Straight Talk Mar/Apr 2025
Straight Talk from the “Mann” Cave
Bruce Mann
As I am writing this, we are preparing for our annual business meeting, to be held in early March. The board of NAMGAR has a number of operational challenges to discuss. I will offer an update in the next issue of MGA!
NAMGAR is pleased to announce that we have rejoined the North American Council of MG Registers after a three-year absence. Your NAMGAR board has been working very hard with the Council addressing the concerns that were presented to this board and troublesome to our register for several years. We were able to discuss and find solutions along with transparency to resolve those issues collectively. The effective date for rejoining the council was Jan. 1, 2025.
The NACMGR has announced that the five year all MG event will be held in August of 2026 in Sandusky, Ohio. This event will be NAMGAR’s GT-51 in which we will participate with the other three registers.
Shifting Gears:
NAMGAR needs your help! With the retirement of editor Mike Tooke a few months ago, and the most recent passing of Steve Mazurek, NAMGAR’s Reid Tremmel stepped up to be our editor for a period of one year. This has allowed us to continue the publication of MGA! Magazine. Certainly, this has been a major accomplishment of NAMGAR and its board and staff. We certainly appreciate all Reid has done to continue our magazine.
Having said this, we are looking for a replacement editor heading into 2026.
Sounds like a long time but as we all know time flies by. As I wrote in my last article we are at best today a hybrid type of magazine. That only works if you have an editor, layout person, printing and distribution people to accomplish the tasks. With our current situation Reid’s commitment to being our editor will only last through this year. Once you have read this issue there will be only four more issues, provided by Reid! We would like nothing more than for Reid to continue putting our magazine together as editor. However, we must plan for the worst.
We would appreciate it if at your next chapter business meeting, MG event or any event with your chapter that you discuss this opening and consider giving back to the NAMGAR community. Please make other members aware of this open position.
GT-50 is right around the corner, June 2-6 in Traverse City, MI at the Great Wolf Lodge. The Michigan Rowdies have been working diligently to make this a world class event. Registration is open, and the numbers of members attending are very encouraging and the activities planned will be fun for all.
I would like to take a few minutes and address NAMGAR’s web site. Most recently we have made a lot of improvements that are now available to view. All recent tech articles are now posted after they appear in MGA! All the awards that have been a corner stone of NAMGAR for years are currently updated with all previous winners. The current board and staff pictures, email address and bios are updated. We have initiated quarterly chapters and NAMGAR chapter newsletters to be added which are very informative and provide insight into the news and upcoming activities for each chapter. The NAMGAR insurance coverage has been recently updated and is uploaded to the website which should be helpful to all. Regalia items are available electronically for all men’s and women’s apparel as well as other items that are easily available. Of course, the many staples of NAMGAR are current and available. Take a peek at our web site at www.namgar.com. If you have suggestions for further improvement write to communications@namgar.com.
Remember: The road to success is always under construction