Article: MUSTANG 50th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

I just received this e mail from one of our biggest clubs in Arizona.....

"Well here we go, Mustang Club of America has made another command decision. Let me see if I have this right. On April 12, 2014, they want everyone to go to Norman, Oklahoma...near Mustang. This will be a pre-birthday party weekend the week BEFORE the official celebrations at Las Veges or Charlotte. Then, everyone will turn around and either go back to Vegas or Charlotte for the BIG celebration(s). Ummmmmm, if EVERYONE is in Norman, why not just do all the celebrating there? ........just asking. This sounds like a government decision for the "good of all" the people.
Tell me again, why SAMC doesn't belong to MCA?"

http://mustangs.about.com/b/2012/10/...ff-weekend.htm

I believe that this whole process will decide many future membership renewals... I am fully aware that my anti 2 show opinion is not popular with many on the Board and because of that I have shunned by some. I am very selfish, in the fact that my passion is The Mustang and I want to celebrate this historic occasion with everyone! I implore the MCA to rethink this and unite us, not divide us...

[QUOTE=jacostang;18500]I just received this e mail from one of our biggest clubs in Arizona.....

"Well here we go, Mustang Club of America has made another command decision. Let me see if I have this right. On April 12, 2014, they want everyone to go to Norman, Oklahoma...near Mustang. This will be a pre-birthday party weekend the week BEFORE the official celebrations at Las Veges or Charlotte. Then, everyone will turn around and either go back to Vegas or Charlotte for the BIG celebration(s). Ummmmmm, if EVERYONE is in Norman, why not just do all the celebrating there? ........just asking.
I am fully aware that my anti 2 show opinion is not popular with many on the Board and because of that I have shunned by some. QUOTE]

I too, share your opinion of the 2 show idea, and like you have been very vocal. I too, am convinced that because of my position, (I wrote to all board members of the MCA - only heard from one) that I have been treated as persona non gratis at the Golden Gate Mustang Nationals by some board members, and that it cost me an award for my car.

Doesn't matter, the 2 show idea is wrong, a bad decision and a waste of money. At least one of the 2 venue's will be a disappointment to those who attend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacostang

I just received this e mail from one of our biggest clubs in Arizona.....

"Well here we go, Mustang Club of America has made another command decision. Let me see if I have this right. On April 12, 2014, they want everyone to go to Norman, Oklahoma...near Mustang. This will be a pre-birthday party weekend the week BEFORE the official celebrations at Las Veges or Charlotte. Then, everyone will turn around and either go back to Vegas or Charlotte for the BIG celebration(s). Ummmmmm, if EVERYONE is in Norman, why not just do all the celebrating there? ........just asking. This sounds like a government decision for the "good of all" the people.

Wow, it didn't take long for the MCA leaders to resume the lemming march over the cliff. It was quiet just before the Board election, but as soon as that was over, it's full speed ahead. I didn't think that the 50th Anniversary situation could get any worse, but it has. Wonder if this decision has anything to do with last year's DOA effort to hold Grand Nationals in Mustang, OK for 5 years? Wonder which MCA insider was given this gift as appeasement for the GN decision not being rammed through?

Quote:

Originally Posted by FastDad

Wow, it didn't take long for the MCA leaders to resume the lemming march over the cliff. It was quiet just before the Board election, but as soon as that was over, it's full speed ahead. I didn't think that the 50th Anniversary situation could get any worse, but it has. Wonder if this decision has anything to do with last year's DOA effort to hold Grand Nationals in Mustang, OK for 5 years? Wonder which MCA insider was given this gift as appeasement for the GN decision not being rammed through?

Why is it than when someone makes a decision you don't agree with you assume that they're on the take? Getting gifts or payoffs. Or there's some conspiracy to derail the club or the entire hobby. I just spent the weekend at the Regional Directors Summit and the National Board Meeting and if I thought for a second that board members got payoffs for their decisions I'd be running myself. It's one thing to disagree with their decisions, it's an entirely different thing to accuse them of misconduct without any actual evidence of it.

I'll admit that I wouldn't have made the same choices for the 50th that the MCA has, but that doesn't make their decision wrong. In fact, given the scope of the 50th and the number of people it impacts, does anyone really think that ANY decision would make EVERYONE happy?

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigzygmunt

Why is it than when someone makes a decision you don't agree with you assume that they're on the take? Getting gifts or payoffs. Or there's some conspiracy to derail the club or the entire hobby. I just spent the weekend at the Regional Directors Summit and the National Board Meeting and if I thought for a second that board members got payoffs for their decisions I'd be running myself. It's one thing to disagree with their decisions, it's an entirely different thing to accuse them of misconduct without any actual evidence of it.

I'll admit that I wouldn't have made the same choices for the 50th that the MCA has, but that doesn't make their decision wrong. In fact, given the scope of the 50th and the number of people it impacts, does anyone really think that ANY decision would make EVERYONE happy?

I didn't say that anyone was "on the take". The basic problem with the MCA leadership is that they don't communicate well with their customers (the membership). How many Board members are active on this website? I understand from another posting on this website that a separate committee decided on the plans for the 50th - where was the "call for volunteers" to be on that committee? I didn't see it on this website or in Mustang Times. There's another posting on this website where a member tried (unsuccessfully) to get a copy of the latest financials. Why was that so hard/impossible? The current leadership does not seem to think that they need to try any harder to communicate with the membership, both before and after decisions are made. The news of this latest "event" came to the membership via a source OTHER than MCA. Why? When a group (like the MCA Board) closes ranks and refuses to be 100% transparent with their membership and does not communicate with their membership, then they have only themselves to blame when folks think the worst of them.

