First Quarter 2017

First Quarter 2017

NewsletterA word from your Chapter Coordinators!

This is going to be a rather short newsletter. We have three important items that we want to share. The three items will be in BOLD below………

We cannot believe how time is flying. Ed is recovering from a motorcycle accident and subsequent ACL surgery. We have had incredible weather, the warmest February on record. Although motorcycles are out right now, the car events have been better than ever!!!!

We are planning on driving the ’57 MGA from Wisconsin to the GT via Route 66 with a couple of friends. I understand that there are ‘other’ group events coming from all areas of the country. Our biggest issue is the ‘A’ is not currently running and lives in Wisconsin during the winter. We won’t get reacquainted until mid-May. After our trip to Solvang, we head up the Pacific Coast Highway to Washington, then back across the top of the USA to Wisconsin. Wish us luck.

We hope to see everyone in Solvang!!

Information Needed for Insurance

As most of you know, NAMGAR provides insurance to its chapters. This covers Chapter officers and events run by the Chapters. Hagerty is the insurance provider and to continue covering NAMGAR and its Chapters we are going to need some information from EACH CHAPTER. Each chapter must provide this information to Carol Shamonsky.

For most of the Chapters, this should be an easy exercise. We know that most of the Chapter Coordinators are not the Secretary or Treasurer of their club, so the first order of business is to get this request to the correct person.

NAMGAR needs the following from each Chapter:

  1. Assets. Some examples of assets include cash, accounts receivable, inventory, investments, land, buildings, and equipment. Many small clubs’ assets consist only of the cash in their checking account.
  2. Revenues. Revenues are the amount that you take in from membership dues or money from other events through the course of the year. You may also call this your budget.
  3. Send this information to Carol Shamonsky. Also include the effective date and who Carol can contact if she has any questions (probably your secretary or treasurer).

All insurance companies are requiring more information and a clearer picture of what/who they are insuring. Chapters will be able to be scheduled on the policy, meaning that a chapter that does not provide the information MAY NOT BE COVERED!! By getting this information it can help lower the overall cost of a policy as the Underwriters have a more accurate view of what is being insured.

Please try to get this information to Carol sooner than later. Don’t be left out!

Changes in the NAMGAR GT Chapter Recognition Award

The NAMGAR Board of Directors has created an award to recognize the NAMGAR Chapter that is best represented at an annual GT.

Once again there have been changes in the Chapter Recognition Award. Previously, ‘points’ were calculated based on the past five years, this has now been changed to the previous three years.

Last year the award went to the Michigan Rowdies.

Who will be the recipient for 2017???? We will present the award at the GT in June.

Here is how the Chapter Recognition will be calculated:

  • 10 points for hosting a GT (for the past 3 years)
  • 5 points for hosting a NAMGAR Regional event (for the past 3 years)
  • 3 points for having a complete chapter profile on file at www.namgar.com
  • 3 points for providing annual report to Chapter Coordinators including the number NAMGAR members and total number of members of Chapter by December 31st each year.
  • 2 points for having submitted their chapter newsletter to NAMGAR
  • 1 point for article submission of an event or activity to either MGA! or website (article must be published and does not include National and Regional reports on events).
  • 1 point for each new NAMGAR member (as confirmed by the Registrar). It is a good idea if you work with membership person to identify these people. This will make the yearend total easy to calculate.

This format gives smaller active chapters a chance at receiving the award. We had a tremendous response from our chapters this year concerning submission of newsletters as well as providing us with chapter information at year-end.

Anne and Peter Tilbury (NAMGAR Internet Coordinators) tell us that most chapters have completed their chapter profile. If you have not completed a chapter profile or if you want to update your profile, please submit information to Anne and Peter.

Chapter Newsletters

This is the third change! Please notify the person who distributes your electronic newsletter that there is a change. Starting immediately, electronic newsletters should be sent to the NAMGAR Internet Coordinators (Anne and Peter Tilbury) and of course still sent to the Chapter Coordinators. You no longer need to send a newsletter to Mike Tooke, the editor of MGA! The Internet Coordinators will forward their copy on to Mike!!!!

Dates for submission of materials for MGA!

Mike Tooke, Editor MGA! magazine would like to remind everyone that the cutoff for submission on materials to be published in MGA! is the 5th of every even month (February, April, June, August, October and December)

Banner for your MG event

NAMGAR has a banner that we can ‘loan’ for your MG event. For more information contact Mike Tooke.

Drive Your MGA Day – May 6, 2017 – Photos wanted!

Please send photo images of your club’s Drive Your MGA Day activity with a brief description of the event or location to either the Internet Coordinators for inclusion on the NAMGAR web site or Michael Tooke (Editor MGA!) to be included in a future issue of MGA!.

Upcoming NAMGAR Events

April 21-23, 2017 GOF South 2017
Organized by Suncoast Classic MG Car Club
Crystal River, FL

The Suncoast Classic MG Car Club is excited to announce that GOF South is to be held at the Plantation Inn in Crystal River, Citrus County, FL. Join these guys for three days of Sun and Fun in this wonderful part of Florida. Registration is now open. If you have never been to this part of Florida, you are in for real treat. This is the REAL Florida. You won’t be disappointed!!

Click here for more information.

May 6, 2017 Anywhere in North America or beyond!!
NAMGAR’s Drive Your MGA Day!

Save the Date!! The annual Drive Your MGA Day is Saturday, May 6, 2017. It is time to start planning to get together with other MGA owners/drivers and enjoy the day. Don’t forget to send your photos to NAMGAR for sharing!!

June 19-23, 2017 GT – 42 Solvang, California
Annual Chapter & Interest Group Contacts Meeting

Date, time, and location of the meeting TBA

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. This was an amazing meeting last year. We had a great turnout and we listened to our Chapters. This is the best platform to let us know your thoughts, wishes and desires. Board members are always present. It is a bit too early to have the date and time. We will let you know the specifics in the next newsletter. If you are unable to attend, please appoint an attending Chapter or Interest group member to attend in your place. Please forward any items that you would like added to the meeting agenda to the Chapter Coordinators.

NAMGAR Regional GTs – 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 new Vice Chairman Larry Pitman for details and advice on hosting a NAMGAR Regional.

Chapter Events – Post Your on the NAMGAR.com Events Page

NAMGAR Web Coordinators Peter and Anne Tilbury provide a service on the NAMGAR web site to post your upcoming club sponsored events which might interest other NAMGAR members convenient to your area. Please use this FREE service to promote your MG or British car hobbyist event. You can send an article of Chapter events to the Tilburys.

You may add your club events to the Calendar of Events by visiting the events page

Don’t forget to check out the Calendar of Events OFTEN.

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. The guidelines are attached.

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.

Contact the Chapter Coordinators for more information on how to submit a nomination.

Renkenberger Spirit Award – 2016 Recipients

  • Mid-Atlantic Chapter – Butch & Judy Smith
  • Michigan Rowdies – Dave Quinn

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)
  • Key West British Car Club – Fred & Cindy Skomp (2012)
  • Mid-Atlantic Chapter – Bill Marshall (2012)
  • Central Virginia British Car Club – Carol Woodson (2012)
  • South Western Ontario Hoser Ehs – Mike Hosier and Nancy Payne (2013)
  • Victoria MG Club – Neil Fawdry (2013)
  • Ohio BuckAyes – Jeff Fields (2013)
  • MGCC Northwest Centre – Lee Orphan (2013)
  • San Diego MG Club – Wayne and Dee Johnson (2015)
  • Ottawa MG Club – Trish Adams (2015)

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!

Ed Sass & Colleen Quinn, NAMGAR Chapter Coordinators