How Can The BCA Survive?

[ol' yeller]

In the last Issue of the Bugle there was commentary about the shrinking membership of the BCA. My intent for this thread is not to bash the BCA nor any of its members as I am one too, rather to have a more realistic discussion of where the BCA will go as its membership matures.

I very much enjoy the comraderie, help and support from the members of both the National BCA and my local chapter. Often I hear how we need to find a way to bring the younger generation into the world of Buicks. I'm becoming more convinced that that is not really viable. My chapter has been slightly successful in getting one or two members who are in the under 30 generation but mostly we are a bunch of older gray hairs, myself included. We are losing older members much faster than we are gaining new younger members. That said, at this point, our local chapter is very healthy and has a membership of around 50-60 paid members. Bear in mind that many of our members are also spouses of the BCA member. We also put on an annual show that regularly attracts 100-150 cars, many coming from people who are not members of either the BCA nor our local chapter. They are also significantly from the older generation. All in all, not too bad right now but the future looks very uncertain.

It is my opinion that we don't attract the younger folks because Buicks aren't something they are typically interested in. Again, there are exceptions but I am speaking in generalities here. The younger generation is more interested in Ricers, not Grampa's (or worse, Gramma's) Buick. I think we are chasing a pipedream trying to recruit people who will not be swayed with tailfins and chrome. I noticed the same concerns from other service organizations, Like my local Lion's club who are also experiencing a graying of its membership. Too often we become mired in old traditions that make no sense to the younger set, or we become cliquish and not welcoming to new members. At our chapter meetings I always try to sit with new members and explain what we are doing during the meeting or what we are discussing to make them feel more involved.

My suggestions to the BCA is to accept that all things have a lifetime and we are well into the second half of our organization's lifespan. Lets make the best of a bad situation. We need to find a way to attract as many of our potential target audience (older car guys who like Buicks) and the find things to retain as many of them as we can. Our chapter has been succesful with having at least one event per month to involve the membership, be it a tour somewhere, or a caravan to a local show. An involved membership is a happy membership. We are not going to woo many Mopar guys into our fold nor are they going to get many of ours. We can and should try to attract and keep as many of the younger generation as we can but they will not be the salvation of our club nor our hobby.

The reality of a shrinking membership means shrinking revenues. That means we have some hard choices to make. As an organization that means curtailing resources or increasing revenues. Each has a double edged effect as some members will drop because they value the resouces that are cut, while others will drop because they can't afford the membership any more. The BCA needs to communicate their dilemma to their membership and involve them in the solutions (as they have been doing). I still think I get great value for my dollar as a BCA member and will continue as a paying member for many more years. If someone knows of the magic answer, I'd love to have you post here.

[WWS]

The sentiment I hear, is the BCA is mostly for people 70 and up that want to play and show the cars they grew up with in from the 30s to early 40s. While I love looking at them, and even own a 46, I cant associate with them as I, along with the vast amount of the so called "baby boomers grew up with vehicles from the 60s and 70s.

There are other Buick groups out there that cater to these age groups. I just attended a show in Ohio with the Buick Performance Group, it was heavily attended, I was in a crowd of people my own age group and had the time of my life. Plenty of Rivieras, Gran Sports, Centurions, and Skylarks.

I can only hope the BCA will emerge from the box it has painted itself into. I must admit, I dont do much with the local chapter, as I really dont see it changing from the "old timers get togeather". I dont care to be the youngest person in the group, and heck I am in my 50s

The BCA says it wants the younger crowd to pass the torch to, it wont happen. The young people of today see cars in a different light than we did growing up. Times have changed. To them, a Buick is nothing more than a LeSabre, or Century or as my son puts it, Grandma's cars. The last 10 years of Buicks have been nothing but boring, is a young person going to drive one, NO.

I can only hope that the BCA does'nt forget the crowd that will be replacing the current medium age group. We have the time, the money and the abilities to make this grow, provided we are welcomed in as a group.

I have loved going to BCA events, it is something my father and I look forward to each year, I hope it can continue.

Edited August 28, 2009 by WWS (see edit history)

[38Buick 80C]

Car guys (and gals) are Car guys! It doesn't matter what age they are. Buick has great cars in it's past that car guys want. Whether it be pre war or GS 455's or 49 Roadmasters or Grand Nationals car guys will collect these cars. There in lies the next generation of the BCA.

I'm 29 (well til next Saturday). I am a chapter director, a BCA Board of Director and BCA VP. Anyone who says the BCA doesn't have youth needs to look around a little better. I saw plenty of BCA Members at the Colorado Nationa Meet this year that were under 50. We're here, not in huge numbers and that is why the BCA needs more youth, but we ARE here. In the Carolina Chapter (my chapter) most of our members are under 60 and we have all Buicks represented, Pre-war, 50, 60s, GS, GN, Riv's and we welcome all Buicks

My generation certainly looks at the Buick of the 90's and 2000's as grandma's car no doubt, but the car guys amongst us can appreciate a quality older Buick's made and strive to own those. Being early in our careers my generation can't always afford these great Buicks right now, but when we get older as our parent and grandparent pass these greats on we will certainly enjoy them and be active in the club.

The BCA will be around for a long time to come. I personally plan on being in it for at least the next 50 years!!!

[Guest Redwind89]

Brian I agree with you. All it takes is one ride in any old car be it from the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's or 90's and people get hooked. Us younger people might not be able to afford a fully restored GS, or GN or any pre war car but we are around. But all it takes is someone with a mindset that a young person doesn't know anything and it can turn that person off to a club. Back in 2003 at the national I was yelled at and told that I didn't know what I was doing by so many older club members that I was ready to snap or that I had no clue what parts for my car should be selling for. Lucky for me I was able to keep my cool and just let it go, but some other people might not. Anyone who drives a Buick should be welcomed with open arms not looked down at cause it's not fully painted or restore or if it's not a 30's-70's Buick. i plan on being in the BCA for along as it's around no matter how small it get's down the road, and I hope to be still driving Buicks from the era that I grew up in. ( 80's ):cool:

[50jetback]

Car guys (and gals) are Car guys! It doesn't matter what age they are. Buick has great cars in it's past that car guys want. Whether it be pre war or GS 455's or 49 Roadmasters or Grand Nationals car guys will collect these cars. There in lies the next generation of the BCA.

I'm 29 (well til next Saturday). I am a chapter director, a BCA Board of Director and BCA VP. Anyone who says the BCA doesn't have youth needs to look around a little better. I saw plenty of BCA Members at the Colorado Nationa Meet this year that were under 50. We're here, not in huge numbers and that is why the BCA needs more youth, but we ARE here. In the Carolina Chapter (my chapter) most of our members are under 60 and we have all Buicks represented, Pre-war, 50, 60s, GS, GN, Riv's and we welcome all Buicks

My generation certainly looks at the Buick of the 90's and 2000's as grandma's car no doubt, but the car guys amongst us can appreciate a quality older Buick's made and strive to own those. Being early in our careers my generation can't always afford these great Buicks right now, but when we get older as our parent and grandparent pass these greats on we will certainly enjoy them and be active in the club.

The BCA will be around for a long time to come. I personally plan on being in it for at least the next 50 years!!!

Well said Brian - I agree.

In Australia we are seeing a continuing increase in the old car movement and prior to the economic downturn some unbelievable prices particularly for Aussie and American muscle cars of the 60's and 70's. The people buying these are generally 30 to 40 years of age who are cashed up thanks to the resource boom ( In Western Australia we just signed a $50billion deal to supply natural gas to the Chinese for the next 20 years ) and like to buy toys for their time off ( most fly in fly out 2 weeks work 1 week off ).

I would hate to guess how many cars have been imported from the US over the last 20 years but whatever you would like it is available,generally unrestored and this in turn supports a fairly healthy restoration business.

I guess because of our climate ( we drive all year round ) the cars are used a lot more and have a lot more exposure to the public, which in turn creates further interest.

I think the problem is not the younger generations interest in cars, its more the lack of interest in club activities. There is now way I could convince these hard working cashed up youngsters to park there car for a day at a show and shine and sit in a deck chair sipping coffee. But if I arranged a run of some sort which culminated by the beach at a rock concert or a 50's revival night it would be well patronised.

The future club members are there, the interest in old cars is there, what we have to do is supply what interests the younger generations in the way of club activities.

And Brian, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ( it's already Saturday down here ).

[dship]

I think all of the opinions from all of you folks has high merit.

My observations:

I'm a BCA and an ROA member (also a Cadillac & LaSalle member where age discrimination is rampant - age of person and age of Caddy). I'm also a babybomer (60 yrs old). I don't see many (if any) BCA local chapter members younger than me. I do however see many ROA members younger..40's & 50's. On average, the 50's folks own the 60's/70's Rivs and the 40's folks own the 80's/90's Rivs. But, because the interest is narrowed to just one model, we all mix extremely well together.

Also, I've observed that the Riviera Performance folks (99% own 95-99 Rivs) are of an average age of mid 30's and they have done some remarkable upgrades to this era Riv...made them into "muscle cars".

Somehow, BCA members have to get these young guys to gain an interest in the club....maybe stop dismissing the "newness" of their Buicks. I know from where they come...I've been dismissed many a'time because of the "young" 1992 Rivieras I own. We need to see the forest through the trees...a buick is a buick is a buick!...and nothing else should matter.

[Barney Eaton]

Depending on your age, younger could be 60. Part of our problem is the greying of the members, but Buicks cost more to restore than Camaros, Corvettes, T'birds and other cars that have a greater following and a raft of supplies competing to get their business. This must have some influence on younger people trying to restore them.

