My Vision
With the coming of the new year I think it's fitting that we should think about what we want our club to accomplish. I will articulate my goals and with the addition of your goals we can define the direction of the West Virginia British Car Club for 2017.
First, let's think about what we have done in the past. It seems that what we like best are cruises. Cruises have always been popular. You never know what's going to happen or what you're going to see. Sometimes we cope with breakdowns, sometimes we see some spectacular scenery and sometimes we just enjoy the sounds and feeling of our beloved cars. It seems like we always meet interesting and friendly people. But that's the way it is in West Virginia. Our biggest assett is our people. We have some favorite cruises. Gauley Mountain is top on the list. We've done it almost every year and sometimes twice. Our cruise through the mountains and down to the Greenbrier valley was very popular last year and great fun. The cruise to Virginia was another good cruise. This year it would be good to have more cruises and add new routes. The Scenic Highway, Sewell mountain, Pocahontas county, and Red House hill are all interesting areas. We like to eat so our cruises have always included a special place to stop and have some good vittles and a pint. So I say; “Let's do more cruises this year”.
Speaking of eating, we seem to do a fair amount of that during the year. Every event has included food. From our summer picnic to the cruises; we always eat. Dan Blackwood's Pistons & Pints is a good example of that. As a result we have eaten at places that some of us never knew existed. The Fly In Cafe comes to mind. There are also quirky places to eat. Our cruise to Hillbilly Hot Dogs was one that everyone enjoyed. I know I'm the fat guy in the club so I say; “Let's have more eating experiences this year”.
Car shows are something else some of our members like to do. We learned, in years past, that we don't like to host them but we do like to go to them. Some go to almost every one and some only go to the special ones. Car shows are more of a personal choice but they aren't near as much fun if you are by yourself. Car shows are an important part of the car hobby and more and more organizations have identified them as revenue enhancement oportunities. I like them because I like seeing other cars and what people have done to them. Some are absolutely stunning and others make you wonder why. Meeting new people is something else that attracts me. I'm a relationship guy so I see everyone as a potential new friend. There are some special shows coming up this year. The inagural Greenbrier Concour de Elegance, the Shanendoah Valley British Car Show and the British V8 Meet are some that come to mind. So I say, “Let's do more car shows this year”.
Charity events are something we haven't done much. The only one I can remember is the “Drive against Cancer” we did a few years ago. This was in support of the National Kidney Foundation. This organization is important to Vaughn Sizemore since he has experienced what they do first hand. It was an event designed to bring awareness to this disease. We were late to the party so we really weren't prepared and therefore didn't raise any money. The best thing about that event was what Bob Wright put together. A family in his neighborhood had just lost their mother to cancer. Bob thought it would be a good idea to show up and give the kids rides in our cars. They enjoyed it and it distracted them from their grief; if only for a moment. So I say “Let's participate in at least one charity event this year”.
There you have it. Cruises, Eating, Car Shows and Charity Events.
Please think about this and other things you would like to do this year. Let me know your ideas and we can, together, determine the direction of our club.
Cheers,
Bill Michael
President