Happy New Year to all of you and hopefully the year 2012 will become your best MG driving year ever. We are in the planning phase of the calendar and this is the time for you to also start thinking about the events you would like to attend.

In my previous columns we already talked about the four big events:
Jo Daviess County Tour (June 29-July 1), GOF with the Vintage MG Car Club (July 24-27), University Motors a.k.a. John Twist’s Summer Party (August 17-19), Beer, Wine, and Cheese Tour (September 21-23). But of course there will be much more, one day events in the area. Spring Tune Up, Rallies, Garage Tours, and shows. There will be something for everybody.

Last month I mentioned that we would really like some feedback on the driving program. And we have asked it in the following way: What does the club need to do to make you participate in next year's driving events two times as often as you did in 2011? Or if you didn't make it at all this year. What does it take to make you join us for two driving events in 2012?
The things that you may consider are endless:

Would you like to see more one day tours, garage tours, rallies?   What kind of events did you miss on the 2011 calendar?   Do you prefer Saturday or Sunday events?   Are mornings, afternoons, or evenings better?   Do you prefer to go home right after the events or is a social get-together at a restaurant better?

Maybe you already have so many family and other commitments that you just can't make it, no matter what we organize. Even that is a valuable answer for us. Whatever your thoughts are, do me a favor and share it with me. You can email and call me or we can talk in person at one of the next club meetings or N&N's. It doesn't matter, as long as we hear from you what we can do to see you at our events more often. There hasn't been a lot of feedback yet, maybe the holidays kept you busy too much to even think about next year's driving program. But the next two months offer a good opportunity to think about how you want to fill your MG summer and what you expect from the club to make it happen.

The February club meeting is the annual business meeting and we will also have the awards ceremony for last year's driving season. Of course the winners, announced in the December Driveline will receive their trophies but as you may remember we will have a lot more categories to recognize.

 



Who knows, you may be one of the recipients.

The 2012 driving season is - how strange it may sound - not only about driving. Apart from participants, driving events also needs the people to put it on. Rally masters, tour organizers etc. This year we have a few additional responsibilities. As we are co-sponsoring the GOF, I am asking for some volunteers. Maybe we can get a group to set up the car show: layout the field, stage the cars and help with the ballots. More in the next Driveline.

The trip to Grand Rapids for the Summer Party needs a few volunteers to lead the caravan and to do the traditional BBQ lunch at the car show. Can you lean a hand?

The Summer Party also used to have a long distance event. It started as a Lap Around The Lake, a 1,000 mile endurance rally. Several of our club members participated and some still do other endurance rallies like the one in Missouri every spring. The idea has come up that we organize another Lap Around The Lake in 2012, starting on Thursday morning in Grand Rapids and finishing on Friday morning, right when the Summer Party is beginning at the Hilton Hotel parking lot. Club member Mark Michalak, winner of the 2010 Safety Fast Award and participant of many Endurance Rallies and winner of the 2011 Missouri Endurance Rally is thinking about organizing such an event, and I am sure that he would love to hear from you with any good suggestions or to offer your assistance. It is not so hard to do, but it probably requires a trip or two around the lake to set the route and identify the correct check points. More on this also in an upcoming Driveline.

The garage tours that we started last year were a great success and we can do a few more this year. All that is needed is some members to open up their garage, for a social visit with some coffee etc. and a leader to design the route, make the instructions, and maybe find a restaurant or place to end the day with a sandwich and a drink. If you have any good suggestions, or want to help out, please let me know.

As always, you can e-mail me at reinoutvogt@gmail.com or give me a call at 847-342-9804. I look forward to hearing from you.

"The more you drive, the more you smile".

-- Reinout Vogt