Buicks have been built since 1903, longer than any other US brand still making cars today.

Why do we only have 9000 members when the brand has been made for 106 years?

I ran for the board in 2003 asking that question and I still don't have an answer. WWS above may have part of the answer...... young people join the club to get answers, the (grey hair) members already have the answers and in most cases, restored and driveable Buicks.

Are we older members unwilling to help the younger people with their problems? I think in most cases that is not the problem, but the older guys are not going to crawl under the car and turn wrenches, they have served their time and should be looked at as treasured old books with lots of knowledge. What the older owners must remember, they were once young and needed help. Welcome the younger Buick owners, encourage them to work on and restore their Buicks and MAKE THEM WELCOME at Buick club meeting and shows.

The BCA has changed in recent years. Remember when the Modified Division was formed?

Remember when Modified Buicks were first judged? Every year the class gets larger with nicer cars. Obviously this is what some younger members want.

Why is there a seperate Riviera club when it could be a Division of the BCA if we serviced them as well as their independant club does.

The list goes on and there are things the BCA can do to attract more members.

Just remember if you are a BCA member, you are the club and you should not be expecting some other member to carry the BCA torch........we all must do our share to help grow the BCA

As I said in the June Bugle.......it is in the best interest of every BCA member to help the club grow.

[page2171]

Being a 30-something family man with three kids makes it difficult to own an old Buick. There have been times when I wished my Buick was a Chevy so I would have access to more parts and more affordable parts. This may play a part in the shrinking of the BCA.

[Guest BJM]

Just because the BCA used to be 10,000 members does not mean it's in decline in quality if the membership drops.

There are macro changes going on here that started a long time ago. 1st was the 'speculator' market of the late 1980's. The rising tide lifted all boats and suddenly the (now) old BCA members had much more valuable cars.

It became more expensive to restore cars.

There was sudden stop in collectible Buicks - which accelerated the demographic shift in interests.

The 1970's saw a stop in what you might call halo cars - special limited edition cars whose broad shoulders influenced other Buicks.

There are definitely collectible Buicks in the 70's and 80's but the demographic groups of interested people have split off into sub-groups not affiliated with the BCA - as others have noted here.

If the ROA were a chapter or division of the BCA instead of a seperate group - then the numbers of our membership would instantly swell over 10,000 again.

Now is the time to push to see if we can get that group to join the BCA formally. The main guy with the ROA retired only to be forced back into a leadership role. I am sure he would be interested in passing on the ROA administration.

The Oldsmobile Club of America, itself split from the older Olds club, has a column each month in it's magazine "Journey With Olds" dedicated to the Toronado. Toronado = Riviera. There is no bad blood with the Toronado owners group, which has it's own website but requires membership in the OCA to join the Toro group.

We could do the same and maybe feature one whole Bugle annually to the Riviera. They could still fold in their own events and like Reatta, have gatherings and special trophies.

* *

The emphasis on "youth" is highly overrated. Some of us had fathers who were instrumental in getting the kids hands greasy and preaching loyalty. There is nothing like a dad letting a kid turn a wrench or help polish a wheel then "cruising" in that same car.

How many magazine profiles in the Bugle, Hemmings publications, etc have you seen noting that as a kid the owner was steeped in that make's loyalty and desire.

Those days are over. There is no brand loyalty today. Again, this is in the macro, statistical sense so if you are loyal to Bucik that's not what I mean.

It goes back to the rising tide analogy. Back before the speculator market made the old car hobby one of greed, there was a growing and expanding "market" of club members for all makes. Combine this with the dawning of the information age and you had the golden era of car collecting.

Those days are over. Rather then wringing our hands over dropping membership numbers, the BCA simply needs to put out a good product and let those who want to join - join and enjoy.

To do this the BCA needs to -

1. Continue to provide a great Bugle and use "best practices" to develop it. We have a great editor and plenty of stories - he always says he has a back log. But what are the best publications doing and in time - can they be incorporated into the Bugle.

One idea is to have an annual collectible Bugle made from better paper with better photography.

2. Continue to have national meets. Seems obvious but I know of some clubs that do not have National meets or they have National meets in a generally same geographic area. Clubs without national meets (or deemphasized focus) are clubs on serious decline.

3. Look to bring the splinter groups into the BCA in some capacity. There is a lot of youth in the splinter groups - and to Barney's point - youth is relative. I'm 46 now and I was 28 when I joined the BCA. I'm still considered young.

4. Older members with valuable Buicks need to CONSIDER stewardship when the time comes to reduce collections. These are YOUR cars so you can do whatever you want with them but if you feel your old car activities are at a zenith consider selling your uber valuable car that demostrated paper gains from the speculator markets for pennies on the dollar to a loyal younger member.

This might seem outrageous but I have seen families sell 6 or 7 digit valued collections seconds after a BCA or other club member passes away. That's not stewardship by the aging BCA member.

Pick someone out in the club who is younger and loyal and focused, someone maybe with restoration and preservation talent and sell him that older Buick with a golden rule handshake. Some of these deals won't work out but it's an outside the box thinking that should be floated at least.

At age 46 I grew up in the 70's and those Buicks were boring to me. (Especially when all manufacturers went all Ricardo Montalban on the interiors and trim) but now I see real collectability in those mid 70's cars.

These are cars that can get those of us with families and who are "family poor" into the club and active.

So yes, I 100% agree that the Bugle should continue to feature newer then 1972 stories and members rides and the BCA in general should foster a continued openness to newer models.

5. Frankly this forum has been a disappointment to me. I visit daily but I know there are thousands of BCA members that rarely come on here that I would love to hear from. Stories and comments, insights.

And when you think about it, at age 46 with so many interests I should NOT be on here. Those same aging members with time on their hands should be putting the most content on here, mistyped words or not!

This forum has had a huge drop off in diversity. there are just a few consistent voices and I am sure you are all tired of mine. Me too! I want to hear from some of the subject matter experts of the Buick world, I want more digital photos of Buicks and restoration work to aid those of us doing restorations.

Edited August 29, 2009 by BJM (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

Thanks for posting this thread... It is one of the most important topics we currently have in the BCA.

For several years, I was disappointed with the BCA because there were virtually no prewar Buicks at local BCA club events. So, I didn't join the BCA and just continued to put up with the really older crowd in the HCCA. (At least they put on tours where I could keep up with their older automobiles.)

After attending the Buick Centennial in Flint, I decided that the BCA needed more options for prewar car owners who (like me and my buddies) wanted to restore and tour with their cars at slower speeds to participate in club events and not be left behind by the mostly Buick muscle cars.

So, two of my Buick buddies and I started the BCA PreWar Division (PWD) to provide information and activities for BCA members with older Buicks. Since then, we have added many new members and "saved" many from leaving the BCA. The point is, we did something about it. This forum now has a very active PreWar Buick section and we publish a bimonthly emailed newsletter to keep over 300 of our active members in touch with PWD activities. Also, after the BCA board did a survey, we now see many more prewar Buick articles in the Bugle.

I got started in this hobby by helping my dad restore a 27 chevy followed by several beater cars from MGs to Jeeps that I had during my teen years. I am now in my late 50s and have 5 prewar buicks that are all much older than me.

So, I don't subscribe to the myth that because Buick didn't make collector cars in recent years, the BCA membership will dwindle. There are plenty of Buicks yet to be restored and enjoyed.

As Barney said "Buicks have been built since 1903, longer than any other US brand still making cars today." So, "why do we only have 9000 members when the brand has been made for 106 years?"

I think it is because very few older BCA members want to change anything. It will mostly take younger members like Brian DePouli along with members that are "young at heart" and still have the energy to make those changes. I agree that the BCA board needs to loosen up a bit & encourage the Buick splinter groups not asociated with the BCA to come back into the fold.

I try to do my part by giving rides to kids at club events. There is nothing more fun than riding around in my 13 Buick with giggling kids in the back seat of a touring car. I am usually asked by their parents for a ride when the kids are done.... I just wonder how many of my young riders will eventually become BCA members...

Edited August 29, 2009 by Mark Shaw (see edit history)

[ol' yeller]

Thanks everyone for understanding the purpose of this thread. What we need are good concrete ideas to help our club survive. I also find it interesting what some here consider as the "younger" members. I was including myself in the gray hair group and I am 56! When I talked about attracting younger members, I was figuring on those under age 30. It is my feeling that while we should encourage those under 30 to join and become active members, to count on their number as the salvation for the BCA is overly optomistic. They generally have other interests. As I tried to state in my OP, there are exceptions and I welcome them with open arms.

I see examples of Buick snobbery (mostly unintentionally) even within our local. Owners of newer Buicks like the Reatta, newer Rivis and even the GN and T-Types are looked upon as nice cars but not in the same class as "MY" car. That attitude doesn't portend well for the future of our organization. I agree that anything Buick should be welcome and appreciated. I do not belong to the BPG as my '65 Skylarks are probably not considered to be real "performance cars". Having separate organizations like the ROA, the BPG, and the BCA means that each is filling a void left by the others. If the pool of available members gets cut up into smaller and smaller specialty groups, they can't all survive in the current form.

Drop down a few forums here and browse the Reatta forum. There is a ton of knowledge that I as a gray hair still can't begin to fathom. Programming a chip to get better performance or understanding the myriad of information the CRT is telling you. Even the lexicon has changed, IPCs, IAC's, EGR's BCM's, ECM's, ABS, etc., these guys know their stuff.

I would encourage all the BCA members to broaden your horizons or you surely will watch your organizion wither and die. As the cost of membership increases, and services provided decline, we will lose membership from both causes. Add to this the aging of our population and the numbers can only be expected to drop. The BCA needs to become more inclusive than ever. Please do not take this as a criticism of what has been done as I know firsthand the challenges of keeping an organization together. Rather take it as a challenge to do what you do better than ever.

