What is Firebird Club Membership?

From another Thread:

"O.K...I'll try again...

1. What do you want this "club" to be?

Something informal like MiFBody?

Something more formal where we're affiliated with a national organization?

http://www.firebirdtaclub.com/

Join a POCI (Pontiac Oakland Club International) chapter?

http://www.poci.org/POCI_Chapters_Detail.cfm?S=ST

Or something independent of the above? Like EMCC/WMCC?



2. What would be the price of any dues, and what would you get for it?

I would suggest something minimal ($20 a year) which would get you a membership card ("Member since 20xx"), e-mailed newsletter (quarterly), and a small sticker. I don't like the pro-rated membership for two reasons...#1 it makes things too complicated to track and #2 it would allow people to squeeze in at towards the end of the year and get all the benefits of those who paid in full, but that's just me. T-shirts and other paraphanalia would be extra cost.


3. What can members expect?

Maybe I should rephrase...what do YOU expect (you being the member)? What do you want to take away from this? What do you expect to see?


But #1 and #3 are the important questions...until we answer that, everything else is moot.

And they all have their pros and cons. If people want to be a POCI chapter, you'll have a POCI membership that people will have to buy as well as anything MiFirebirdClub would tack on, but the support and opportunity would be first class.

Sponsors...we're getting ahead of ourselves. But once we're established we can hook up with a dealership (i.e. what the WMCC does with Berger) and try to establish a long term relationship. We should also plan on going to the local bigger shows (i.e. Nesting of the Birds, Pontiac Spring Dust Off) as a group to get more visibility.

Just based on what I've seen with MiFBody, sponsors won't start signing on until we've been established a couple years and have a couple hundred members.

But what we should answer first, is what do members want out of this club, and how formal would they like the structure."

[phoenix_rising]

From another Thread:

"O.K...I'll try again...

1. What do you want this "club" to be?

Something informal like MiFBody?

Something more formal where we're affiliated with a national organization?

http://www.firebirdtaclub.com/

Join a POCI (Pontiac Oakland Club International) chapter?

http://www.poci.org/POCI_Chapters_Detail.cfm?S=ST

Or something independent of the above? Like EMCC/WMCC? <---



2. What would be the price of any dues, and what would you get for it?

I would suggest something minimal ($20 a year) which would get you a membership card ("Member since 20xx"), e-mailed newsletter (quarterly), and a small sticker. I don't like the pro-rated membership for two reasons...#1 it makes things too complicated to track and #2 it would allow people to squeeze in at towards the end of the year and get all the benefits of those who paid in full, but that's just me. T-shirts and other paraphanalia would be extra cost.

3. What can members expect?

Maybe I should rephrase...what do YOU expect (you being the member)? What do you want to take away from this? What do you expect to see?

But #1 and #3 are the important questions...until we answer that, everything else is moot.

And they all have their pros and cons. If people want to be a POCI chapter, you'll have a POCI membership that people will have to buy as well as anything MiFirebirdClub would tack on, but the support and opportunity would be first class.

Sponsors...we're getting ahead of ourselves. But once we're established we can hook up with a dealership (i.e. what the WMCC does with Berger) and try to establish a long term relationship. We should also plan on going to the local bigger shows (i.e. Nesting of the Birds, Pontiac Spring Dust Off) as a group to get more visibility.

Just based on what I've seen with MiFBody, sponsors won't start signing on until we've been established a couple years and have a couple hundred members.

But what we should answer first, is what do members want out of this club, and how formal would they like the structure."

1. Something independent of the above? Like EMCC/WMCC? <---

2. I can agree to that. How about everyone else?

3. As a member of this club, I expect plenty of opportunities for social enrichment. Shows, Cruises, non show events.

I expect to make a lot of friends.

In meeting those who will know more about the Firebird, expect to learn a lot and to gain an appreciation for this and related subjects.

I expect to help local communities.

I expect to have fun.

[MikeM]

Now that I read the other thread, I understand this one . . it was a wee bit confusing at first.

So anyway, I'd add that in addition to dues, we should hold a couple fundraising events per year to help raise money. An annual Firebirds-only show would be cool, I'm sure we could get people to drop $5-10 for admission if we get sponsors to give free stuff to hand out. We could also do other things: car washes; members could volunteer services (example: detailing) and the club could sell these; etc. I'm sure there must be other car-themed fundraisers we could do. But we have to get the club name out there first.

We could raise interest in the club (& the annual show) by getting the current members to cruise to lots of events as a flock, show the club name with a banner or something, and hand out flyers to Pontiac owners. We could go to places like Baker's in Milford or Battle Alley in Holly, which have weekly events, and I'm sure there are equivalent places on the west side like that. I'd drive to the west side for a few events each year, 'cuz I know the west side gang is usually so good about coming over here.

I agree that we need dues. Like others, I'm against the idea of pro-rating. I think with a club this small, you could do 1-year memberships that renew in the month they originally paid. That woudn't be hard to keep track of until we got over 100 members, then we could switch to an annual renewal date, but have pro-rating only for new members. Once a member, if you lapse, you have to pay 1 year's full rate to renew (that would prevent people re-signing up each year to save money.)

And I think we need to meet as a club soon! Besides hankerin' to see everybody again in person, I think we should decide some of this stuff in a group discussion. So when & where, Ben?

[WMCC AL]

Now that I read the other thread, I understand this one . . it was a wee bit confusing at first.

So anyway, I'd add that in addition to dues, we should hold a couple fundraising events per year to help raise money. An annual Firebirds-only show would be cool, I'm sure we could get people to drop $5-10 for admission if we get sponsors to give free stuff to hand out. We could also do other things: car washes; members could volunteer services (example: detailing) and the club could sell these; etc. I'm sure there must be other car-themed fundraisers we could do. But we have to get the club name out there first.

We could raise interest in the club (& the annual show) by getting the current members to cruise to lots of events as a flock, show the club name with a banner or something, and hand out flyers to Pontiac owners. We could go to places like Baker's in Milford or Battle Alley in Holly, which have weekly events, and I'm sure there are equivalent places on the west side like that. I'd drive to the west side for a few events each year, 'cuz I know the west side gang is usually so good about coming over here.

I agree that we need dues. Like others, I'm against the idea of pro-rating. I think with a club this small, you could do 1-year memberships that renew in the month they originally paid. That woudn't be hard to keep track of until we got over 100 members, then we could switch to an annual renewal date, but have pro-rating only for new members. Once a member, if you lapse, you have to pay 1 year's full rate to renew (that would prevent people re-signing up each year to save money.)

And I think we need to meet as a club soon! Besides hankerin' to see everybody again in person, I think we should decide some of this stuff in a group discussion. So when & where, Ben?

You could make everyones dues due on the same date, say if member joins after 1/2 way through the year, give them the remainder of that year plus the following year. That way you are giving a break to encourage membership growth. It will be harder to justify changing dates later on for members who stick with your club.