Where does your club meet?

[mack4759]

We are trying to start a new club, so finances are tight right now until we can get more members. We've contacted the local universities, some civic centers and public libraries, but the cost to rent a room will quickly use up the dues gathered.

We are thinking we may have to start my meeting at members homes. Changing the meeting place each month is somewhat cumbersome, but if we need to that's our next option.

Can any of you give us some more meeting place ideas? Where do you meet? Has anyone found a place where cost is low or non-existent?


Any help would be greatly appreciated. Starting a new club is harder than I thought!

Robert

[Rowdy]

Local club here meets at the coffee shop, seems to be more of a coffee club than a car club so I gave up on the club. Rod

[JimK1930A]

The Twin Cities Model A Ford club meets at a local high school in the lunch room.
Clinics are held on the THIRD Thursday of the Month during the Fall, Winter, and Spring months. Each time we meet, there is a different topic where a member volunteers to talk about a subject pertaining to the Model A. This Thursdays topic is the Model A ignition. During the break there is usually coffee & cookies available. Brooklyn Center High School
6500 Humbolt Ave. North
Brooklyn Center, MN 55430

7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

[Tom F OHIO]

Where are you located Robert. I belong to the Copus Hill Chapter of Penn-Ohio Model A Ford Club. I've been a member since 1976. Each month during the summer from April to October a club member signs up for a month and then we all meet somewhere and that member takes us for a nice back road drive and then we always stop for lunch and then on the way home we all stop at a ice cream shop that they have planned for. Makes for an enjoyable day. During the Winter months we will either rent a park pavillion or someones house or a church basement and we give a donation. All the members show up and we have a pot luck lunch. Its a nice get together and then we have our meeting.
Tom....

[CarlG]

The AACA affiliate that I belong to meets in our "Clubhouse". Generously supplied by one of the members as a room above his garage. It's quite a large room, will hold about 50 people. Meets on the second Wednesday of the month, summer meetings consist of a brief business meeting, a rolling tour (ad-hock parade) around town, then desert someplace. Winter meetings consist of a business / planning meeting followed by a social / snack time. Alaskan A's (MAFCA affiliate) are all members of the AACA club, so we all meet together.

[TinCup]

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A lot of restaurants will have a small room that they will let you use as long as you eat there. Pizza Hut, Golden Corral, Western Sizzler are just a few.

[FL&WVMIKE]

mack4759 ......................
A lot of restuarants have private or semi-private rooms, where you can meet. They might expect a large enough crowd to spend around $300.00. If you have some restuarants, like that, in your area, check with them.
Our Model "A" club, here, meets for breakfast, at a retirement home.
MIKE

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by FL&WVMIKE

...Our Model "A" club, here, meets for breakfast, at a retirement home.
MIKE

Is that where most of your members live?

[Gary/IA]

Here is something to think about. The club that I belong to has been in existence for 40 + years without a President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary, or dues. All meetings consist of tours or just driving the A's to a restaurant. When someone gets the urge to tour or dine just a phone call is all that is required. Every one is good about planning and guiding tours and we have many outings during the touring season. Some members have passed on but new ones seem to come along to keep the club going and help the newbies.

Not suggesting you do this but it has worked really well for our group.

[broommaker]

We meet at he First Christian Church, in one of their Sunday School rooms. It seems to work out fine, someone will bring goodies.....

Jim Norris

[329s]

At a retirement home in Walla Walla on the first Tuseday of every month.

We have dinner there and then the meeting.

Pluck

[30ccpickup]

Grocery Coffee shop and/or public library.

[329s]

Originally Posted by mack4759

We are trying to start a new club, so finances are tight right now until we can get more members. We've contacted the local universities, some civic centers and public libraries, but the cost to rent a room will quickly use up the dues gathered.

We are thinking we may have to start my meeting at members homes. Changing the meeting place each month is somewhat cumbersome, but if we need to that's our next option.

Can any of you give us some more meeting place ideas? Where do you meet? Has anyone found a place where cost is low or non-existent?


Any help would be greatly appreciated. Starting a new club is harder than I thought!


Robert

Not really...just follow the MARC or MAFCA rules in starting up a club and go for it...things will fall into place in time...if something is not working, then go to plan B.

There a lot of great suggestions here.

Just remember...it is your club (car) and you can do whatever you want with your club (car).

Pluck

[steve s]

First, we gather and dine at some local restaurant for supper. During the summer (i.e., touring) months, we then adjourn to the parking lot for a brief meeting followed by a tour led by volunteer. The tour must conclude with a stop for ice cream. During the winter, we go from the restaurant to the local community center's meeting room. We have an informal deal with the community center whereby we donate a portion of our income to help cover expenses.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Check with the Izaak Walton League. The one near my house rents out the building fairly cheap.

[Popeye31]

The New Orleans As meet at Genaros resterant every third wed. from 6:00 till every one leaves. we order food say the Pledge of Alleigiance a prayer, sit,eat and have the meeting .

[Napa Skip]

Our club (Napa Valley A's) used to meet at the City of Napa Senior Center (most of us qualify, age-wise, although that's not a requirement) for about $40/year, which included a storage locker and use of a kitchen. Then, earlier this year they increased the fee to about $500 (that's NOT a typo) whereupon we found that the local Rabobank would let us use their board room (more mahogany and padded leather than you could imagine) which includes a kitchen, for free. We now meet at the Rabobank for our once-a-month meeting, with "ice cream socials" (pronounced "dinner out") also scheduled for each month but not (obviously) requiring a meeting room, although you'd be surprised how much "business" gets conducted at the ice cream socials.

So, look around. I suspect - as we were lucky enough to - you'll find a business that, for the public relations/good will, will let you use their facility at no (or very nominal) cost.

p.s. - after loosing almost all their paying "patrons" due to the fee increase, the city rescinded the increase. We chose to stay with Rabobank.

[Rich in Tucson]

We meet at Jim Click Ford, the local Ford dealer, for both board and general meetings. Mr. Click is a very generous benefactor to our club and we try to return the favor with the occasional car show at one or another of his dealerships. He and his family are generous benefactors to innumerable charities and worthy causes in Tucson.

Run the suggestion by your local Ford dealer if one is nearby, they are likely to have at least one meeting room or lunch room that is unused 90% of the time.

[Ray in La Mesa]

Our club has been meeting in a San Diego Recreation Center for over 25 years, the cost is small and the accomodations fit our club nicely.

[Gary WA]

Local Fire Station usually have a conference room, that your taxes have paid for. That's where we meet once a month.