bike clubs - its the differences between the rivet counters / concourse types and those who just like old cars.

Dont get these issues in my sailing clubs because they arent focussed around just one specific make in the same way that many car clubs are. Instead just the usual clashes between people of different social and educational backgrounds that you get in any organisation.

Hi all,
I havent got a Morgan as yet,but its next on my list once my classic Merc is sold,
I have been a victim of this too,i have been in a couple of car clubs over the years,and its if you have'nt got a specific type or model car in a certain marque,you are frowned upon,or just simply ignored.
I thought niavely that everyone was an enthusiast and appreciated other members cars,i know i always do what ever the make or model,how wrong can you be,this is what puts me off clubs at the moment,having said that ,i have only posted a couple of times on here about getting a Morgan, and have had nothing but great comments and advice so far.
a breath of fresh air for sure,

I don't think Morgans attract rivet counters - evidenced by the low numbers entering pride of ownership. but there are clearly bands of brothers - the three wheelers are one group. It appears to be based more on the age of your car than anything else. I've only read about it - never seen it first hand. I've done the NEC twice for the MSCC, and everybody you meet appears to be 'nice'.
I don't like saying 'nice' but you get the drift.

The MSCC isn't immune from problems: there was a hell of a row about 10 or 15 years ago when the membership secretary was sacked and took her case for unfair dismissal to a tribunal. The judgement, which awarded her about £20,000, referred to two warring factions within the club. This is hopefully now resolved!

There are one or two tread rubber counters
But, I've never met anyone who isn't genuinely interested in Morgans as a whole... Yet!!!

Cheers,

On TM we are not choosey.

We can not afford to be.

Was it Groucho Marx who said ''I wouldn't want to be in a club which would accept me as a member''?

I find TM a source of much humour and knowledge which I value as a relatively new owner finally achieving a life long goal to get a Morgan. I'm sure I must have asked some pretty daft questions but still feel I'm amongst pretty like minded folk.

I resemble that remark!!!!!

Like learning to drive David - we all had to start somewhere!

Cheers Graham. Nice one Robbie. In very reflective mood today. Back from a college friend's funeral and wake. Although he left Ireland at a young age he remained true to his roots, his first two names being John Redmond. Wild Mountain Thyme and The Chieftans still rings in my ears and the water of life flows in my veins as it sadly did all too often in his. Only just 60 years old but he gave it everything!

That I understand.
A cousin's funeral last Friday - very senior in Jaguar Land Rover - 42 y.o. Didn't realise it, but only 30 or so miles from here.
Doesn't pay to dwell - at least it brought the opportunity to catch up with one of the cousins across the water from Mum's side.