We are in an interesting hobby. We have members who don't even own a computer and communicate via "snail mail". Obviously they are not reading this. We have members who are in the Facebook and Twitter generation who can access information in a flash. And, we have guys like me who fall somewhere in the middle. I am willing to move more towards technology as I'd prefer to keep up rather than be left behind. This forum is a giant step towards what we need to be doing. We do need to provide enough value to our members so that they visit it and contribute often.

Again, great discussion, please keep it going. Your ideas and suggestions are needed more than ever. I'm sure that some BCA board members are following this thread. Let's let them know what we think. After all, it is OUR organization.

Greg

[Reatta Man]

This is the biggest problem I hear about in every organization inwhich I hold a membership.

The post-WWII baby boomers are not as likely to join a group as their parents. And the under-40 crowd are even less likely to join a formal organization. Add to that Buick's dwindling model lineup for the last few years, and the tendancy of many BCA members to look down on smaller or 'cloned' so-called non-Buick models and you see where the trend is going and why.

Ironically, if Buick had been building and selling updated versions of those smaller Buick Skyhawks lately, they would likely be part of the "2Fast 2Furious' crowd that is really, REALLY into modifying and showing their cars. Oh, wait, BCAers don't like modified cars, either...

And so it goes.....

Young people today are into technology, Starbucks and tatoos (ink)....maybe there should be an internet Starbucks tent at the next national meet, with a tatoo tent offering 50% off on Buick-related tats? Nah, it'll never happen.

[Thriller]

Well, if that isn't an invitation for MrEarl to show off his tattoo again, I don't know what is :cool:

Some good comments here. The first thing I'll say is that, hard as it is, we all need to get over stereotypes. When we talk in stereotypese, we alienate some potential members.

Next thing is, if it is a Buick, no matter whether or not it is to your tastes, try to find something nice to say to the owner about it. This is also your in to start a discussion about the BCA and what it has done for you. Showing off a Bugle or two doesn't hurt. Having membership applications is also a good idea (I printed off a number of the online forms after inserting my name and BCA # in the sponsor field.

As far as "chasing" youth goes, it depends on how you define youth. I think we would get more bang for the buck targeting the 30 and 40-something crowds. There are a number of us here, and some have spoken up, but this is the age when typically child-rearing is getting less hectic (getting out of diapers, perhaps a child or two can babysit the younger, etc.). It is also a time when someone is more likely to be in a better position in their career and finances and perhaps either getting into the hobby or finally doing something with dad's / grandpa's old Buick that may have been left to them. They maybe even are getting the mortgage paid off and have more disposable income.

If you look at the current Board of Directors, Brian and Kris definitely fall into the "younger" crowd...Kevin's a bit older, but considerably less gray than I am. Bill is at least young at heart and has way more energy than I do in terms of what he does for the club. I don't think this is a group with its head in the sand.

This topic was discussed somewhat at the board meeting in Colorado. The current big problem is that membership dropped lower than projected, therefore revenue from dues dropped, creating something of a cash crunch. I think there was some good discussion there, although I have enough gray hair to not be able to reproduce much of it now that it is almost 2 months past. Was that discussion possibly recorded?

One of the concrete things you can do is, if you have them, get your children or grandchildren involved. If you don't have them, adopt the kids next door for car shows...heck, they're always over in the driveway drooling over your cars anyway. If you have been to the last few Nationals (excluding Flint 2008), you have probably seen my children. They are now 9, 11, and 13 - my BCA membership is going to turn into 4 in a few years. They love going to the National, seeing different places, and seeing the cars. The two older ones helped out with a bit of a judging shortage this year in Colorado Springs. I think that says something....

One thing I mentioned at the meeting in Colorado was that the National activities need to get a bit more family friendly. Generally, the attractions fit the bill, but other than the banquet, I have not yet seen a provision for child pricing. While I haven't attended any yet, those of you putting on regional events or simply a local event, think about it. If say a meal is $20 a head, are you turning off that family of 5? In chatting after with Bill and Rick, I have been assured they are taking this matter to heart for Iowa 2010.

I also mentioned that I was inspired by one of our Aussie friends on the forum here and arranged to take my '54 wagon to school one day in June. My youngest child's grade 3 class then spent some time looking at it and compared it to a modern minivan (which is ultimately the replacement of the station wagon in function). The children were really great about it in terms of finding things that were similar as well as differences. They asked intelligent questions (not to mention that they also asked very different questions than adults tend to). That day, I became the greatest Dad at the school (I know that won't last though...). More importantly, I took the car show to a bunch of children, rather than just taking one or two children to a car show. I exposed many of them to the old car hobby when many of them wouldn't have seen anything that old before. I also exposed them to Buicks. There are schools all over...try it, you may like it.

As previously stated, all sorts of groups are having trouble replacing membership, so the BCA isn't alone there. That being said, we have to look at whether or not everything the BCA offers still makes sense. The Bugle is the largest expense, and for many of us, is the biggest benefit to the membership. The quality needs to stay high. Part of that will require some succession planning (much as many would like, I am fairly certain Pete won't do it forever...) to ensure the high quality remains. Note - I'm not out to replace Pete, just suggesting that worst case, he is human therefore mortal, therefore cannot do it forever.

Another thought that was stated (if I remember correctly, it was Barney's open letter published in the Bugle a few months back) is to imagine what it would be like if we each brought in one new member. The membership would double. That would resolve the immediate financial concerns. That also needs to be sustained.

Well, I'm sure I've blathered long enough...for the record, prior to purchasing Spirit, all my "old" Buicks were older than me. I don't think it will stay that way forever though...there is a calling or yearning for either a Reatta and / or a last generation Riviera.

[Guest THEHKP7M13]

Being a 30-something family man with three kids makes it difficult to own an old Buick. There have been times when I wished my Buick was a Chevy so I would have access to more parts and more affordable parts. This may play a part in the shrinking of the BCA.

Agreed!

... Add to that Buick's dwindling model lineup for the last few years, and the tendancy of many BCA members to look down on smaller or 'cloned' so-called non-Buick models and you see where the trend is going and why...

What does Buick produce today that would make anyone want to join BCA?

[Barney Eaton]

I don't see the relationship with what Buick produces today with joining the BCA.

The BCA is about collectable cars, cars you had in High School, cars your parents drove and Buick you lusted for ............ plus the knowledge you can get from other owners of the same

Buick.

I purchased a 1939 Buick Century in November of 2008 and read everything I could find about them for 7-8 months. At Colorado Springs, I associated with Buick owners that furthered my education about '39's more in 3 days than I had learned in those 7-8 months.

Plus I met some great Buick people that up to that time I had never met. You get first hand stories about trips, repairs and help finding and fixing parts.

Part of the problem today is people asking "what do I get" when we need members that are willing to say "what can I do"

I've said it before and I guess it needs repeating.............

The BCA is not like a health club where you pay your dues and they take care of everything for you. This is a member participation car club (as most are) the BCA provides services for which there are expenses and every member pays an equal share.

(1) there is a national office that is a central point of activity. They collect dues, send out dues notices, maintain the membership database, answer the phone and answer questions or direct the caller to someone that can help them. Until we find a member that would be willing to do this for free...... it is an expense.

(2) The Bugle is a high quality monthly magazine sent to every BCA member. It contains great indepth articles with excellant photos (mostly in color) by a world class editor that know about Buicks (and many other vehicles). It keeps you up to date on Buick events that are scheduled around the country, and you are welcome to attend as a BCA member. There are FREE classified ad available to members both to buy and sell.

The Bugle is the major expense of the BCA and accounts for 70% of the budget... that includes editor fees (try and find someone that will work for free) layout fees, printing and ever increasing mailing cost.

We have just under 9000 members in the US and foreign countries. There are about 67 BCA Chapters spread over the US and 6 (sub) Divisions that specilize in specific Buicks and in most cases put out their own magazine/newsletter. If you cannot find a Chapter or Division that meets your needs........ let us know and there may be other that will join you and form one. Until then the BCA welcomes ALL Buick owners.

me

[MrEarl]

We have just under 9000 members in the US and foreign countries. There are about 67 BCA Chapters spread over the US and 6 (sub) Divisions that specilize in specific Buicks and in most cases put out their own magazine/newsletter. If you cannot find a Chapter or Division that meets your needs........ let us know and there may be other that will join you and form one. Until then the BCA welcomes ALL Buick owners.

me

As long as there are old Buicks, there will be a Buick Club. The recent crushing of so many restorable 40's-80's cars I am afraid impacted the club more than we realize right now. We pretty much only have what we have already restored and as the old gray's turn them over to the younger throw away generation they will have to be appreciated. As this world gets smaller and smaller and so many of our Buicks are crossing the big pond, are we missing anything by remaining the Buick Club of America or should we be considering an IBC-International Buick Club.

get me outa here Percy. (where is the ducking tomatoes smilie icon when you need it)

[Guest rsteere]

I have been a member of the BCA for 30+ years. I was one of the young kids(21) with a Buick that was modified ('37 coupe with a 231/auto). I discovered what Buick built cars were capable of doing. When the kids came along the cars didn't get driven as much.

Fast forward, 2 boys raised, both in their early 20's. 1 has a modified '61 special, the other is still a Buick lover but is into motorcycles right now. He will be a Buick owner again. He can't get '70-'72 Skylarks out of his head. The one with the '61 is a new family man and cannot afford to join the club right now. I have been planning to buy him a year subscription for christmas for many years and this will be the year. HINT HINT.

