No Judging at 50th Anniversary Celebration

[40200]

MCA, does this really promote the hobby?

Our club has been told that there will be no judging at the 50th Anniversary Celebration Shows. That's all well and good if no one receives a trophy. But the rest of the story is that any car receiving a trophy at an MCA National or Grand National in 2012 or 2013 will automatically receive a trophy at the 50th, if they attend the celebration. Cars that haven't received trophies in 2012 or 2013 won't receive a trophy.

One of the most cherished trophies in my trophy room is the white stein that I received in Concours at the 35th Anniversary Show. Granted judging was modified MCA based primarily on workmanship and cleanliness but, nevertheless, I wouldn't have that trophy under the rules being quoted for the 50th because the 35th was the first MCA show my car was entered in. It later went on to become a solid gold trailered concours car but without prior wins in MCA shows it wouldn't have received that trophy under rules in place for the 50th.

Why is my experience important? Because it solidified my committment to become a participant in National and Grand National shows beginning in 2000 and continuing for several years. Am I missing the point here MCA, or are you missing a wonderful opportunity to help grow the membership?

[gtpony94]

Everyone who has a car registered at and attends one of the 50th Shows will receive a participant award just like they did at the 45th in 2009. If you attended/attend a 2012 or 2013 MCA National show and win an award there, the participant award you get at the 50th will reflect the highest award level you won at the 2012/2013 National Show you attended. We are realistically expecting several thousand cars at each event. Judging them all is logistically impossible. Therefore if you participate, you will recieve and award.
Steve Prewitt

[Chuckh]

Just the thrill of being there will be enough for me

[Torch Red stang]

I certainly agree with Chuck.

[40200]

Participant's award's were given out in 1999 too if the car wasn't entered in a judged class. Judged classes in '99 were limited to 300 in Concours and 3200 in Judges Choice. It gave participants an opportunity to receive an award that felt more special than a participant's award and I firmly believe it helped promote MCA. I know I and a lot of other participant's had a great time judging the Judges Choice cars. Many of those judges didn't belong to MCA at the time but several were heard to say they planned to join. I'm not now and never have been a supporter of participant's awards but I guess it will be what it's going to be.

[craigzygmunt]

When I heard this news at the Regional Directors Summit I thought, "That's one way of dealing with it--not dealing with it." So the MCA is having a celebration--wait, make that two celebrations--that are supposed to include all Mustang enthusiasts, not just MCA members. So they're going to hand out participant awards to everyone who attends the 50th.

Now if everyone gets one, it's not really an award, is it? It's more of a souvenir. But that's OK because after 50 years all Mustangs are special and why should we pick one over another when we are celebrating all of them?

But if you won an award at a 2012 or 2013 National/Grand National, your souvenir will be special and reflect that. But only MCA members can do that so only MCA members can get a "special" souvenir. What happens when a regular, non-MCA enthusiast sees one of these extra cool souvenirs/awards and asks, "How do I get one of those?" Anyone see the problem with that? Now you're saying that MCA member Mustangs are more special. It just feels to me like the MCA always leans toward exclusion rather than inclusion.

[flclassics]

When I heard this news at the Regional Directors Summit I thought, "That's one way of dealing with it--not dealing with it." So the MCA is having a celebration--wait, make that two celebrations--that are supposed to include all Mustang enthusiasts, not just MCA members. So they're going to hand out participant awards to everyone who attends the 50th.

Now if everyone gets one, it's not really an award, is it? It's more of a souvenir. But that's OK because after 50 years all Mustangs are special and why should we pick one over another when we are celebrating all of them?

But if you won an award at a 2012 or 2013 National/Grand National, your souvenir will be special and reflect that. But only MCA members can do that so only MCA members can get a "special" souvenir. What happens when a regular, non-MCA enthusiast sees one of these extra cool souvenirs/awards and asks, "How do I get one of those?" Anyone see the problem with that? Now you're saying that MCA member Mustangs are more special. It just feels to me like the MCA always leans toward exclusion rather than inclusion.

I agree with your statement completely, especially since non-MCA cars cannot be judged in 2013. While I basically agree with requirement that a person to be a member of the MCA for the National shows, it is something that needs to be phased in gradually, not just dropped on all of the 2013 shows. Yes, they can come and display their car, but most want to know what they can do to improve their car. We should be encouraging those to join our club, not pushing them away by telling them HAVE to.

[stanmckinney]

My daughter had her Mustang at the 45th show as I did. Why did I get a participant's choice award and she didn't?
This is the first I have heard that everyone got one. I know many, many cars never got judged at that show.

[gtpony94]

Stan,
Judging at the 45th was limited to only 250 cars. Those slots were filled on a first come first registered basis. Everyone that was not one of the judged cars was supposed to have received a participant award. The participant awards were in every registration box that was given out when you came through registration and picked up your credentials. I apologize if you daughter did not get one. Had she raised the issue when she saw you got one and she didn't we could have corrected the situation. After reading your post, I went and looked through the remaining boxes of 45th items and found 3 of the participant awards. Please send me your daughter's mailing address in a PM and I'll mail it to her.
Steve Prewitt

[Mustang 3]

Stan,
Judging at the 45th was limited to only 250 cars. Those slots were filled on a first come first registered basis. Everyone that was not one of the judged cars was supposed to have received a participant award. The participant awards were in every registration box that was given out when you came through registration and picked up your credentials. I apologize if you daughter did not get one. Had she raised the issue when she saw you got one and she didn't we could have corrected the situation. After reading your post, I went and looked through the remaining boxes of 45th items and found 3 of the participant awards. Please send me your daughter's mailing address in a PM and I'll mail it to her.
Steve Prewitt

Very cool Steve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!