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FYI, In case you haven't seen this elsewhere:
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Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2003 11:41:54 -0500
From: William 'Chip' Lamb
Subject: Open letter to the SCNA, the Internet community and SAAB friends at large
Dear Friends:
During the last weekend of August, 1983, over 150 members of "The SAAB
Club" a.k.a. "Compact Frontwheel Drive Club of America" converged on
Chestnut Mountain Resort near Galena, IL for the first national owners
convention.
20 more of these have followed, during which the "spirit of SAAB" has
grown, developed and adapted to the new age. Major changes have occurred:
In 1983, this "club" was still a bunch of folks brought together solely by
a monthly newsletter trying, largely, to keep 2-stroke and V4 cars on the
road; today's club embraces not only those pioneers but also the
performance tuners of the newer models and everyone in between.
In 1983, SAAB was the company it had been for the 33 years it was in
automobile production; today it is a wholly owned subsidiary of General
Motors.
In 1983, there was no formal national club organization; today we have one.
In the mid 1990s, SAAB USA slowly took over the control of the National
Convention as a means of advertising. We have now successfully won it back
for the use of the enthusiast community.
WHY THEN, WITH SO MANY WILLING TO GRIPE ABOUT THE EAST-CENTRISM OF OUR
NATIONAL CLUB ORGANIZATION, WILL NOBODY ON WEST OR EAST COASTS OR IN
BETWEEN STAND UP AND VOLUNTEER YOURSELF AND YOUR ORGANIZATION TO HOST THE
2004 OWNERS CONVENTION?
Right now, there are no plans for an event in 2004. If it is put on again
by one of the individuals who have so successfully put it on the last two
years, we will do nothing to grow the new organization westward of
Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Clubs are made up of their members, and your dues are not enough. Your
elbow grease is required. Do not look upon the Convention as a sort of
mobile SAAB Disneyworld to which you can pay but not participate in.
If you are not an SCNA member but have been freeloading off of the National
Conventions for years, your time is up. There is no free ride - everyone
pitches in and everyone benefits. If club stuff and the national meets do
not appeal to you, fine, delete this message.
I have, in response to what I have been hearing the last week, enquired as
to the availability of the Richmond Raceway Complex and the State
Fairgrounds, where the yearly Mid Atlantic AACA show is held every year. If
nobody raises their hand, I will risk coronary failure and put the damned
thing on myself in Richmond. DO NOT MAKE ME DO THIS. It has taken a year
off my life already dealing with SCUSA and all the involvement I have had
behind the scenes in the last 2.5 years to wrest control of the Convention
and put it into the hands of the enthusiasts. I have no club base here to
use for volunteer assistance, and frankly, everyone would have to come a
long way.
But if I could get 150 people in a field for a weekend, that would be good
enough for me. After all, they did it in 1983.
Now, after reading this, if you have interest in putting on an event such
as those which have preceded it (and I thoroughly stress to you to look at
some from the more distant past rather than the "wine and cheese"
gatherings of the last 8 years) - contact SAAB Club President Garry Grimes
at mailto:eggrimes@earthlink.net
Please pass this letter on to anyone I may have missed, print it in your
regional club newsletters and post it up at SAAB dealerships. The word
needs to get out.
Yours sincerely
William C.W. "Chip" Lamb
SAAB Enthusiast at Large
SCNA Member, Nines Columnist & Advertiser
Owner, West of Sweden SAAB, Charles City, VA
posted by 156.153.255...
, Thu, 20 Nov 2003 12:36:13
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