Your local Mopar Clubs & Meetings

[Judhudson]

I just got back from an officers meeting with our local Mopar club and we threw around some ideas for our next meeting.  I've been in the club for a full year and it just seems odd that we can have a show that has over 150 mopars, but when it comes to our meetings we have about 10 to 15 people that show up.  I know that some folks cannot make it due to bad timing or other events going on, but I'd like to know if anyone else's mopar clubs seem to be small.

It's strange, in my opinion, that the Mustang Club has a huge following, along with the later model (ricers) clubs, but when it comes to mopars it seems....less active.  We threw around some ideas on having door prizes and stuff for new members so I hope that turns out to be a good idea. 

Does anybody have any tips or stories on their local mopar clubs?  Perhaps some ideas others use may be a good start to implement into our club. 

[pettyfan43]

Hey Jud, our club has ALWAYS had a problem with low turnout at meetings. It's been that way forever. At one point we had a bunch of regulars, but they just started falling off and the club nearly died and it has never regained the momentum it had before, and there have always been some that have drifted in and out. You know I just rejoined this year. There are several people that just disappeared.

The funny thing is that the show, through all this stuff has grown pretty much every year. There are always good quality cars there.

I should be at the next meeting! Barring anything weird or strange happening.



Chris

[Judhudson]

Ah, it slipped my mind to even ask you first.  I'm sorry!

I was thinking but I didn't manage to bring the idea up about just having a huge Parts Meet or swap.  I know we had it at the show, and it was a great turnout, but most of the volunteers didn't get a chance to look.  However, something tells me it won't be a good turnout if we did do something along this line.

I just feel bad you know, I know it is a long way off but what will happen 10 years from now, or even 20?  I'd hate to see it fade away.  I know nobody can commit to a time that long, but if it is indeed decreasing in size I fear that worst will come to worst.

Bleh...reading back on my posts...makes me feel like I am rambling (which I constantly do).  Okay, time for some shuteye LOL!

[hemi68charger]

I've been part of a Mopar Club where ever I've lived since '80... In every one, the monthly meeting turnout is ALWAYS much smaller than membership numbers.. It's a characteristic of any organization I believe.. So, to me, it's the norm...

Troy

[Rolling_Thunder]

we have roughly 120 members...   and we have usually around 40 or 50 people show up for meetings -   I think that is on the high side of meetings for clubs...      most guys show up to get away from their wives I think....       you know those Cali women     

[BlueSS454]

It's not a Mopar club, but I'm the Newsletter Editor of the Maryland Chevelle Club.  We have at the moment 265 active members, but a core group of 15 or so that keep things going strong.  It's not an isolated thing you are seeing, it's everywhere.  We can't even get people to volunteer an hour or 2 when we do our big show in June that draws in 200 cars.  It becomes very stressful when you only have 15-20 people running a point judged show that brings in 200+ cars.  We have monthly meetings also, sometimes we'll get a good crowd of 20-30, sometimes we have less than 10 show up.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

We had a local Mopar club going for a while with about 50-60 members that has slowly dies due to lack of member participation weather at meetings or actual club functions or cruises.  Cant really understand wht some have multiple cars and take NONE of them out to a local show/cruise etc.  Some wait for larger shows to finally dust them off on a Sunday & thats it.

[1972Rallye]

This is fairly typical.  My club has approx. 120 members with about 200+ cars.  We have 2 official membership meetings a year with about 50%-60% turnout.

There is a core of about 30 members that attend most of the events.  For large events, like the Woodward Dream Cruise, CEMA, or Frankenmuth Auto Fest, we'll get as many as 75 members participating. Our Annual car show only drew about 20 cars (about 50/50 general public vs. members), but that was a rainy day.  It's really a crap shoot... everybody has different priorities on a given day.

There is one way I've learned to get people to show up... FREE FOOD!  Works every time!  Unfortunately, we can't afford it...

www.MichiganMoparMuscle.com

[Argos_Chargers]

In our local club, we just decided to stop pushing for membership, and made our sole purpose having a show every year.  There were only three of us for the last five or six years and we were putting on 100 car show.  Doing that eliminates all of the whiners who want to be sure you know everything you did wrong, but are never there to help you correct the problems.  Had it not been for the other two members divorcing, we'd still be at it.

[41husk]

I was thinking of forming a club in southern IL.  It looks like that might not be the best Idea!