Packard club wants to join local SDC chapter

[Chris Pile]

Well, the members talked it over yesterday and decided that we'll invite the Packard club to our March meeting for a "Meet and Greet" to discuss absorbing their members. Turns out there IS precedence for such a thing - it's happened here and in Europe. I'll keep this thread updated.

[Chris Pile]

I'd like to thank Chuck Donkle and Frank Van Doorn (North Central Zone honchos) for their wise input on this matter. While I was initially opposed to the Packard guys coming into our chapter, it seems to be acceptable to Midway members, and there is substantial precedence for Packard clubs being absorbed by Studebaker clubs in the past. So we shall see what we shall see....

[StudeRich]

Maybe some members that have been involved with SDC since early times could shed some light on previous "merges". I believe there was at one time a Studebaker Owners Club or something like that. Why it was started when there was SDC I don't know. I do believe after some period of time that club joined with SDC. Can anyone shed some light on that?

ASC I believe was started by Bill Cannon. There are times when our chapter has tried to have an event, and invariably someone pops up with a "conflict" with an event that the ASC is holding at the same time. I don't know if it will happen with ASC and SDC ever combining but as time passes, I could see a benefit for that to happen.
Bob Miles Tucson AZ

Aren't we starting to mix Apples with Oranges here Bob with your suggestion?

I did not see the involved Local Wichita Chapter Members talking ANYTHING about merging the actual entire International Organizations!

What you are talking about is a International Organization (Packards International) or whatever they are called, which would be the same as the Studebaker Owners Club Inc. The Studebaker Society (both of which DID merge with SDC), or the Antique Studebaker Club, or the Avanti Owners Association International, Internationally MERGING with the SDC, at this time I don't see that happening.

What IS considered is just a few Members from ONE chapter of the Packard Club signing up with the Local SDC Chapter and the SDC International Organization, which is no different to US anyway, as any New member with no Classic Car, a Chevy, plans to buy a Stude. or whatever who is interested in our Cars signing up.

No Local or International change at all!

[6hk71400]

Dear Rich,

I was not advocating anything of the sort. All I raised was a question about what had happened in the past. I do not think it would ever happen with the Packard group and Studebaker Drivers Club. I have talked to some "Packard People" in the past and believe it or not, they are still mad about October 1954. I did not think my statement was ambiguous or even considered as a suggestion. I was curious what did happen in the past with the another club merging into the Studebaker Drivers Club. Since you have a background in the club much longer than I have maybe you can shed some history on how that happened to work.

I also was just echoing what others had said about the ASC, with no call for action.

I do like fruit salad to eat though. Thanks for allowing me to clear that up and again, if you or anyone could share the history of what had happened years ago when there were two separate clubs please do. If anyone thinks this deserves a separate thread that would be fine too.

Bob Miles
Tucson AZ

[Skip Lackie]

I do not claim to know all the details regarding the mergers or demise(s) of other Stude clubs, but my recollection is that a few people were unhappy with either SDC or its leadership (we were all a lot younger then) and decided to start their own club. The ones that I remember were mostly focused on a particular geographic area, though they had pretentions of national coverage. They withered away after a few years and a few newsletters -- publishing a real newsletter with real content is both time-consuming and expensive. My suspicion is that they simply dissolved, though they may have formally merged with SDC (ie, turned their treasury and membership list over to SDC). I joined one or two of them out of curiosity and don't remember ever getting a formal announcement of dissolution/merger. I think I still have a couple of their newsletters in my archive somewhere.

[6hk71400]

Thanks Skip,

I knew of a club sometime in the past but did not know anything about the details. There will I guess always someone that may be unhappy; that is why if someone is they should run for office. I figure that is probably not the case here with the local Packard/Studebaker club in Wichita.

I am working with the board of our local chapter as well to increase our presence in Tucson. We just had our banquet and now have 4 new members. There is not a local chapter of the Packard Club. We do hope to have our cars out in the public but also want to include people interested in history that don't own a Studebaker.

Chris, let us know from time to time how your efforts are working.

Bob Miles
Tucson AZ

[mbstude]

Just a thought on a grander scale...

With the "aging" (dwindling, let's be realistic) of most of the antique car clubs (I think the only club that's actively growing and gaining younger membership is Volkswagen), this merging idea might be the future of the old car hobby. Maybe it's time for all of the smaller, specialized car clubs (Stude, Packard, Hudson, etc, etc) to consider merging into a conglomerate. I'm starting to think that that might be the only way for the future of the old car hobby (as a whole) to continue to grow and survive as time goes on.

There is no Packard club in this area. But, the local AACA Chapter here in Tallahassee is getting old and dwindling. One of the younger guys (in his 60's) likes to stay active with his antique car hobby, and since he already has a few Packards in his collection, he joined the local SDC Chapter so he can continue to be involved with a local, active group. He ended up buying a '29 President so he could be even more involved.

I'm all for it.

[Chris Pile]

Chris, let us know from time to time how your efforts are working.

Well, the appointed day has finally arrived - not without some work on my part, and a lot of false starts and misunderstandings on the part of others involved. Even yesterday, some Packard folks were crying about having to fold their charter (I didn't say they had to).

As it turns out, only 2 Packard club members showed (that were not yet members of the SDC). Others had planned on attending, but illness and other problems kept them away.

I once again made my pitch of welcome, taking pains to point out that the SDC and Midway Chapter didn't want their money or their cars, and they weren't going to have to sacrifice a small animal. All they had to do was fill out membership forms, pony up some cash, and join in the fun.

Both fellows agreed that it was a good idea, and said they would urge the other Packard chapter members to accept our offer of friendship. So..... now we wait.

[Guido]

I do not claim to know all the details regarding the mergers or demise(s) of other Stude clubs, but my recollection is that a few people were unhappy with either SDC or its leadership (we were all a lot younger then) and decided to start their own club. The ones that I remember were mostly focused on a particular geographic area, though they had pretentions of national coverage. They withered away after a few years and a few newsletters -- publishing a real newsletter with real content is both time-consuming and expensive. My suspicion is that they simply dissolved, though they may have formally merged with SDC (ie, turned their treasury and membership list over to SDC). I joined one or two of them out of curiosity and don't remember ever getting a formal announcement of dissolution/merger. I think I still have a couple of their newsletters in my archive somewhere.

Skip,

I was a member (and District Governor) of the Studebaker Automobile Club of America in the mid 1970's. They were based out of Hemet, CA and published a magazine along with newsletters. As I recall, they folded after a couple of years.

Gary

[Skip Lackie]

Skip,

I was a member (and District Governor) of the Studebaker Automobile Club of America in the mid 1970's. They were based out of Hemet, CA and published a magazine along with newsletters. As I recall, they folded after a couple of years.

Gary

From now on, I'm gonna address you as "governor".