Manx Club

I got my Manx Mania newsletter today. I saw in Winnie's column that in the near future, the responsibilities of the Manx Club will be taken over by the members and she and Bruce "will be happy to help with the transition in any way possible". I've been very happy to send my dues check for the past 12 years or so years and let Bruce and Winnie do all the heavy lifting. Our hobby wouldn't be a shadow of what it is today without both their extraordinary efforts. Very soon though, we'll all have to step up and take on the work required to keep the Manx Club running strong and our hobby thriving. If you'd like to see changes made to the club or its activities, the time is approaching when you can take a direct hand in making it happen.

[QUOTE="CairoManx"]I got my Manx Mania newsletter today. I saw in Winnie's column that in the near future, the responsibilities of the Manx Club will be taken over by the members and she and Bruce "will be happy to help with the transition in any way possible".[/QUOTE] Nelson, Let me first say that I admire the work that Bruce and Winnie have done for this hobby and the club. I'm not sure many of us would have continued doing something like this at their stage of life. It shows how much they love what they do. I've been a member for a little of 3 years and gladly pay my dues to be a part of this mania we call dune buggying. I was encouraged by the information in the MM also. The only part that concerns me are the decisions that a core group of volunteers are going to make on behalf of the general population. If asked, I would absolutely offer some of my time to help. One thing I hope is being considered is a regional approach to the club. You can see by the distribution of members (in the MM) that the majority of the members are in CA. As a result the club outings, get togethers, etc. are mainly geared toward that population. Gary (Gary0302) and I have been trying to generate some interest in cruse-ins and get togethers in our local area just to be around people of like interests. I would love to see that on a wider scale that was accessable to the others in the club. For example have a Manx Club chapter on the east coast (have meets mid-way between the north and south (hopefully that wouldn't start another conflict ) and/or a mid-west Manx Club chapter, etc. Just some random thoughts and hopes. Bud

I think the core group of volunteers are mostly concentrating on getting things organized to the point where elections can be held so elected officers can make decisions on behalf of the club members. I personally agree with you that regional/local chapters are absolutely vital to the club. I also personally feel elected regional/local chapter officers should also be voting members of the central club board of directors.

I would love to have a St. Louis club and put together a Yahoo group but have not had much luck in getting much interest. I see other FG buggies occasionally but no luck in organizing yet. I kinda gave up on it, maybe I will try again over the winter. I would LOVE to have a real Manx DB Club chapter. I have been to Big Bear 4 times, twice with my SR and last year with my Siggy. It would be great to have anything like that in St. Louis. Here is my group. http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/gatewaymanxgroup/

I'm with Don, Something in the MidWest would due wonders for building interest in "buggying". We put together a little club in the suburbs south of Chicago and there has been alot of interest in the short time we have been together. http://www.southsidebuggistas.com I'm sure an official Manx Club would really take off.

The idea of having regional chapters is fantastic. It is obvious that Southern California will always be the historical center of the Manx and the fiberglass dune buggy in general, but I would agree that chapters scattered across the USA, and in other countries as well, would truly let us all become more of a family. I would like to propose this as well; create a section on the Manx Club website that talks more in detail about total membership, financial balances, how our club dues are currently being spent, and possible plans for the future. If I am truly an equal member (no matter where I live), I should have the same opportunities as those that live close enough to attend regular meetings. This section of the website should be ONLY accessible by Manx Club members. I can't see any reason as to why a section of this nature can not be added to the website immediately. In my opinion, having a secure access to the inter-workings of our club, along with regional chapters, would give ALL members a feeling of being truly included. Personally, I don't have a problem with our forum being set up so that only Manx Club members are allowed to post. But it seems like that alone has become the main reason as to why most members (and non-members) visit our site. Let's see if there is a way to encourage members, no matter where they live, to thrive off the fact that they made the right decision to join the Manx Club in the first place.