I have owned and sold many many Buicks over the years. With each one sold I always show them a recent copy of the Bugle and give them the info to join.

Here is the thought that might help. This summer I sold my '62 skylark to a 16 year old kid (mom and dad helped) for less money than what book had it priced at. The kid had gotten to me when he saw the old Skylark and realized how neat it was (bring back any memories?). What I should have done is charged him $40.00 extra or given up $40.00 out of my pocket to help the new Buick owner and the club out. I should have signed him up after all I had all of his info and money. Wouldn't that been a nice surprise for him? I goofed!

This kid is going to show up at car shows and etc. He is not going to want to go out for coffee. He does not know anything about the car he bought (dad doesn't know either). He will believe his Buick is the best car ever turned out of the factory. And it is the best Buick in his eyes. How do help him get/keep him in the club? 1 year free exposure to the club will help but we will have to make him feel welcome. He will not have alot of cash, he will not know alot about cars, he will not want to be critisized for what he may have done wrong, he will need positive reassurance no matter what you personally think about him and his car.

So if you see a young kid with a '62 Skylark in flat black primer, baby moons, beauty rings, and a few other changes made to the car (I did these mods) please welcome him. He knows about Ames next year and I hope he will show up.

Randy

[JohnD1956]

Wow, lots of great comments here. Please let me add a few

Assuming that: in order to save the BCA on a National level we need to grow the membership, here are some ideas for consideration.

1) Allow Local Chapters to include Non-BCA Members:

Considering the "Member at Large" Standard Operating Procedure( SOP), is there any reason Chapters cannot open their ranks to non BCA members? Several reasons to allow this change include:

* it offers NON-BCA people a chance to test drive the BCA.

* Lower initial cost to potential members for BCA linkage, which is a small but persistent factor in at least our area of the country.

* A chance for Buick owners to meet and develop relationships with established BCA members. These relationships, if satisfactory, would lead to greater participation locally and open the door for full BCA membership.

* A chance for the National to sell the BCA from within. We have a great club but regardless of our progress over the years, some who have been disillusioned in the past continue to cling to negative experiences, and taint the BCA before new owners can decide for themselves. This would allow people to see the positives and make a more informed decision as to their participation in the BCA experience.

Under such a program, the non-BCA member would still receive limited BCA benefits on a year round basis ( ie: no Bugle, or rights of full membership) but they would be linked to the National for events through the Member at Large SOP. And through this linkage the opportunity exists to boost the national organization..

2) Multi tiered Dues Structure:

If the idea above was incorporated into BCA operations, a multi tiered dues structure could benefit both the National level and the Local Chapters. Here’s one possibility for how it could work:

Option one: Join just the National, Dues $ xx.oo per annum

Option two: Join just the Local, Dues $ yy.oo per annum

Option three: Join both, Dues are $xx.00 discounted by d% plus $yy.00 discounted by d%. One payment is made to the National level, and the Local’s share is subsequently rebated to the Chapter on an annual basis. This is just one option, but the benefit here is a discount to belong to both organizations, and the member only issues one payment. It avoids the nickle and dime scenario which may impact some peoples decision about membership. It also provides incentive to join both parts of the organization.

And, further assuming BCA survival includes reducing costs, how about a new publication, a "Bugalette" for lack of any other name, which would be used in alternating monthly cycle with the Bugle? This could mean the Bugle gets printed six times a year, presumably on an alternating monthly basis, and in the off month, a smaller and less costly publication is sent. This Bugalette could include the Calendar of Events, Classifieds ( both advertisers and member ads) , Chapter and Divisional contact information, plus information regarding joining the BCA. Perhaps this schedule would allow us to cut costs but accomplish the goal of reaching all members at least once a month, which is important to keep people involved.

[Guest rsteere]

John,

I hope someone is going to copy all of these ideas down and take them forward. To add to Johns ideas I would like to say:

How about an online Bugle for all of the people who use the internet. Many people like to read about things on paper (hard copy), others read the screen. Internet people could print the Bugle on their own paper using their own ink too. This will reach a more deverse group of people.

I personally enjoy getting mine in the mail but would also print it if it were a choice.

Maybe a "Bugle-tte" on line and a Bugle in the mail?

Randy

[serb]

I want to see the magazine delivered to my door. I have printed stuff off for further follow up or reading and it ends up being thrown away. Magazines, I take them everywhere to read. If I remember an article, I can find the book and re-read the article. I am usually pretty good within a book or two of finding the article.

stevo

[Aaron65]

This has been discussed here before, but I joined the Buick Club because I like supporting the hobby, I like the magazine, and I like having a network for parts if I need them. This is from a 32 year old guy, almost the target bracket mentioned in this thread. With the internet, that last one isn't as important, but I'll continue to support as long as I can or I feel benefit from being a member. I'm not affiliated with local chapters, not because they're bad, it's just that the closest is almost an hour away from me and I am always working on my cars, or hanging out with my wife, or riding one of my antique bicycles, or going camping, or whatever...no knock on the club or anything. Not to mention, During the school year (I'm a teacher), I've just got stuff going on. Anyway, the one thing I can recommend is to not be critical because some younger guys don't have show vehicles...I only had a problem once. My '53 has OLD pitted paint (20 footer). I'm not planning on painting it any time soon because it looks kind of cool and well worn the way it is, and I am completely redoing the body on my Mustang and can't afford to do all my cars (I'm a teacher!). Some member of the Buick Club said to me, after I was talking about all the mechanical work I was doing, "Now all it needs is a paint job." Talk about arrogant...really turned me off, but I met some nice members, plus the ones on here, that overpowered the bad. Just a couple of incoherent ramblings from a member who may be considered a bit "nontraditional."

[Barney Eaton]

I want to comment on John DeFiore's suggestions/ideas.

There are some technical reasons that people must be members of the BCA national club to

be involved with local Chapters. It has to do with insurance... the SOP noted states that we must charge them something (and log the payment) to be a "Member at Large" this technicallity covers us on the insurance.

In Johns part 2 he talke to multilevel memberships........ this might work but everyone must pay their way. We cannot give away memberships to some members and charge others or there will be an uprising.........equality and fairness comes into play.

One of the best ideas I have heard recently .......... at Colorado Springs, one of the Chapters said they give NEW members a one year free Chapter membership when they show they belong to the BCA. At a Chapter level, this does some of the things John suggests.

The new member gets to test drive the Chapter for a year and most Chapters can absorb the small cost of this...... it also encourages the Chapter to make the new member at home and feel welcome because they want and need them to stay for multiple years.

Nothing official has happened, but the BCA Board is looking at online Bugles.........

Read this carefully........ they are looking at it......... the main advantage and possibly the test qroup would be FOREIGN BCA members. It takes 4-8 weeks for the Bugle to arrive in some countries. The BCA has several dedicated members in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe that would benefit in receiving the Bugle via the internet.

If they are looking for parts, the parts are sold by the time they receive their Bugle. If they

could get a online copy, they would have a fighting chance at the parts. They would also have the option of getting a hard copy.

If this works and there are no bugs, then the general BCA membership MIGHT have the same option. Again, nothing official but there could be three levels of membership.

(A) Online only........ this would be the lowest cost but not free because these members should pay their share of the editors salary, layout, and adminstration cost. What would be saved would be the printing, paper, and postage

( Hard copy of the Bugle.... this is the membership level we have today.

© Hard copy and online access..... this would give members the hard copy of the Bugle for their archives, but give them immediate access to the magazine. This would be most attractive to our foreign members and possibly generate more foreign members. We need to evaluate the extra adminstration time ($$) it takes to do this. It might be at no extra cost but most likely there would be a very small additional charge.

Aaron and others..... I too have a Corvair and it has not been on the road for 20+ years, but I have been a CORSA member since late 1970, have attended many National Corvair meets, was one of the founders of our local Corvair club, and over the past 50 years have owned 33+ Corvairs. Although I have not had a running Corvair for at least 10 years...... I am still involved with my local club.

Edited August 30, 2009 by Barney Eaton (see edit history)

[Buick Bruce]

Wow - this is a great thread. It always amazed me that Greg Field (BCA#1) recruited more members than anyone else in the BCA when he was around. He went out of his way to talk to anyone with a collectable Buick of any vintage; he was always positive, friendly, courteous and encouraging - never critical of "too new" or a rough car. Maybe we could offer a free annual membership to BCA members that recruit at least 5/10/? new members in a year.

I just got off the phone with a guy who was driving through last weeks' local cruise night with his newly purchased Reatta coupe. He had a handful of notes he was trying to hand out that read as follows "Hello - I just acquired a 1989 Reatta. Would like to talk to someone who owns one. Please cal me at . . . ." I told him about the Buick Club and the Reatta Forum and gave him my phone number so we can rendezvous at the next cruise night.

I am a die-hard Buick fan (BCA member since I graduated from high school – 1973 so you know my age) and a lifetime BCA member. I, too, have been criticized by old timers – I’ll never forget the negative comments I got when I proudly showed up with my 22 year old original unrestored 1960 Electra 225 convertible at a nearby chapter show and was ridiculed for bringing a “new” car with dents in the hood.

As BCA members, we all need to be always on the lookout to recruit new members. We all need to be positive, friendly, courteous and encouraging.

[Mark Shaw]

One more suggestion... Always fill your back seat.

Many people have never experienced riding in collector cars..... Even those who have had a ride in a Model A or Model T don't realize how different it is to ride in a Buick... (No slam here).

Empty seats are missed opportunities to expose others to the hobby. Invite your kids and grandkids, but don't forget your friends & neighbors too.

