Monthly Meeting Minutes
Third Monday, January 21, 2013

Attendance: 26 members

The club welcomed returning member Alan Schmidt and his ‘74 MGB which currently sits on blocks, and new member Tim Mathias and his ‘58 MG-A which is in storage..

Dino reminded those present that 2012 was a great MG year, since there were no known breakdowns on club drives, cruises, tours, or rallies. Barney mentioned that he had a < 9K mile-old condenser die, which prompted a discussion on the symptoms of condenser failure, which include misfires, sputtering, and eventually a complete engine stall.

No projects were brought up, and considering that it was in 10-15° weather, it seems accurate.

Outgoing President, Dino Perez, opened the meeting at 8:00 PM. As his final act, Dino passed the Octagon Shaped torch; to new President George Phariss, while proclaiming that he did not, in fact, have improper relations with that Triumph (although proof has yet to surface).

George thanked Dino (and Lisa) for their service, and all the time they put into the club as President and First Lady.

Staff Reports:
Finance: Ralph read the financial report and is currently working on a budget for the 2013 driving season. With a current balance of >$17K, it’s the highest balance that the club has had since 2010, concluding that we have healthy balances. Currently we have about 160 membership renewals, about 44 vendors signed up for the Swap Meet. Last year’s driveline cost about $7100 to print and distribute, which is up from the previous year, due mostly to postage increases and some additional printing costs. The website cost just under $200 last year. Various administrative costs to officers was discussed. The Christmas party cost about $2000, which was over the $1600 budgeted due to upgraded food and door prizes. Although because the party was such a success, it was decided the added cost was well worth it.
Membership & Dues: Will be addressed in February.
Library: George reminded us that the Library is now on the website.
Website: Barney noted that the visitor count to the website is trending up for the last couple years, and back to where it was 3-4 years ago.
Driveline: Victor informed us that the next Driveline will be personalized with the current members car data, and a way for members to update their car info with the club. This is an effort to keep the clubs database up-to-date.

Facebook: George mentioned that we will attempt to make the club more accessible with it’s Facebook page.
Driving Events: Jake Snyder discussed the upcoming Amtrak trip to Detroit and the Henry Ford Museum and Ford’s River Rouge plant (which has a fascinating history). Reinout brought up the Spring Tune-Up, which is scheduled for April 27th, and we’re hoping to have some of the Vintage Club attend as well. The Spring Chicken Rally is tentatively scheduled for May 19th but it currently conflicts with a Vintage Club event. The calendar will be more flushed-out next month after coordinating with the Vintage Club.

Swap Meet: Jim updated the club with the current numbers for the Swap Meet. 42 vendors are confirmed, and 68 out of 100 spots are filled, include John Twist’s University Motors, the Healey Club, the Lotus, Mini, Vintage MG, Fiat, and Triumph clubs. However it seems that Triple-C will not be attending, neither will the “tool guy” who’s been at previous Swap Meets. Jim reminded us that this is the 17th year of the Swap meet, and is a major fundraiser for the club. Last year the club had use of a large trailer for transporting parts from the club’s “parts locker”, however this year the trailer is unavailable. So the club is looking for trucks and/or trailers that can be used instead this year. The Club is looking for help with the setup, cleanup, and ticketing. Volunteers receive free admission.

Natter-N-Noggin: George brought up the issue that attendance seems to be falling off at Natter-N-Noggin, which sparked a lively discussion. It was noted by several members that having it at 2 places is good. Tim Mathias promised to increase his attendance by 50%. Dino suggested that members attend N&N at both locations at least once a year. Following Tim’s lead, Ralph promised to make 100% of N&N’s after his upcoming retirement, believing that the Missus doesn’t actually want to see him that much. Dave Bralich noted that N&N was exactly 125% “more fun” than the monthly meeting. Ideas for increasing attendance included: Raffles, Drawings, and Trivia.

50-50 Raffle: ...Was held. I neglected to note the winner. Oops.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:17 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
David Novak, CMGC Secretary