Gave up the club scene as well. Turned out to be a bunch of cruz night to cruz nite cruisers. No one ever left town. Not my cup of tea.
I'm still looking for the club that operates true to their mission statement and bylaws. Been on the lookout since I was 16 years old..........almost 66............what do you think my chances for success are? Frank
I belong to the Relics and Rods. The membership, for the most part, are good guys and girls. Some are just all right. I think that's the way with all organizations. Most folks are there for the right reasons some have a different agenda. What I like about our club is our charitable work. All my life the guys I admired gave back to the community. I've all ways wanted to be like that but I wasn't organized enough to really do much or donate the time. Now I can do club work and it results in money to donate to local needy. We have donated literally 10s of 1,000s to local charities and needy families over the years thanks to car guys coming to our show and a great bunch of local businesses. We do a Christmas thing for needy families where we give them a Christmas dinner, toys for the kids and a little cash. The look on those kids faces is worth every bit of work and more. We have clicks, we have non-participants, we don't do enough with our cars, but we are a caring and positive force in our town and I don't think I'd want to quit. It's my way of giving back.
Helped start and was a member of a club for many years. In the end it was the same 4 or 5 who did everything, so we disbanded. The same 4 or 5 get together quite often and just BS and cruise somewhere. Works great and lots of fun. No rules, no dues, no politics....just fun. And now I'm old enough to not want to join anything except Social Security! Still belong to NDSRA and MSRA, but that's different.
Exactly, my clubs idea is some ice cream palace weekly cruz night and dunkin donuts for coffee. I want to drive my cars. Its nice to raise money for charity but when thats all you do then its not having a car hobby. I try to tell them to pick one charity but lately it becomes a dog & pony show.
Thats why we are the Retarded Sparks, an official unofficial club. We don't have dues, our Pres. is the one with the shop where we meet and hang out. We are all drivers and don't allow attitudes, car polishers or whiny bitches. We have fun, attend 4 shows a year, then see ya when we see ya. We don't take ourselves seriously, so neither should you.
I used to ride with a motorcycle club (small, by no means 1%ers) for about a year. One night the guy in charge of patches gave me mine, and it pissed some of the guys off. They held a super secret meeting and decided that it should be a "V-Twin only" kind of club. I ride a Triumph parallel twin. I had to give up my patches, and the guy that paid for everyones patches was so pissed he cut his off too. He and I still ride together all the time, and the rest of them hardly ride at all, even on their own. And the club is dissolved. Fuck 'em I say. I guess some feel so threatened by different shit that they will change what they were about in the first place. Not a car club, but the same concept I guess...
Rolled with a club a long long time ago. Lone wolf is the only way for me now. I like to do what I want to do, when I want to do it. If I change something up, then I do. I already gotta answer to enough...bills, boss etc..
Clubs don"t interest me at all,if they were about the cars and not about whos got the best,highest price car that they didn"t even build or help build,or whos going to be the almighty rule maker clubs might be better but it doesn"t get any better than a bunch of gearheads crusing in cars they built and actually drive,Ijust don"t see the sitting in hotass parking lots in lawnchairs with a flower print shirt on that much of a good time.to each his own.
Me too-lone wolf. No meetings, nor BS and I come and go as I please. Don't need anyone to check in with...
Never been in one, but I'm about to start/create one for the guys at work. Bunch of firefighters who have figured out our local DMV's rules about "antique/vintage" car registration, one of the permitted ways to drive is to be "engaged in club activities" - so we'll all carry a card, and if we get stopped - we were on our way to meet up with the club!
You would fit in with us Frank, no statement or bylaws. Just a loose group of like minded folks that get together a few times a year.
There a great bunch of guys ,My life took a real extremely busy work schedule and I need to make some time for me and my family somewhere .I think it was a good choice .The politics were getting agravating .And instead of being just a club ,They are trying to be the best club......Wasnt fun for the last 2 years ...........Thats just my opinion ....
clubs are cool to meet new people and hangout but way too many rules and meetings and then when the club puts on a car show and only a few people help..it's just not worth it..I'll hang out with the clubs anyday and cruise with them to shows but I dont need the shirt or decal or paying the monthly dues...F THAT!
I quit a couple of them.Seems like it always turns into a place for the spouses to get together and gossip and eat and no car business is ever discussed.Either that or endless planning on how to raise money.A good club doesn't need to raise money, they just need to get together and build cars.
With out clubs there would not be any Hunnert car pileups, Rust Revivals, Roundup,Back to the 50's, ect, you would all be going to GoodGuy events and resturant cruise nights events. With out the dedication of large groups we would have laws like other countries severely restricting our hobby. So all you lone wolfs think about that for a while and where you want the next generation of hot rodders to be.
Jim I agree with you .I just worked 58 hour last week and Ill probably be over 45 this week ,Im also trying to do bodywork on my car ,I havent seen my family and I always miss dinner ,So something had to go ,Nothing wrong with being in a club or doing your own thing .......My dad started a sister club to The Philadelphia Modifiers in the 70's ,If I join a club I might try them next ...But as of right now ,My family and me come first ......
I was in a club for a few years it always seemed 5% of the members did 95% of the work and the rest just sat around and bitched
That's the Poorboys as well, no dues, no mandatory meetings, no bylaws, etc. Just a bunch of guys that love hotrods and like helping each other out. We have 'meetings' when we need to discuss upcoming events, but we get together more often than not to work on each others' stuff. We do a lot of local cruise-ins but roll to several out of state shows each year as well.
Guys..........You would'nt have shows like the Turkey Run, Back to the 50's and the Frog Follies if it was'nt for the club members helping run some of these shows. I understand not everyone is cut out for car clubs. Too many personallitys and ego's, but you STILL have to have a dedicated group of guys that has a goal to see that everyone has a good time at an event. Alot of the adult and kids games that are run at the big shows , NSRA, Goodguys etc are volunteers from local clubs. Ive been in the same club for over 30 years and those people are some of my best friends. We have had probably 150 people come and go over those years but the four of us still travel together and still own and DRIVE the same cars we had 30 years ago. No a club does'nt need to sell sandwiches and raffle tickets to put money in the club bank, but we did have a fund raiser to put hand controls in one of our club members wifes car after she was left parilized from the waist down after an accident at work.
That's how the Lonely Knights are: No Meetings, no dues, no bylaws, just cruises to the local buffet to watch the civilians run in fear....
I am still in ours but we have no rules, no money, no bs...We are just car guys that get together and help who ever needs help,Simple no politics.
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