I just noticed a membership number that is 50,000 higher than mine. Lemme see, we have had about 50,000 join over the years and have retained about 10,000 give or take a few. People do not know what they are missing with the wealth of knowledge here.
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Dick Whittington -
Re: Members coming and going
True enough Dick, but you have to allow that some have moved on to collect other items, and some sadly have passed on.Terry -
Re: Members coming and going
Yes Dick but that was the Haynes-Apperson Original Owners Club.Administrator
www.ncrs.orgComment
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Re: Members coming and going
Do we know how many join to sell something and then are gone in a couple of months?Comment
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Re: Members coming and going
As was mentioned before, people sometimes move on to something else.
When I was building my off-road vehicles I was involved with that and that group of people. After a few years quit paying my dues.
Then at another time in my life, my cars did not come out of storage for well over five years. Another hobby took over.
I also know people that were members while they were restoring their cars. Now that their car is an occasional weekend driver, they are not referencing this site any longer.
These things along with the other issues mentioned may be part of it.
Thank goodness you guys are still around for the rest of us though.
MonteComment
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Re: Members coming and going
Dick
I know several people who own Corvettes, but don't want to put them through NCRS's system. These include some very nice original cars. Others I know have tried NCRS, but didn't like it (too picky). It's just something you have to like to stay with. Trying to make it "easier" for first-time owners doesn't help keep them. I know this has been discussed quite a bit in the past. Someone that wants a Top Flight needs to earn a Top Flight, even at a Chapter Meet. A Top Flight award needs to mean something. I see on Barrett Jackson how Corvettes are praised for their Chapter level Top Flight. Is that a person who wants to support and appreciate the NCRS. Maybe, but maybe they just want a marketing lever. A Top Flight is marketable when a car is auctioned.
JimComment
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Re: Members coming and going
NCRS is no different than any other car club. It's always amazing that people will pay dues and never show up for an event. Never participate in anything and then don't offer to help even if asked.
So they move on and probably do the same thing in another club. It is never going to be any different.
In my little business a standard question is "Are you an NCRS member". Most are not so then it's my job to tell them what they are missing. And that I do. True Story. JDComment
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No ads
Maybe its partly because of the impression folks have about the NCRS... rightly, or wrongly.
A lot of people believe that the NCRS is just a bunch of guys who sit around and worry about whether a bolt is correct or not... that they are guys who look at pretty cars, but don't drive them, and that they are rather exclusive.
Heck, some even think we don't have an online forum where you could buy parts from other members to make your car correc.... oh, wait.... never mind that....
The closest thing I can find to a charter for the NCRS (admittedly, I didn't look that hard) is
"Formed in 1974, the National Corvette Restorers Society is a non-profit hobby group of 15,800+ families dedicated to the restoration, preservation, history and enjoyment of Corvettes made from the model years 1953 through 1996."
If that is true, then the perception that non-members have of "the club" are out of whack. I don't know what the club does about it... but it is what it is...Comment
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Re: Members coming and going
James, I agree with your assessment. I have been a member for about three years now and I can only speak based on my own personal experiences. At the onset I percieved the NCRS as a club/organization that was exclusive for those that can only afford high level Corvettes and were prepared to near perfection. Just that thought made me feel intimidated and excluded. After educating myself and attending a regional meet just to observe, I quickly relized that my perception was completely distorted. The people that I met were down to earth, friendly and informative. The next year I entered my car in that regional meet and we have Top Flighted twice in the last two years. I have taken my experience and shared it with my local and social media friends and I encourage them to join the NCRS and participate in the events. I think it's all about easing their fears and guiding them through the process, instead of lowering the NCRS standards. I agree with you, that the Top Flight has to mean something, if not, it would not be worth pursuing.
I would be remiss, if I did not say that I have met some wonderful people from different states. That along, is gold. And for our Elders who have been around for a long time, your Corvette knowledge and life knowledge in general is a blessing to many of us. It's great to be mentored.
Just my two cents on this topic.Ed Nieves
NCRS #51799
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Re: Members coming and going
For people with this impression, I would refer them to this thread:
https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...-Tours-preview
and this thread:
https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...at-the-POCONOS
Every National Convention has formal road tours organized around it from all parts of the country, and every Regional Meet has informal road tours running to it from nearby states. There are times when guys sit around and discuss head bolt markings, but that is far from the main aspect of the club. The club exists for enthusiasts with love of classic corvettes to get together and share their love for these unique cars. Register for the National, come to it a couple days, OJ, and sit in some tech sessions and seminars. Be there to listen to the previous chief engineers and old racers talk about these cars. You will have a very enjoyable time. Promise.
p.s. perceptions are like sphincter muscles, everyone has them. The club is more than colored ribbons. But you have to get involved to figure that out.Comment
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Re: Members coming and going
I didn't say it was my impression...
The reality is, a guy with a Resto-mod car can join the NCRS and have a great time. A guy with a beater car he has no plans of restoring can join the NCRS.... There is even room for a guy like me who doesn't have a car, but is desperately looking to buy his first...
But there is a perception out there that more folks are only welcome if they are in pursuit of a top flight award...Comment
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Re: Members coming and going
Correct you are JD. I have been in car clubs since 1964, English sports, hot rod, SCCA, SVRA, NCCC, Corvette clubs, etc. and even in '64 the question arose as to keeping current members and growing the base. It has been a topic in each and every organization of any type I am or have been in, not just car organizations but civic, government, and in business. I used to do a lot of things I don't anymore for one reason or another. We change, our interests, dedication, enthusiasm, abilities, life position, available time, $$$, etc. From the outside it is rare for anyone to have an accurate idea of what any organization and its members are about.Comment
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