[Thriller]

Barney - first off, I want to thank you for what you have done for the club with your involvement with the Reatta group, the BoD, and probably a bunch more than I can think of. This is not intended as a criticism, but I think it has to be said.

I don't see the relationship with what Buick produces today with joining the BCA.

The BCA is about collectable cars, cars you had in High School, cars your parents drove and Buick you lusted for ............ plus the knowledge you can get from other owners of the same

Buick.

I would argue that the BCA is about people who like / enjoy and / or own vehicles produced by Buick. Period. Granted, by their age, many are deemed collectible regardless of the model. I would argue all Buick should be included and, at present, they are. We have a 2006 Rainier. It is in the roster, as are many newer model Buicks that may very well never be considered collectible.

If it is about collectible Buicks, then what is the next generation of collectors going to collect if Buick is only producing run of the mill appliances rather than automobiles of beauty, grace, and even performance? Every person I have talked to enjoys their Rendezvous or Enclave, but will they be considered collectible in the future?

We have just under 9000 members in the US and foreign countries. There are about 67 BCA Chapters spread over the US and 6 (sub) Divisions that specilize in specific Buicks and in most cases put out their own magazine/newsletter. If you cannot find a Chapter or Division that meets your needs........ let us know and there may be other that will join you and form one. Until then the BCA welcomes ALL Buick owners.

The last sentence kind of contradicts your earlier statement about collectible Buicks. I'm sure this was not intended, but for a non-BCA member reading this forum, it could be confusing, if not a turn-off.

Now, as for those who don't belong to chapters due to distance, please consider joining your closest chapter. After it was announced that the National Meet was going to be in Rochester, I joined the Gopher State Chapter. I figured that it was never going to get closer to me and I might feel a bit more that I belonged if I got a bit involved. I live about 450 miles from the Twin Cities where the chapter is headquartered and meetings occur. The only meeting I have attended was in 2006 in Rochester since I happened to be there. I keep hoping to time a trip down for a few days in one of the summer months that covers the meeting date, but it just hasn't worked out yet. For a small fee, I get an additional Buick-focused, relatively local newsletter. I have managed now on two occasions to get down to a chapter run show and it has been a lot of fun, especially the almost-traditional pre-show dinner at Famous Dave's up the street. I have even contributed a bit...I have contributed several articles (and a recipe or two) to the newsletter. This Labour Day weekend, I am hosting a tour for the chapter (even though only a few are coming up it should be fun), including a member of the BCA BoD. It can really add to your overall BCA experience.

Also, I know a number of the Chicagoland members are also members of Gopher State and vice versa.

I do dislike hearing about people and cost though. Granted, I understand some are on more limited incomes than others. However, if you drive an old Buick, does a tank of fuel not cost more than a BCA membership (or at least pretty close...we are more heavily taxed up here)? How about license / registration / insurance fees? I like to think of membership dues being part of the cost of the hobby.

Anyway, I've started rambling again....

[NTX5467]

When a local Mopar club was formed, it was sponsored by a local Dodge dealership with an enterprising and market-saavy parts manager. As an original and continuing member from back then, it was really "ground-breaking" for a dealer operative to start something as that--for a "Mopar" of all things, yet similar clubs had existed for Fords and Chevy's for ages.

Upon membership dues being paid, the first-time member got a Mopar hat and t-shirt from the dealership. This is one reason the initial membership was $25.00/year rather than the $15.00/year renewal. TRY to find a Buick hat or t-shirt locally! In later years, if an existing member wanted a new hat and t-shirt, they were allowed to pay the higher renewal rate. Membership also meant wholesale parts pricing on parts from the parts department and later the possibility of "fleet pricing" on new vehicles (which I negotiated for).

Perhaps the BCA might consider giving new members a "BUICK" hat with the BCA logo on it, rather than just "BCA". Having both names on it would tie the two together in the minds of the public--a public that increasingly knows that a Buick club might not exist. Vendors for car t-shirts don't always have Buick shirts, but a few do--it would be nice to see a more generic Buick shirt that is not specific to muscle cars, turbo cars, or fat-fender Buicks. Sometimes, GM has some t-shirts with the current advertising on them, but those are not that plentiful (or known-available).

There are several perceptions of the BCA and the Buicks, in general, that many propogate and possibly don't fully understand (as they do that--repeating what others have said).

I've heard the BCA termed to only be interested in "antique Buicks". Hence, although the "antique" definition is for "25 years and older", that leaves out the newer Buicks of the time--right up front. It does not matter that "antique" is a rolling window of sorts, now including vehicles which many used to call "used cars". For example, in the waning days of '70s-era muscle cars, there were some very nice Buicks built with 455 motors--which were "instant collectibles" as they rolled of the assembly lines due to their very limited numbers in a time when fuel efficiency was more important than horsepower.

When I first really looked at a Buick Apollo, I was amazed at how nice it was in comparison to the Chevy Nova it began life as. Add some of the Nova's chassis upgrades (sway bars, especially) and you'd have a really luxurious smaller car with a Buick 350 V-8 engine upgrade. Where are those cars now, even the 4-door sedans? That would be a neat car to have now!

It seems to be somewhat invisible to the BCA, but there are many younger people that drive Buicks . . . and like them. Check out the RegalGS.org website, for example. A whole different breed of Buick enthusiast, by observation. Many would consider the cars they drive to be "invisible" and "not of collectible value" . . . just as the Buick Apollos tend to be. How the BCA might reach that group can be more difficult than reaching a Buick enthusiast who likes '55 Buicks (for example). To see the Forums, you'll have to register for the website--there is LOTS to see in there. There is lots of information sharing in there, just as we used to do it "analog" back when--it's STILL about "the network" that can be patched into.

By association, "antique" also generally indicates the age of the owners generally associated with those vehicles. We know that is not always the case, but that dang "public perception" strikes again.

When the BCA was younger, the powers that be put "The 12 Year Rule" in place. Some 40+ years ago, it might have made sense to do that. It might have tended to ensure that a new Buick would not show against an older Buick, in the car show events--with the perception that a new car will always win over an older one, which is NOT always the case. Over the years past 1960, consider how many new Buick platforms came to market. That would include the Skylark performance cars, the new Riviera, and the Reatta. Each group is of a demographic that CAN overlap with the BCA membership, but try to show one of those new and exciting Buicks at a BCA National Meet, back then . . . "not old enough". Therefore, from what I suspect, the possible BCA members went out and did their own things . . . and still are. Only until the BCA devised the "division" orientation might some of these groups come under the BCA umbrella. Some of the more vintage members in here have heard me say that before, but no body has really tried to address doing damage control to make the BCA the all-encompassing Buick club many desire it to be. Hard to be "all encompassing" when particular Buicks are openly and continually discriminated against due to the model year of the newer Buick they might be very proud of! I feel that ONLY when the BCA fully becomes "all encompassing" of ALL BUICKS, regardless of model year of Buicks which can be shown and judged at BCA National Meets, can all of the dialogue of "getting younger members" really become operational.

Many might desire to lay the BCA's lack of younger members at the feet of Buick and GM. Just because we might have grown up in a world filled with hardtops, convertibles, and station wagons does not always mean that younger people (who grew up in a world full of 4-door sedans and minivans) might want one. Therefore, we should not expect them to like what WE like, showing them WHY we like Buicks and what made Buicks better vehicle choices. Young families take just as much pride of showing their late-model Mazda 4-door sedan at a NOPI show was we would showing a '55 Century Convertible at one of our shows--I saw that on SPEED Channel several years ago. In our more downsized world, getting into the back seat of a 2-door car is not much different than trying to get into the back seat of a '70s Camaro, so 4-doors make more sense unless it's a sports car.

I do feel that when many younger people might take the time to put their DOHC orientations in "Park" and understand that it's torque that moves things rather than multiple camshafts, they can see how cars used to be really spiffy in a time when a cupholder was on the inside of the glove compartment door . . . when interiors were multi-colored rather than multi-hued . . . when "reverb" and "FM multiplex" made the radios sound really good . . . when cloth interiors were really classy.

I've seen some posts by 20-something new older vehicle owners. They praise the size and comfort and styling, but also brag about how much gas it takes to run it (think "lower is better"). In some respects, even a 1985 LeSabre is too big for many daily drivers to use--regardless of the fuel economy it might get on the highway (where it seems that many of these owners do not drive anymore). So, it can be a double-edged sword for future generations to associate "old car" with "gas guzzler" in a $4.00/gallon world. Unfotunately, many might not have sufficient income to keep the car going as they try to use it as a "cheap" alternative to a newer car as an only car, rather than as a second car as a hobby.

I tend to concur that rather than target 20-somethings, the BCA might have better luck targeting 40-somethings who might soon have "empty nests", more disposable income, and time to devote to an older vehicle's restoration. Or 30-somethings that are starting to pass on their automotive knowledge and love to their offspring. A few years ago, I asked a local AACA member (and also one of our chapter members), given the stated success of the AACA's younger member program, how many younger members typically turned up at their meetings and tours. He replied that usually, they came with their grandparents.

I feel that the BCA's current financial issues will fix themselves somewhat when the economy recovers more, but this might take a year or so. Membership numbers are not the only issue as advertising revenues have to rebound, too. Advertising can be a double-edge situation, too, as decisions must be made as to how much "content" and how much "advertising" there is in a publication which is limited in the number of pages it can be. Advertising revenue that can buy-down the cost of the magazine for the membership.

In the BCA, we have many generations of members who grew up on many different and diverse times . . . and the orientations which each birth generation had during when they were growing up. This same diversity of current Buick owners also can make it hard for Buick to successfully market new products!