Really sorry that the MCA made this decision as it has ruined what should have been a once in a lifetime event....not the word event and not events...sort of like having the Superbowl in two different cities at the same time with four teams...would mean much would it. This is hard because a lot of these directors are friends but your decision was so wrong and lacked the input of the membership at large. I plan on travelling to Charlotte if I do go as I don't think Las Vegas is a suitable location unless your a Shelby fan..it is in a desert..hot...dusty...it is a great place thou to shoot gun's, get drunk and gamble your money away. I WILL NOT be renewing my MCA membership because you have lost the focus and support of your membership. I is very sad as I had been a big promoter of MCA but I guess my friends were right MCA is a joke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacostang

I just received this e mail from one of our biggest clubs in Arizona.....

"Well here we go, Mustang Club of America has made another command decision. Let me see if I have this right. On April 12, 2014, they want everyone to go to Norman, Oklahoma...near Mustang. This will be a pre-birthday party weekend the week BEFORE the official celebrations at Las Veges or Charlotte. Then, everyone will turn around and either go back to Vegas or Charlotte for the BIG celebration(s). Ummmmmm, if EVERYONE is in Norman, why not just do all the celebrating there? ........just asking. This sounds like a government decision for the "good of all" the people.
Tell me again, why SAMC doesn't belong to MCA?"

http://mustangs.about.com/b/2012/10/...ff-weekend.htm

I believe that this whole process will decide many future membership renewals... I am fully aware that my anti 2 show opinion is not popular with many on the Board and because of that I have shunned by some. I am very selfish, in the fact that my passion is The Mustang and I want to celebrate this historic occasion with everyone! I implore the MCA to rethink this and unite us, not divide us...

"Fastdad" "The news of this latest "event" came to the membership via a source OTHER than MCA. Why? When a group (like the MCA Board) closes ranks and refuses to be 100% transparent with their membership and does not communicate with their membership, then they have only themselves to blame when folks think the worst of them. "

This bothered me also...

Quote:

Originally Posted by FastDad

...The news of this latest "event" came to the membership via a source OTHER than MCA. ...

Correction: The notice about this Norman, OK event is buried in the middle of the July 2 MCA update on 50th. However, the "external" announcement appears to have more details.

Irregardless, I think it's a bad idea. I live on the east coast about 5 hours north of Charlotte. Does MCA really think I'm going to drive west to the middle of nowhere in OK, then turn around and drive back east to Charlotte? Not gonna happen! About the only thing it might do is pump up attendance at the Las Vegas location since, if you've driven that far, you might as well just keep going to Vegas. Perhaps that's the idea?

i live in new england, i can drive to charolte but not OK or vegas. if it was 1 show not in the east i couldnt go

Ok guys...everyone needs to take a step back on this one and think for a minute. No one is more upset then me about the 2 party issue. HOWEVER, the meet in Mustang OK pre-party news came out over 5 months ago. Well before the July update by Ron Bramlett.

After the original 2 show news hit the fan so to speak last April everyone scream bloody murder about the loss of the big caravan after MAA said no go. Ffolks who live in Mustang OK (usually a hot spot on the MAA caravan stops) posted the idea on various web sites about coming to Mustang Ok for a party--friends meeting friends and then going east or west. A place for caravans to meet. The idea ws bounced around a bit with no resolution. Then the guy who runs the other Mustang Caravan group out of Florida (does annnual runsGreat American Pony Drive) decided to fill the vacumn and seize MAA's west to east drive and announced a run from Fl to Mustang OK and then back east to Charlotte.

MCA aka Ron Bramlett under a lot of heat from folks very upset over the death of the MAA caravan adopted that idea. If MAA won't do the west-east run MCA was willing to work with someone who would. MCA via Ron Bramlett also brought up the multi-caravan concept. This is NOT NEW in the car hobby, Corvette owners have been doing it since 2003 when they had their 50th party--and they do it to this day...multiple caravans from all over the country converging on Bowling Green KY for big parties (note to MCA- NOTE multiple starting points, multiple caravans but ONE Location for the party).

Now I have known Ron Bramlett for over 13 years. While I totally DISAGREE with the 2 show idea I do know that he is trying to expand MCA and is more devoted to the hobby then anyone positng on this site. The Mustang meet up is designed for folks upset about the loss of a caravan and not seeing east coast friends..fine, MCA is trying to fix that with the meet up on Mustang.... so MCA is NOT making any "command" decisions and shoving anything down anyones throat (other then the 2 show concept). Of course the best way to "fix it" is NOT to break it and only have 1 show but that just AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.

NOW, communication is still a problem. Almost a week post the big conclave and no news--WTF. My ASSUMPTION is that they want to give the Regional folks a chance to go home and report locally at club meetings. I understand but still do not like it. The idea is simple--folks spent hundreds of dollars to attend the big meeting and gather the info..at least let them go back and report to their local clubs before any major news releases. Personally I feel too bad..they went, they got it first and first hand but now post the info on the club site for all members as many do not belong to MCA clubs with regional reps who attended.

So yeah, lots to complain about...but just be sure your complaining about something that is "new news" and worthy of complaining about. Lastly- as much as I hate it and I'm a firm believer in never saying never...it is going to be 2 shows. Decided how YOU want to deal with it (Me--Detroit in July if Ford throws a party otherwise the 21 day rick Steves Best of Europe tour for my 2014 vacation) and then plan accordingly.

David