2025 Model A Days

mhsprecher

mhsprecher

Well-known member
I just got back from another great Model A Days at the Gilmore. The new addition to the museum is nice. There is now a seminar space where you can give and attend presentations with A/V. Much better than trekking down to the Gilmore garage.

Another successful first start of a 1929 coupe that had not run since 1979. The school kids did most of the work getting it ready to run, so a nice experience for them. Weather beautiful as usual. Good flea market and lots of great cars to look at. Thanks to MAFFI and all the volunteers for another successful Model A Days.
 

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Complete video coverage coming this Saturday (if I can get it all edited together in time).
 
Larry Sheppard is one of my favorite people, for many reasons. Also, Larry is my counterpart at the other national club. For those unaware, I'm the MAFCA Technical Director, Larry is the MARC Technical Chairman.

People are always saying, "How come the two national clubs don't work together?". I am here to tell you, Larry and I HAVE been working together and that Larry and I are building a bridge between the two clubs. Larry and I did that ourselves, and despite resistance and criticism from the old-timers who (for some unknown reason) have created a rivalry between the clubs, we are working together, and that benefits everyone in both clubs, in the long run.

Without Larry and I being such good friends even before we served on boards, I'm not certain it would have been possible. This rivalry has been going on way too long. It took Larry Sheppard and Paul Shinn to just put the past aside and put members first to start the ball rolling.
 
The Model A hobby would not be where it is with out both of you (Tina too!). Thanks boys. Much appreciated effort.
 
Interesting way for this idea to emerge on here! Thanks, Paul, for bringing it up.

I'd be glad to add my name to the (hopefully long) list of ordinary Model A guys who'd like to see the two national clubs become one.

I don't know what led to the split years ago, and I don't care.

I do care about the long-term survival of the hobby, and that is something that will require the best we all have to give. Perpetuating the two club approach is not, in my view, on the list of "the best".

David
 
Yes please, merge both clubs. What a Model A powerhouse that would be. While a merger would be preferable, as long as everyone is playing nice together, it is good for our hobby for the short and long term.
 
Thanks, guys.

Please understand, Larry and I are not working together to try and merge the clubs. In fact, that topic has never come up. Our work so far has been to extend the olive branch of friendship and working together on the things we have in common, our members.

There is a drastic divide in the philosophies of the two clubs. From my perspective, MARC appears more interested in fine point restoration and points, while MAFCA appears to be more interested in touring and gatherings for pleasure. With fine point dwindling in the recent and coming years, and with MARC numbers shrinking and MAFCA numbers growing, I suspect MAFCA may be the last man standing when it is all done. However, from a tech standpoint, I don't care which club someone joins, only that people needing technical help get it. So the club politics and "That's how we've always done it" mean nothing to me, or Larry. We focus on the people individually, and their cars.
 
I am more active in MARC because the events are closer to me. I hope to participate in MAFCA some in the future, but nothing has come up. I would have enjoyed the tour in VA this year, but it overlapped with the MARC meet. Hopefully these conflicts won't occurr moving forward.. I think there is interest in more cooperation moving forward. I have no dog in the hunt on this one and two clubs are fine with me. I belong to both, but have been more active with MARC and enjoy my association with it.

Larry Shepherd is a great guy. I enjoy working with him on the repair tents at the MARC meets and on the first starts and anything else I can do to give him a hand.
 
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