I know, from prior discussions in here of electronic media for The Roster or THE BUGLE that many are of the younger generation and are more electronic-media-oriented. Yet we still have many who are not "computer-friendly" in our midst that we do NOT desire to alienate. I believe that The Roster could be best served with purely electronic delivery (with appropriate password protections!), yet with a large number of members who would have to find somebody with a knowledge of downloading and printing particular sections, it's worthless to them in totally electronic media. Many still carry the hard copy version with them when they travel . . . not quite the same thing as carrying several sheets of paper printed out for them. Not the same level of "security blanket", so to speak.

There can be a compelling discussion to offer THE BUGLE in electronic media for overseas members, but if that choice leads to fewer magazines being printed and that equates to a greater cost/issue, has the greater good of cost efficiency really been served? I have no doubt that a few BCA Board Members might be rooting for electronic delivery, though, without fully considering all of the side issues or dynamics of the situation--just my gut suspicion.

End result . . . from my own experiences with a computer magazine that recently went "digital" . . . if I don't get the magazine in my hand each month, I forget about it. When I forget about it, that subscription is worthless . . . without regard to the great information that might be in the publication, which I might benefit from in the future. If I'm doing research on an electronic item, I can go into their website and find articles to read, but even those are archived for a certain period of time.

When many people who talk about Buicks as "grandparents' car", that automatically, to them, means "not interesting" or "dull" or "slow". In many respects, with more modern Buicks, some of that can apply. Styling is good, but nothing that really stands out . . . until the last couple of years.

Many younger people might not fully understand why Buick was often called a "doctor's car". When that term was appliled to Buicks, doctors made HOUSE CALLS. This could have meant the traversing of rough country roads into many less-inhabited rural areas. Sometimes, they had to transport the patient to a medical facility in town. Think . . . riding comfort, interior size, mechanical reliability, and economy of operation. As medical doctors were considered professional people, them having a "cheap" car would have meant they were not successful and somebody you didn't want trying to fix your failing body.

Many people have NOT considering are some of the dynamics of owning newer Buicks. It has to also be considered that as most of the "grandparent-age" people can be on fixed incomes, having a reliable vehicle that also gets 28+mpg on the highway is important. Just as the 3.8L V-6 takes <5 qts of oil with an oil and oil filter change rather than 6-7 quarts as many of the higher-tech OHC motors do. Many used 15" and 16" wheels and tires, with tires that are readily available and REASONABLY priced. So, some of THE SAME THINGS which make these Buicks attractive to the "fixed income generation" can ALSO make them compelling vehicle choices for younger people of limited financial means! Still, the "grandma's car" perception continues . . . Funny, the same perception doesn't keep people from purchasing Toyota Camrys!

By the same token, how many bucket seat (which was originally the standard seating arrangement!!) Buick Lucernes have you seen? It makes are really spiffy car! Unfortunately, it might not appeal to a generation which considers a "stick shift" car a "cheap car", when column shifters were the upscale orientation, or that it was safer to open the curb-side door, enter the front seat area, and slide across the front seat rather than enter from the driver's side and have to open the car door with city traffic coming at you.

Personally, I look for the newer Buicks now coming online to be much more attractive to many groups of younger buyers. Brian is an example of that.

When Buick had a massive display at the Dallas New Car Show several years ago, when the LaCross concept car was introduced (the modern adaptation of '49 Roadmaster styling!), there were people watching the presentation of voice-activated vehicles of ALL ages . . . young to old. When the Enclave was first shown a few years ago, many younger families were excitedly looking at it. The new 2010 LaCrosse will keep that momentum going, as will an energetic group of "New" GM managers--or should I say a group of "newly-empowered" GM managers (most of which had been there all along).

"Fixing the BCA" might not be as simple as a single answer or change, which many might desire it to be. It's going to take a while, too, unfortunately.

Just as with "New" GM revitalizing their product lines, it behooves them to not alienate existing customers as they try to appeal and market to younger generations. Orchestrating the demise of product lines via product decisions, ala "No bench seats or column shifters for the new Aurora", can't happen--period. Similarly, it should behoove the BCA Board of Directors to not alienate or "leave behind" ANY past and current BCA member as they try to regain desired profitability via membership level increases. A "left behind" former BCA member is worse than a mad customer as I suspect their "come-back" rate is very near "0".

The BEST marketing tool the BCA has is THE BUGLE. Not putting it in some sort of wrapper might not affect the internal content, but it not being protected is detrimental to the possibility that it might be passed on to other potential members.

Remember the days when we used to say "If they'd only spent an extra nickel on that part, it wouldn't be broke now" about car parts? At the consumer's level, that broke part is now costing them money to fix, yet saved the manufacturer millions of dollars (due to the volume of nickels they saved). Enough nickels to pay for dealership warranty labor rates to fix it, too! I know that all business entities must find ways to pay their bills, but they must also NOT forget how what they do can ultimately affect customer satisfaction and retention, much less giving potential future customers a compelling reason to become a customer.

Regards,

NTX5467

Edited August 31, 2009 by NTX5467
content (see edit history)

[ol' yeller]

A few more suggestions. Our local chapter involves the membership often. In February we have a chili cookoff that has grown into a potluck recipe exchange. The guys like it as we get to feed our faces. Spouses like getting new recipes. (does that sound sexist? sorry! I have to admit that I've picked up a recipe or 2). In September we have a Fall leaf tour. November we have an auction of extra stuff we have in our garages, with the proceeds going to the chapter treasury. We meet every month for dinner and chat. We have partnered with other clubs (Pontiac, Ford V8 Etc.) on tours and Poker Runs. While bringing your Buick to the events is encouraged, during winter many bring their daily drivers. All are welcomed. We did have a group called the ROF. ROF stood for Retired Old F..... Fellas yeah that's it, Fella's. They went on driving tours during the day while all the working stiffs were at work. I gotta work on reviving that one. The point is that when the membership is involved, they contribute. Someone said earlier that you need to contribute to your organization, not look for what it can do for you. That is true but you do need to set the hook and show them what a healthy organization can do for them. We are pretty lucky here in the Northwest as all of our local chapters have a great group of folks who understand what it takes to make this thing work and how we all benefit when the organization prospers.

Secondly it was mentioned that there are free ads in the Bugle to members. That is a nice perk for members but in view of our finacial situation, maybe we should charge for the ads or some of the ads. Maybe we should charge for Car For Sale ads. That way those who are getting benefit are those who are paying. after all, you have a pretty targeted audience for your ad.

Our local has a newsletter exchage with all the other chapters up and down the west coast. I take pride in the quality of our newsletter and the Leads and Needs section should be of interest to all Buick lovers. We offer everyone a free ad in our local newsletter to anyone (Buick Related) at all of the local swap meets over the winter. We operate a booth at all the big local meets. I think this is probably why our local membership has grown. Every year, we raffle off a lighted neon sign, Buick Ford or Chevy. The raffle tickets cover the cost of the sign, and then some, and we give prospective members a reason to stop and talk to us.

Having a 2 or 3 tiered membership with the cost based upon how much of the resources each member uses also has merit. I'd consider getting the Bugle online if it would save the organization a few bucks. The suggestion of the local sponsoring the National dues for a short period of time for new members is a great suggestion. I'm gonna bring that up at the next meeting.

Finally we have to keep our stupid opinions and prejudices to ourselves when it comes to new members. I know there are times when I look at some cars and think to myself, "Why would anyone fix up one of those?" or "Did they paint that car with a vacuum cleaner exhaust." These types of thoughts are best left in my head rather than spoken. I know there are some who wonder why I spend even one dollar on restoring my 1965 Skylark 4 door. I loved it when I brought my multi colored, rusted, beat-up 1965 Skylark to our local show one year and won Most Ambitous Project. I was also very proud the next year to win Most Improved and First in class. Criticism inspires no one but encouragement sends hope. At the next Buick car show, look at all the Buicks and try to find something nice to say about every car. I still remember how when I first got my '65 Skylark. I was driving it proudly down mainstreet with my then 17 year old daughter at my side. She saw the smile of pride on my face and said, "Dad, you really don't know how bad your car looks, do you?" I took that as a teachable moment and said to her, "You really don't know how this car looks in my mind either." Please keep this in mind when you are around members or potential members and feel the need to comment on their car.

Greg

[Barney Eaton]

This has been a great response to the question and I am glad someone ask.

Your input and understanding of the BCA operations help others realise that satifying 9000

BCA members is tricky. Some think things should be done their way........ regardless of the facts or what others think.

I also believe the BCA will survive...... it could continue to grow or may settle into a smaller number of dedicated Buick owners. Either way, we still have our Buicks.

[RICK YOUNG]

The definition of middle age is anyone 5 years older than yourself.

Many good constructive ideas and thoughts here.

The government just took 700,000 future classic cars off the market, which resulted in less recycled parts available to people who are typically lower income.

I'm preachin' to the choir, but we all know the story of keeping old cars renewed.

If you haven't contacted your politicians it is now time to get in their face. I have contacted mine regularly.

[Guest El_Diablo]

Well, I posted this in private mesages, but maybe this place could be right for a few thoughts....

<hr>#1

Here are a few ideas about the Bugle and the falling amount of members of the BCA. I don’t know it exactly, but I can image that the average age of the BCA member is above 45 or even 50. But also imagine this: The generation that will be 50 in 20 years grew up with computers and the internet. So some things have to change in the future. I’m not a member of the BCA and – I’m from Germany – not of the BCG (Buick Club of Germany). Why not? Maybe my view is too rational, but what is the big reason to be a member? The BCG doesn’t have a forum and even though Germany is not that huge, all meetings are too far away from me. The member fee for the BCA is cheap – in comparison to the one of the BCG. There must be something attractive to become a member!

