First Quarter 2013

First Quarter 2013

Newsletter

Welcome our Newest NAMGAR Chapter!

The NAMGAR Board has approved the application of the Victoria MG Club in Victoria, British Columbia as our newest Chapter. The Chapter Contact is Russ Cape, e-mail is russcape@shaw.ca and their website is www.victoriamgclub.ca. The Victoria MG Club produces a monthly newsletter, the Octagon, which is distributed to their membership via e-mail.

Upcoming NAMGAR Events

April 15-19, 2013 Savannah Regional GT
NAMGAR Vice Chairman Carol Shamonsky has organized this Regional GT to be held in Savannah, Georgia this spring. This is a good opportunity for NAMGAR members to start their driving season in a grand way. This event is limited to the first 30 cars. Check out the NAMGAR website or contact Carol for more information.

May 4, 2013 Drive Your MGA Day
Includes any cars under the NAMGAR umbrella. Don’t forget to take some pictures and send them to the editor of MGA! editor@namgar.com and the website coordinators web@namgar.com.

June 10-14, 2013 GT 38 – Asheville, North Carolina
Early registration ends May 1, 2013

The NAMGAR GT-38 room rate ends at midnight on May 11, 2013. Any reservation requests made after that date will be accepted on a space available basis at the prevailing rate, which may be higher.

Annual Chapter & Interest Group Contacts Meeting will be held on Thursday, June 13th, 2013 from 2.30 – 4.30pm in the Foxfire Room at the host hotel. Chapter and Interest Group Contacts please make arrangements to attend this meeting. It’s your chance to meet and interact with NAMGAR Board and Staff members and also to share common issues and successes with other Chapter and Interest group contacts. Refreshments and snacks will be provided. If you are unable to attend please appoint an attending Chapter or Interest group member to attend in your place. Please email any items that you would like added to the meeting agenda to us.

NAMGAR GT Chapter Attendance Award

The NAMGAR Board of Directors created an award to recognize the NAMGAR Chapter that has the greatest number of attendees at an annual GT. The first award was presented at GT 36.

Following is the criteria for this award:

  • The host Chapter is exempt from the competition.
  • All attendees when checking in at registration will also identify which NAMGAR Chapter they are representing.
  • The Chapter Coordinators will then tally each Chapter’s attendees.
  • The Chapter with the most attendees will be recognized at the awards banquet and also awarded 2 one-year memberships to NAMGAR by the Chapter Coordinators. The winning chapter decides how they wish to distribute the 2 one-year memberships, for example they may draw 2 names from their members that attended the GT or they may hold a raffle within their Chapter at a later date.
  • A photo of the winning group will be taken for recognition in MGA! and on the NAMGAR website.

Let the competition begin. Don’t forget to tell your Chapter members who are attending that they have to identify both themselves and their Chapter at registration. May the most spirited Chapter win!

Previous GT Chapter Award Winners:

  • GT 37 – Michigan Rowdies (2012)
  • GT 36 – Columbia Gorge MGA Club (2011)

NAMGAR Regional GT’s – Something your Chapter Might Want to Consider!

Is there any event on your club’s calendar such as a weekend trip or a car show that could be expanded to become a NAMGAR Regional? It is something that you might want to consider. What the heck, the more the merrier. If you’ve already done the planning for an event then you’re more than half way there. Having a regional just might fill up that motel or enhance your car show field. Contact NAMGAR Vice Chairman Carol Shamonsky for details and advice on hosting a NAMGAR Regional.

Chapter Newsletters

We enjoy reading your club newsletters. Please let us know when a new one has been posted to your website or include us on your e-mail list. Electronic newsletters should also be submitted to the NAMGAR Internet Coordinators for posting on the website. For those using the British Marque News as your newsletter vehicle, please let us know when you’ve submitted one to the Marque News so we know to look for it.

As we find interesting club events we will include them in the Contacts quarterly newsletters.

NAMGAR Advertisement

A new version of the NAMGAR ad is now available – this ad should be running in your newsletters and on your websites. This ad reflects the current dues schedule and is the only one that should be used. Several newsletters are still utilizing the old ad that has outdated information. Please check your Chapter’s / Interest groups newsletter and/or website and make sure that your publication and website reflect this current ad. Contact the Chapter Coordinators if you need a copy of the electronic file.

Renkenberger Spirit Award

This award is presented by the NAMGAR Board of Directors to a member of a Chapter or Interest group upon request of the local Chapter. The member does not have to be a member of NAMGAR. Each NAMGAR Chapter or NAMGAR Interest Group is eligible to nominate one of their members every three (3) years. As most Chapters have their annual planning meetings coming up this would be an appropriate time to suggest that your Chapter’s Board consider nominating a member for this award. Also our Interest groups can think about nominating one of their members. All Chapters and Interest groups have individuals that spend vast amounts of time and energy making the organization successful and this award is a very appropriate way of recognizing them. Click here to view the guidelines.

The award is prepared and sent to the Chapter Contact by NAMGAR upon receipt of the Chapter’s 300-400 word nomination submission to the Chapter Coordinators, along with a photograph of the awardee. These will be published in MGA! and also posted on the NAMGAR website. It should be noted there is no cost to the Chapter for the award, which is provided by NAMGAR, and we do encourage each Chapter to use this award to recognize an outstanding member.

For more information on how to submit a nomination please contact the Chapter Coordinators.

Renkenberger Spirit Award – 2012 Recipients

  • Key West British Car Club – Fred & Cindy Skomp (2012)
  • Mid-Atlantic Chapter – Bill Marshall (2012)
  • Central Virginia British Car Club – Carol Woodson (2012)

Renkenberger Spirit Award – Past Recipients

  • Mid-Atlantic Chapter – Bill & Martha Ludtke (2008)
  • Houston MG Car Club – Ron Redding (2009)
  • SW Ontario Hoser Eh’s – John & Diane Burgess (2009)
  • Michigan Rowdies – Brian Beery (2010)
  • Milwaukee & Great Lakes MG Motor Car Group – Ed Kaufman (2010)
  • Columbia Gorge MGA Club – Bill Barnes (2010)
  • MG Car Club Northwest Center – Jim & Roberta Lumley (2010)
  • Ottawa MG Club – Len Fortin (2011)
  • Reno British Car Club – Jim Phelps (2011)

Insurance Information for Chapters

Event Insurance:
All NAMGAR affiliated Chapters receive complimentary event insurance. Thus, your Chapter is automatically covered when hosting Chapter sanctioned shows. Should the show site owner require an “addition insured” certificate, which is available at no additional costs, contact NAMGAR Chairman Bruce Woodson. Please note that competitive moving events such as funkhanas, hill climbs, etc. may not be covered without special permits.

Directors & Officers Insurance:
All Chapters are encouraged to maintain a Directors & Officers Insurance policy. This policy will help protect officers from unforeseen issues that could arise. This is NOT included in the complimentary event policy. The current cost is approximately $150.00 for a one year policy. NAMGAR is currently exploring options to cover all Chapters under the NAMGAR umbrella. Please have your Chapter President contact NAMGAR Chairman Bruce Woodson for more information regarding this important coverage.

Please share this newsletter with your Chapter and Interest Group members. We look forward to an active driving season coming up and hope you are able to attend the national GT or a Regional GT local to you. We also encourage each Chapter Contact to reach out to a neighboring Chapter to see if there are club activities that would be enhanced by including a larger pool of British vehicles.

Happy Motoring!

Bill & Karen Marshall
NAMGAR Chapter Coordinators