Article: MUSTANG 50th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

[Mustang 3]

Now, for a personal note. I can celebrate Holy Week and worship God anywhere at any time, knowing full well the importance of this time in our Christian religion. Keeping our Lord in my heart and mind is the most important matter, not where I do it.

Now this person I consider to be a true Christian. You do not have to be at home to honor your Christ, God, or diety of belief...churches of every religion exist in every state of the union. The world does not shut down on Easter--celebrate it with new friends..go to a new church while on the road or at the MCA anniversary gathering--explain that you are from out of town and ask to worship with them....in doing so I believe you will have a whole flock of new friends taking you under their wing. Their act will be that of true Chrstians.

[Mustang 3]

Man the phones, start writing letters to the MCA Board members--it is not too late to get this fixed....East/West parties...fine but break them apart. Allow folks to get to both, don't make us "chose". Ford Racing usually has one major show trailer, what about Scott Hoag and MRT, don't make the vendors sweat over which show to support and which to ignore..as well as participants trying to figure out which one to go to blindly...

[stanmckinney]

For such an anniversary, Mustang notables such as Carroll Shelby, Lee Iaocca, Steve Saleen, the president of Ford, maybe even the U.S. President, etc. should all be there. How can they be in two places at once?

Significant cars such as Mustang I should also be there. How can it be in two places at once?

Several days have passed since the announcement of two shows and I am still just as upset.

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[FastDad]

For such an anniversary, Mustang notables such as Carroll Shelby, Lee Iaocca, Steve Saleen, the president of Ford, maybe even the U.S. President, etc. should all be there. How can they be in two places at once?

Significant cars such as Mustang I should also be there. How can it be in two places at once?

Several days have passed since the announcement of two shows and I am still just as upset.

1-1-1

There's lots of questions and issues that have been brought up in this thread, the one in the MCA forum, Facebook, and other articles. But no answers to any of these from the MCA leadership. I'm guessing they are trying to figure out how to spin this so they don't look foolish. Maybe in a month or so we'll get another long letter in Mustang Times from Steve Prewitt (like the one regarding the new rule restricting MCA shows to members only). You know, the kind of letter that tries to convince all of us that our concerns are imaginary and that our omnipotent MCA overlords have everything in control.

[Mustang 3]

Many have states the 2 shows is about putting more money in MCA coffers- I couldn't disagree more. I do not think it is about MCA pockets...for years many have complained about MCA heavily leaning towards the Southeast....the National Club has slowly been moving westward thanks to wonderful clubs in Utah, California, Washington working hard to put on National shows. I think MCA has good intentions in trying to include the West Coast in major events aka 50th. Good intentions to reach more members by the MCA Board but just miscalculated for something this important.

Not to put Great American Pony Drive and Mustangs Across America on the spot but the perfect solution:

The Great American Pony Drive heads out of Charlotte approx 2 weeks before the big Charlotte show. Eventually ends up in Las Vegas-bringing east coast folks west. The Vegas 50th show kicks off Thursday afternoon with the arrival of the east-west drive. Group picture time. Main Vegas Show on Friday and Saturday. MOVE the Las Vegas Show up a week to do this.

Sunday am, bright and early the drive east begins lead by Mustangs Across America (Thus both traditional long haul groups involved aka include everyone). That group arrives in Charrlotte on Thursday.

Folks who make either cross country run in full qualify for a MCA 50th Long Haul Award (to steal a term from the hot rod power tour). Obviously some vendors (MRT as an example), especially the smaller ones, could only make one show...but we the fans would see them all by attending both shows if we so desired.

MCA and Ford Press Coverage and future magazine articles:
1. East-West Run and stories from the road
2. Las Vegas Show
3. West-East run and stories from the road
4. Charlotte Show

Mustang Times could run articles for 4 months without a repeat.

Long haul Award...like the MCA window sticker...badge of honor for the car. You must start on day one (EITHER direction-you only need to complete one run-full direction) with the Group and make all the stops along the way--collect a stamp in your "passport" at each evening stop or morning departure. etc. Get local clubs involved along the way as MAA has traditionally done (I mention this only as a piece of history and not to publically pressure Great AM Pony Dr and MAA and local clubs along the route in any form). At the end of the run, your Award, group pic, maybe a list of names published in MCA Times.