I read the letter in the June 2009 Bugle issue, where the rhetoric question was: “You spend 40 USD for that chrome part without asking, but can’t afford 40 USD for a full year membership??” Again, let me write it without emotions: The chrome part is something I enjoy every day, it makes my Buick better and might increase its value. To get to the point: Most people won’t die without the BCA and the Bugle. I’m working in the PR business and writing lots of articles for the financial business. My colleague I share the room with is in our marketing department, so I learn a lot about marketing. Marketing or PR, there are some rules you always have in mind: What does our product have that others lack, what is our USP (unique selling proposition), why do all people need what we sell?

The June Bugle is great. Very helpful content, every useful seller is there: Kanter, Bobs, Wheatbelt, etc. If you read the Bugle you realize that the Bugle is the #1 source to get important information about restoring Buicks and to meet people that might be in the same situation. I’d use this USP more often! => “If you restore a Buick, you NEED to have a membership in the BCA. It not only saves time – you get in touch with great people and lots of restoring knowledge.”

Back to the internet thing. The ePaper version is standard in German media, every big magazine has a pageflip version. Our experience is, the more you go online, the higher is the danger to lose readers. The result will be a decreasing amount of printed versions – but most of the companies that book ads pay less with less printed versions. That’s why we develop new media packets. Book an ad in the printed version, get one internet ad for free. I don’t know how the ads are managed at the Bugle, but it sounds like it is not financed and every issue costs not about 0 USD. There are only a few full page ads. The second best place for an ad is not used in the Bugle (in June), the back! If someone lays it on the cover back after reading, you only see car meeting photos. Many companies want this space and pay top money for that. Offer them a package for a full year – that enables one to develop a plan for the whole year.

Some more things I see: The cover is full of different font sizes and font style. Its almost a nightmare! The only color that is missing is green. There are (including the Bugle “logo”) nine(!) different font sizes. Some words are bold, some italic, some start big, some small, one word is underlined, the others not, in some words all letters are big,… very hard for the eye. The Bugle needs a styleguide (not only cover, all pages, the layout is not very favourable)! Although the Bugle is a magazine of special interest, it competes with other car magazines and the style is one big point of winning potential readers, especially new ones. Compare the cover of the Bugle with the ad of Buick on the second page : There is only one font, only two different colors (that are similar), two different font styles and (not counting the copyright) only two different font sizes => a very harmonic creation. Another thing: The presidents message, in my opinion the welcome of the issue, is after the table of content. Why? In all magazines I know it’s the other way round. Before I read in detail whats in it, I’d like to be welcomed in the magazine and whats be big deal with this special issue.

Speaking of big things: To have a strong brand you need to have the same logo in all publications. The BCA logo is black and white on page three. To make it more recognizable, I’d suggest using the normal red/blue/white one. Same with the Bugle logo: I don’t know who’s creation it is, but its not very harmonic. If you don’t have a graphical logo and only a script as logo, it should make a great impression. Sorry to say this, but it looks someone wanted something real big but wasn’t able to. BMW has the same logo since decades!

It has been modernized from time to time, but you can always recognize a BMW. The BCA logo is great, but the Bugle hasn’t got one, yet. I suggest creating a new one that lasts until forever, but can be modernized easily without losing the unique styling.

The unique styling should match the one of your website. Make it recognizable. If someone has read only one Bugle he/she got from a friend and browses to the website, he/she should recognize in a second that he/she is on the right website. The style of the website varies, but this is another story…

A phrase says “You can restore a car a thousand times, but its only original once.” What does this tell us? There will always be people restoring Buicks – it is timeless. There will always be potential BCA members. If you have an online published Bugle that can’t be downloaded, all users need to come back – more traffic for the BCA. Use a powerful page flip software like Issuu(.com), it has some statistical features for publishers, too.

Make it easy to find and get in contact with the BCA. Create shortcuts like www.buickclub.org/join. Its easy to remember and you can advertise with it easily. Install an online archive like www.buickclub.org/bugle. Most guys in the BCA are members since months, years or even decades. They know the correct address for the office. But new members or interested people don’t! Make it easy for them and use addresses you would intentionally think of. info@buickclub.org, office@buickclub.org and bugle@buickclub.org would help. At most providers, the email addresses cost nothing.

The BCA forum is great. Why not use it in the printed version? Make a regular story of it like “best/most forum thread of the past month”. For the younger generation a category for websites could be nice. Start series which cover more than two issues. On page five its stated whats coming in the future issues. Pete Philips is not sure, if the content of the September issue is of big interest => use the forum, make a poll and ask what people would like to read. Make an outlook of the upcoming issue at the end of the actual printed Bugle, so that people are really looking forward to it. Put a reference next to it, how people can become a member of the BCA.

Collect as much email addresses as possible. Send a newsletter each month to announce the new Bugle, tell the people which great magazine with great stories is coming. Send this newsletter to all BCA members – and especially to those people that didn’t renew their membership. Tell them what they miss! Keep in touch with them.

Write an email to each new member after joining. Give them a warm welcome. Tell them they made a great choice and again the advantages of the BCA. Post the link to the forum. Make special offers. I can imagine a situation at the national meet: One month for free, if they join right now for a year. Two months for free, if you join us for two years and three months for free, if you join us for three years. I’m from Germany and I don’t necessarily need a printed version. But I won’t become a member if the prices are so much higher for foreign members. If I get the Bugle only as PDF, there are no shipping costs. But why does an American pay 110 USD for three years and I 254 USD? For the same PDF that costs nothing? I asked the BCA office for a special offer, but never got a reply. Its not that I don’t have the money, but I won’t pay the double price for the same thing as others – its simply unfair.

If you want to spread the Buick news, print some issues more and ask your local GM/Buick dealer, if you can put 10 Bugles to the showroom brochures. Maybe the visitor/buyer is a GM/Buick guy that loves the brand or even has other Buicks. Costs: Besides the printing costs, not a single USD! The dealer will probably appreciate your help, because they want every car buyer to come back in a few years to buy the next Buick!

Maybe GM/Buick can help. I saw on TV that the value of GM at the Wallstreet is as low as it was in the 50s. Grab a phone and ring the marketing division of GM/Buick. Tell them, yes, their stock are low, but they had the #3 position in beginning of the 50s and great cars. The stocks might be worth the same – but the cars are of the same greatness. Maybe they can use this argument for selling new cars.

<hr>#2

Maybe its possible to match the design of the Bugle to make the BCA design recognizable.

Here is a little test:

BUICK CLUB OF AMERICA

I put a new feature on it - I've 'stolen' the idea from the BHA website. If you lose members and budget descreases, start a sponsoring system. Member cars of members who donate 50 USD can chose to put their car (last decision by the webmaster and Bugle editor) on the front page. Make a slideshow of 25 cars. => 25 x 50 USD = 1.250 USD. Restart it every year to increase income...

<hr>#3

you could also put a commercial on the start page (BUICK CLUB OF AMERICA) OR (I'd love to see that!) you make a movie for the BCA at the next Buick National. Imagine this: The president of the BCA welcomes the viewer and goes through the lines of cars, all decades are shown, some awesome cars. He meets some persons that say "hey Bill, nice to meet you here!" and shake his hand. A meeting of good old friends, who took their Buicks with them. Maybe at the middle he stops at a nice car and tells the history of the BCA, why, how and what the BCA is. Afterwards he wents to an actual model (maybe the 2010 LaCrosse) and points out the way to the future (this part could be the reason why Buick could sponsor the video...). He shows how to become a member of this great club for Buick enthusiasts and tells everyone how much he'd love to meet the viewer of this film as a BCA member next year and meanwhile on the forum.

Making this movie wouldn't cost a lot. I'm creating a video plattform (like Youtube) for our company and we have a prosumer cam, a Canon XHA1, which costs about 3,500 USD. But: Before we make the decision for this cam, we tried some cameras and borrowed them for a day. The Canon XHA1 or Sony FX1 cost (in Germany) about 150 USD a day. I'd borrow it for two days, spend 300 USD and have an official club video that attracts new members and shows all existing member why they joined the BCA.

Speaking of joining the BCA: The website www.buickclub.org/join is nice, I really love the feature to become a member online without any delays. Some things could be improved there, too: It is an extra website, which means that one has to leave the main website to go to subpages. A great layout/structure would put every single subpage into one big website. The user won't have to click on the logo to go back to the main website - which is now not possible, because the link on the BCA logo is not working!

Today, all users would like to get to the sites they want without looking them up. The hint "(Additional decals can be purchased from the San Gabriel Valley Chapter.)" is nice, but there could be a link. I didn't know where the San Gabriel Valley was so I went to the main website (manually by typing the URL into the browser, because the link isn't working), went to the capters finder and had to look for it. Links would be very helpful!

Why are the local chapters taking their own fees? I've found the the San Gabriel Valley chapter and read (http://www24.brinkster.com/sp802/bca/clubinfo.htm) they'd take 10 USD for a membership. But administrating this fee and organizing things would take about 2-3 USD per member. The funny part, in the membership form they speak of 15 USD (http://www24.brinkster.com/sp802/bca/membapp.htm), what is correct? I'd suggest to increase the membership fee of the BCA to 60 USD (1yr, US 2nd) and transfer the money to the chapters according to the amount of members. In this way, every member belongs to a local chapter automatically and gets involved to their activities.