I agree with Don, A midwest chapter would be nice. But I would like to see a Manx chapter in or within a 2 or 3 hour drive from Many large major cities. It is real easy to lose interest when you have only one of a few buggys in your area. I live about 10 miles southeast of Dayton Ohio. I have only seen two buggys in my metro area. Both have been sitting in the same spot for years. I stop to talk with them and they both said "I'm going to get back to it one of these days." We have Larry's off road center here but but no clubs.

the problem with chapters will be liability. i tried to get the ok to make my own manxclub banner to hang at shows here on the east coast and to use in flyers for events. but winnie said that they could not allow that since then they would be liable for anything that happened. so i joined a local buggy group instead. we have a good core of buggys here and it is growing due to some expanding their collection and others that we just find out and about one day. we have campouts of our own and we hit shows together. we've even had limited success with a northeast/southeast get together in NC. well,there was one NE and one SE - but hey, it's a start! also, is the manx store still going to be available? i've been waiting like a year for that storefront upgrade with new items and online ordering. anyone know whatever happened to that?

i have been looking for the keychain for awhile. haven't even seen on come up on ebay. supposedly about 6 months or so ago it was in the works to make some more. there was also some talk about new products being offered when the new storefront came about. specifically the camping pod as well as other period accessories that were available back in the day. i think there still is a great deal of intrest for that type of stuff. its one thing to have empi repro parts, but genuine meyers repros would be great.

90 Volts, with (from what only what I read on this site) the way our club is currently structured, I would totally agree with Winnie's concerns about liability. But that's my point exactly; if regional chapters may be an option in the Manx Club's future, is there a reason that each one can't have their OWN liability? I have no problem with the yearly dues of 30.00, but I do question the logic of having my membership fee covering liability for Manx Club events on the west coast, without even having the option of scheduling a club-sanctioned event here on the east coast. Would the accounting be more complicated? Absolutely. One option I could imagine is that, once a person decides to join the Manx Club, he has a choice of regions to choose from. That way, amounts would be able to be distributed in proportion according to the membership in that particular region. Once again, it's impossible to see what would be feasible without knowing more about how the club "works" financially. A comment about Bruce and Winnie; I don't know them personally like many of you on the west coast, but the times I have talked to them by phone (membership and store-related issues), I have been amazed at their patience and understanding in resolving my issues. If they want to retain ownership of the Manx Store themselves, I am totally with that. I have also been on the wholesale/retail end of pricing of patches, bumper stickers, etc. and quantity speaks volumes as far as affording retail prices go. One thing that Bruce and Winnie would have deal with is the projected quantity of items they would actually SELL in a giving span in time? Would it be worth the investment of a large quantity of let's say, patches, if the required minimum amount for decent/affordable pricing would cause most of their order to sit on the shelf and gather dust? I look forward to seeing what results in the club's restructuring. I know that my opinion is just one of many, but I feel that if I don't speak up now, I won't have much room to complain in the future.

Be aware of the "new" regime.....BE VERY AWARE !!!!!!!

[QUOTE="OldManx"]Be aware of the "new" regime.....BE VERY AWARE !!!!!!! [/QUOTE] Care to elucidate? Being on the right coast, we never hear the back stories.

The last time that I "voiced" my opinions/concerns they were deleted , with NO explanation, so you can see why I'm a little "gun shy"...on "another" board I voiced my opinion in a private e-mail to the "admin" an the next thing I knew both my wife & myself were "BANNED"....these are some of the same people who want to "run" the Manx Club.....THERE, I've said it ....lets see how long it lasts here..... :2cents: BE AWARE, BE VERY AWARE !!!!!!!

CairoManx, I, for one, appreciate the short, basic update on what is (or has been) going on, but my questions are these: Why am I just now hearing about this transition? How long have the SoCal locals that attend meetings known about this? (and again) Why is there not a secured place on OUR website to keep the OVERALL membership clued in on the nature and ongoing details of this transition?

[QUOTE="OldManx"]The last time that I "voiced" my opinions/concerns they were deleted , with NO explanation, so you can see why I'm a little "gun shy"...on "another" board I voiced my opinion in a private e-mail to the "admin" an the next thing I knew both my wife & myself were "BANNED"....these are some of the same people who want to "run" the Manx Club.....THERE, I've said it ....lets see how long it lasts here..... :2cents: BE AWARE, BE VERY AWARE !!!!!!![/QUOTE] Well, I've quoted you now so my post would have to be deleted too. Whoever we elect, as well as being energetic and capable leaders, they need to be fair and honest too. My real concern is that we have enough candidates who are ready to step forward. I think the officers will have a tough and under appreciated job.