Fairness?
Sample potential objection: "I live in Texas and would join the drive there-do I get a long haul award?" NO!
You must start at one of the far ends for the entire journey. Is this fair-YES. Think about it. You depart Texas and head to Las Vegas. You run with the group to Charlotte and then head home to Texas. You will have traveled the exact same distance as someone living in Las Vegas who travels all the way to Charlotte and then ALL the way back to Las Vegas. Same with folks living near Charlotte who head west and then back east... Same with folks on the west coast having to get to Las Vegas and all the way back home and east coast folks doing the same to get to Charlotte and back home. Think of it in terms of a completed circle.

All it takes to pull this off is moving the date of the West/Las Vegas show up 1 short week. Moving that single piece of the puzzle opens up a whole world of possibilites and adventure. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin, we gonna do what they say can't be done....

The journey, the friendships, the sense of a single unified family - that is what makes MCA. April 17th is an important date but in reality..it must play second fiddle to making MCA a National Club of 1 and not allow that date to split MCA into 2 groups in competition with each other.

[Lall]

Has Ford put their support behind the MCA 50th events? Word on the street has Ford putting on their own 50th anniversary event in July.

I totally understand that the anniversary date for the launch of the Mustang is widely regarded as April 17th. In knowing that the 50th Anniversary will be on Easter weekend how on earth would the club not decide to have the show a week later or earlier. I've been at every anniversary show since the 30th in Charlotte and I've judged and volunteered at these shows. I just don't think that I will be able to attend the biggest milestone party yet because it is on Easter weekend. I have young kids and want to spend time with them on this special weekend. As for having two shows at the same time it would be a better plan to move the show in charlotte one week later and then have the west coast show the week later. Mustangs across America could then run a cruise out to the Charlotte show and then back to the west coast show a week later. I believe even more people would register for the cruise if the shows were scheduled this way. I understand why they want two shows so that people who don't want to drive so far can participate in the milestone event, but at least consider having them a week apart so that both of the shows will benefit from this. Please let the members have a voice in your decision of what weekend the show should take place and if there should be shows a week apart rather than at the same time.

[neoshelby]

I have been trying for several days to weigh in on this subject. Unfortunately it took input from another Mustang site to overcome an apparent glitch in the program. I am in total agreement with the most of the other members as far as the idea of two simultaneous shows being just plain silly. The 50th needs to be a huge celebration...the biggest Mustang extravaganza ever! I just do not see this happening if all of the available resources are split two ways. The likely outcome will be two rather mediocre events which we will be unlikely to attend. There ARE other national events that we have attended that are way more fun than a mediocre MCA national show.

It is my belief that our national directors had the best of intentions, but at some point the decision process went very, very wrong. Come on MCA, show us you really listen to the membership!

[Mustang 3]

OK- have been doing some rethink. I've come to the conclusion that the Easter Sunday issue is a bigger one then I thought.

Here on the west coast we have a huge annual Ford show...usually over 2000 cars. It is always held close to April 17th. First that will be a big confilct with a Las Vegas show..splitting up Los Angeles groups/friends/clubs as to staying in town or leave for Vegas. The Fabulous Fords Show at Knott's Berry Farm just held it's 27th annual show...2014 will be their 29th- they are just not going to go away and skip a year.

Usually well over 1/2 the cars in attendance are Mustangs with Saleen, Roush, Shelby, Ford Racing all showing up with Displays. 3 MAJOR shows/draws for those vendors on one weekend...that ain't gonna be pretty as to who gets what except we all lose somewhere with smaller partial events.

Now back to my Easter point...Fabulous Fords at Knotts is a huge 1 day show...some years they miss the weekend (Sunday) close to April 17th. Why? I just confirmed. Easter--they will not hold the show on Easter Sunday. I'm not sure when or how but obviously they learned their lesson as to Easter somewhere....

MCA has time to fix this- they need to do so quickly.

[Mustang 3]

Last weekend while at the Knotts Fab Ford show I was approached by several folks asking about a run east in 2014. LA folks can go to Vegas any weekend, that is NOT an adventure for them. I've already advised my local folks...6 day run out of Los Angeles to Charlotte WILL HAPPEN. The biggest Mustang Convoy in history WILL be heading east out of Calif and going to Charlotte and the real 50th party.

[donmatzen]

Has Ford put their support behind the MCA 50th events? Word on the street has Ford putting on their own 50th anniversary event in July.

Having the event on Easter weekend and in two different places are poor choices. Being located in the central U.S., one show is 2000 miles away and the other 1300 miles.