Maybe the US is very different to Germany, but maybe the German magazine subscription "system" could be working for you, too. In my understanding, the member of the BCA has to renew the membership after a period of time. In Germany, the subsription of all magazines and other things lasts until forever - until you quit it by writing a letter. If the BCA would do it this way, every existing member is "renewed" automatically.

Again, I would say, even 60 USD per year is cheap. All members get the Bugle. Compare it with other magazines like Hot Rod or Motor Trend. Yes, they cost less a year - but they provide stuff of all auto makes. The Bugle is the #1 source for Buick info. No other magazine in the world has more Buick to offer! Perhaps a poster in every issue would make it more collectable (it already is a big collectable item, yet). Here is a draw:

Looks nice and advertises for the BCA. It costs a few thousands of dollars, yes. But if you calculate it to every member, it costs less than 50c, I guess. Anyway... how many members does the BCA have? I haven't read the amount anywhere!? Everyone wants to be part of a BIG Buick society. Also an argument to advertise with...

<hr>

To come to and end, I apologize for my bad English and hope no one will be offended by these thoughts!

[dship]

El_Diablo,

IMHO, I'm truely impressed with what you've written. Certainly alot of thought has gone into what you've suggested and I hope a number of them become a reality. In fact, everyone's comments/suggestions have fantastic merit.

By the way, when was the last time the National BCA website was updated??...for the Minuteman chapter, the director currently listed was TWO directors ago!!

[Thriller]

The information on chapter directors and such is sketchy - if you talk to Mike and Nancy at the National Office, the sad reality is that some chapters don't report that information. How can anyone update it if they don't know? That being said, I can't say what happened in this specific case, but it does boil down to communication. There was some surprising information at the meeting in Colorado Springs about how hard it is to get some basic information from some of the chapters.

A Bugle centerfold is a neat idea.

When it comes to web design for the BCA, not to mention the chapters and divisions, it is difficult to get consistency because it is done by volunteers. It would be nice if we could perhaps spring for some graphic design to create templates that everyone would then be asked to use. It could create some of that unity ElDiablo is referring to. I signed up to do the Pre-War Division web site 3 years ago...unfortunately, I haven't done a good job of keeping up...other priorities in life keep getting in my way. If there was a template to use, then I could have saved some time at least in the initial setup and perhaps gotten some content in place.

I guess that is something else that kind of crops up. Everyone wants certain things...a bigger Bugle, more colour pages in the Bugle, more technical advisors (ideally to cover every year / model / drivetrain), changes to web interface, etc. These things take either money (which we don't have to throw around) or additional volunteer time. We could potentially have the latter, but how do you get someone to step forward. I know I don't feel comfortable enough in my knowledge of a particular subject to be a technical advisor, nor do I feel confident I could devote time to responding to member requests.

I was just looking at the tech advisor page. Since we have those e-mail addresses posted, do the tech advisors get queries from non-members? If they do, how do they handle them?

I know Bruce Andren (tech advisor for 61-63 Special / Skylark) was helping me out before I was a BCA member, but he was also the one who suggested I should join and attend the 2003 National Meet. I'm guessing that is a fine line to walk between trying to be a resource to BCA members while not turning away prospective members should they choose not to help out non-members.

Here I go again, typing too much....

[38Buick 80C]

Just a side note on the Chapter Director List, Mike, Nancy, Pete, Roberta and I have been working to update it. Keep in mind the changes take longer to get into print than online. We've already corrected a few and am slowly working through all the chapters to make sure the info is right between the web, Bugle and reality.

We'll check into the Minuteman and make sure John Henry's info is correct in all locations.

[Reatta Man]

Many good responses in here!

Some of the comments I made in an earlier post about how smaller Buicks are looked down upon by some members may have been misunderstood.

ANY car club is about one thing--PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP.

Today, there are forums, clubs and shows for many car makes and models that BCA members would probably look down on. From the Chevy HHR to the Toyota Prius, there are clubs or Web sites for owners that focus on building relationships centered on their cars and how they are enjoying owning and using them. NOT old cars, NOT restored cars, NOT pure cars, NOT exclusive cars. Just pride and enjoyment from owning, driving, and sometimes modifying or customizing cars. They share information about common problems and solutions, friendly dealers and parts sources, and how they are enjoying their cars.

We as BCA members need to encourage ALL Buick owners to join, show and enjoy their cars. Unfortunately, I don't think most BCA members would have a lot of nice things to say to someone showing a 2004 Regal GS, or (heaven forbid!) a late-model Lucerne or Lacrosse.

A few months ago, I went to a Corvette show in Boerne, Texas. There was everything from a 1954 'Blue Flame 6' to heavily modified 2009 coupes and convertibles. And, someone had the nerve to bring a 2010 Camaro! So what did I see there? Young owners, old owners, families, kids, the curious, the "I don't know anything about Corvettes but like to look at them" types. In other words, ALL cars, ALL owners and ALL spectators were welcome.

So, if the membership is dwindling, if the shows look like a meeting of AARP members, many people only need to look in the mirror to find the problem. In other words, STOP criticizing the Buicks that YOU don't like or think are interesting. WELCOME new people, new cars and, yes, modified Buicks.

Personally, I lost interest in my local chapter when a member once hijacked a meeting, telling everyone for about 20 minutes about how GM and Buick haven't made a decent car since

1940-something. So, stop making the BCA and local chapters into exclusive clubs that don't let in or welcome 'those people or those cars.'

Joe

[poci1957]

Interesting thread everyone, I am interested in your posts as I have been watching my own Pontiac Oakland Club with similar concerns about decline in recent years, and of course Buick/Olds/Pontiac have many shared characteristics.

I notice you are concerned about the Buick club being naturally demographically older, which would seem logical given Buick's traditional market. One would think the home of GTO and Firebird would attract a comparatively younger crowd. Well, one would be wrong in that, the Pontiac club is probably as gray as you are. In fact, one would also think street rodded Pontiacs would skew younger and their growing ranks are every bit as old as the club at large. I joined the Pontiac club in 1987 at 19 years old and joke that I was always the youngest member wherever I went. Now at 41 I still am......

The question is, why does the performance division's club also not attract a younger crowd? My best guess is:

1. Antique car collectors have always naturally been a little older.

2. People just do not join groups like they used to.

3. The car culture mindset is not what it used to be.

4. Car people can tend to be arrogant and unwelcoming to younger people or those with lesser cars or funds.

5. It is seen as an unaffordable hobby for younger people.

Now we can argue the reality of the above but I think these issues, real or not, are holding people back from joining the hobby. Sadly, I do not think either of our clubs will be expanding and I do not know what to do about that. I guess we can just all try to be good individual ambassadors for the hobby and include kids as much as we can. Any other ideas? Todd

[dship]

Reatta Man,

You hit nail-on-head when you said "pride of ownership". The ROA's motto is in fact "Share the Pride". Its boldly scripted on our website and on our 3-fold introductory brochure. Its an attitude we ROA members strive to maintain.

[Mark Shaw]

El Diablo,

You have some great suggestions here.... We all appreciate your input.

Thanks,

[Thriller]

I hope I'm not bringing a dead thread back to life, but last night at a local cruise night I arranged to get the BCA as the feature club. They allowed me to speak a bit about the BCA. We had two cars up from MN for the weekend, and we started off with 3 other BCA member cars there (ewing's '47 Roadmaster, and my Wildcat and '62 Special). As other Buicks pulled in, we encouraged them to park with us in the prime area.

I don't know what the end result is...and may never know. Prior to the weekend, I had printed out a number of applications from the BCA web site with my name and BCA # in the sponsor field. I had printed up 10. I have one left. Basically, when we got a Buick to park with us, I introduced myself, handed the driver the application form, and chatted a bit about what the BCA has meant for me. I also put a few on driver's seats of cars that I didn't get a chance to see the driver.

Another got handed to a fellow who approached me to chat since I had the Wildcat there. He is restoring a '64 Wildcat. One of the fellows from Minnesota also has a '64 Wildcat, along with parts, expertise, and so on. We had a good chat and this fellow seems a likely prospect.

At any rate, if over the coming months, we see new members listed in the Bugle from Winnipeg, it would seem I was somewhat successful. If not, at least I exposed additional Buick owners to the existence of the BCA.

The BCA is our club. It will survive if we want it to and are willing to take a bit of action on its behalf.

[38Buick 80C]

Derek,

Great job! I know I will be handing out a ton of application at Fall Autofair in CLT this coming weekend. The Carolina Chapter has a prime spot in the car show area and we will have our chapter banner up to hepl attract some more attention.

It would be great if every member handed out applications at car shows. Keep up the good work!

[Guest BJM]

Our town Madrid, Iowa has a 300 + car Labor Day show. I had to work my part time job at 2pm but I was able to meet 4 of the 5 Buick owners there - two will be in Ames. One of the guys had already been approached by Rick Young.

It was an interesting demographic. Kind of depressing only 6 total Buicks among 300 + cars.

4 GS Skylarks and one 1983 Riviera convertible. The 3 owners I meet were guys, all 3 were active in the GS Club and NOT the BCA. The one fellow that Rick talked to has joined the BCA and will have is strato blue 69 400 GS convertible at Ames.

Another older fellow I would say age 65 had a 72 GS455 stage 1 and was amazed that Iowa would be hosting the BCA National Meet. He is planning to join and come (from Fort Dodge Iowa).

He said something interesting which reinforces my points. He said he has seen GS National Meets draw 3500 cars. If that is true then clearly that outnumbers a BCA National meet.

BCA leadership needs to continue to put that olive branch out there for ROA and GS Club members. If we can formally get them to become BCA members then our roster would swell and give us a hedge against the age issue (The other two owners of GS's I met where in their 40's / 50's)